The South Dakota Army National Guard Military Funeral Honors Team conducts a transfer of the remains of Sgt. 1st Class Arthur F. Jewett to a waiting hearse at the Army Aviation Support Facility at Rapid City Regional Airport Sept. 22. Jewett, a Korea...

A color guard made up of members from the South Dakota Army National Guard Military Funeral Honors team stands steadfast as they wait for the burial ceremony for Sgt. 1st Class Arthur F. "Bluie" Jewett to begin at St. Theresa Catholic cemetary near W...

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Oct. 5, 2009) -- Last year, volunteers who make up the South Dakota Military Funeral Honors team sacrificed their time and comfort to honor the passing of more than 500 of South Dakota's veterans, by performing official honors ceremonies at their funerals.

And the future promises to grow even busier.

"The Veterans Administration estimates that there will be approximately 2,100 veteran deaths each year in the state of South Dakota through the year 2019," said Robert Sack, the state coordinator for Army funerals. "It would be my ultimate goal to help with all 2,100 of those funerals every year, between (the Military Honors team) and veterans' service groups."

Because of the large number of South Dakota veterans who pass away each year, many times the Military Funeral Honors team is unable to support every one, said Sack. In many cases, volunteers from local veteran service organizations, such as the American Legion or VFW, will conduct the ceremony.

But as these organizations get older, and their numbers get smaller, they may not be able to field enough members to perform the Congress-mandated folding of the American flag and playing of Taps on a bugle, he said. When this is the case, many times the organization will ask for help from the Military Funeral Honors team in order to carry out the ceremony.

"We can partner with any veteran service organization, if they so choose," said Sack. "If they ask for our help, we are more than willing to work with them. Between them and ourselves we are able to provide these honors for more of our veterans."

Providing an honorable burial for South Dakota's veterans is a duty that many Military Funeral Honors team volunteers grow to cherish, he said.

"We find that when Soldiers do it for the first time they are very nervous," Sack said. "But after they do their first one, they're just amazed how they feel." He said that many members of the team have been volunteering for the last six years or more, donating a great deal of time to the program.

Sack said even though he has several very loyal team members currently, the only way that the Military Funeral Honors program will grow is by recruiting new volunteers. New Soldiers who join the team have all of their training, equipment and uniforms provided by the program, he said, so the only thing the potential recruit needs is motivation.

Helping Soldiers show proper honor to those veterans who served before them is enough motivation for him, said Sack. In the future, he said he hopes that more service members will step to the plate, helping to recognize these veterans' sacrifices.

"Every veteran has earned this," he said, "but it takes the current Soldiers to help them. At some point, everyone in the service will become veterans. So I hope there are people there to do these services for them."

No matter how many new recruits join his organization in the future, Sack said the members of the South Dakota Military Honors team will continue with their mission, volunteering to put on their dress blues.

Rain or shine they will be there, folding the stars and stripes and showing honor and respect for those Soldiers who came before them.