Any time they respond to the scene of a death, officers from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office aim to treat the deceased with dignity and respect.

When officers learn the deceased was a veteran, however, something more happens.

Hayden resident Bruce Eckhardt witnessed it firsthand earlier this month.

After noticing his veteran neighbor’s “set-in-stone” routine had been interrupted, Eckhardt called 911. KCSO responded, entered the home and discovered that the man had passed away.

Officers draped the former Marine captain’s body in an American flag before removing him from his home. Eckhardt, who is also former military, joined the officers in giving a final hand salute.

“They showed compassion and respect during a most difficult time,” Eckhardt wrote in a letter to The Press.

Though no formal policy exists, handling the bodies of deceased veterans in this way has been standard at KCSO for about 10 years.

“It’s important to do,” said Lt. Ryan Higgins. “Giving them the respect they deserve is what it’s really for.”

The practice grew out of KCSO’s chaplain corps, which is responsible for counseling of inmates and rehabilitation resources for the inmate population.

“We have a lot of veterans who work for us,” Higgins said. “We thought it was a good idea.”

He estimated that KCSO handles six or so veteran deaths per year. The deaths are usually unattended, he said — meaning a death in which the body is not found for days, weeks or even longer.

“Typically it’s an elderly person,” he said.

When the circumstances of a veteran’s death aren’t suspicious and there’s no need to call detectives to the scene, an American flag is sent from the sheriff’s office instead — one of a number of flags kept just for this purpose.

The donated flags come mostly from local churches, Higgins said. Anyone who wishes to donate a flag can bring it to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office at 5500 N. Government Way.

“Veterans have given the ultimate sacrifice, and we want to pay that respect back to them,” Higgins said.