It begins with the American flag.

Two honor guard members retrieve and open the flag, which is then displayed with reverence.

The 21-gun salute begins. Rifle reports ring through the still cemetery air.

Taps is played. Solemn bugle notes echo off the headstones and into hearts and memories.

The flag is ceremoniously folded and presented to the next of kin, along with three polished rounds from the gun salute.

"I personally explain what those rounds mean to the family and what their veteran stood for, which is duty, honor and country," Post Falls Post 143 Honor Guard Commander Ken Johnson said Wednesday during a phone interview. "I tell them how much their loved one was honored and treasured as a veteran."

The military funeral service provided by Post 143 Honor Guard volunteers is a sacred task. Each of the guard's 13 members do what they can to ensure every request is filled.

“We average about 140 services a year, that's funerals," Johnson said. "Our high was August of last year. We did 27 in one month."

Only one request has been denied in the past four years.

"It’s only because that day we did six," Johnson said. "The sixth one was in Cocolalla, and the seventh one was in Riverview in Coeur d’Alene, and we couldn’t make the time."

When Johnson took over as commander in July 2021, North Idaho had seven honor guards.

"We are the last and only honor guard that is fully equipped to do military funerals in Kootenai County," he said. 

Of the 13 members on Johnson's team, four are inactive due to health and other issues. Two members are women. The oldest member is 92. The guard's honored Marine died in December.

It takes at least three personnel to conduct a military funeral ceremony.

"That's a bare, bare minimum," Johnson said.

The Post 143 Honor Guard conducts military funeral honors across the Inland Northwest: north to Priest River, east to the Montana border and south to Lewiston. The guard is committed to conducting ceremonies at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake on the third and, if applicable, fifth Friday of every month.

“Last Friday (May 16) we did five funerals out there, in one day,” Johnson said. "We have done nine in the past four days."

The honors are free; however, donations are always appreciated.

With so many requests and so few volunteers, the honor guard is in need of the community's help.

"We are really hurting for people," Johson said.

He has launched a campaign to recruit volunteers: "You've earned it ... but will you get it?"

"We've been reaching out to other organizations, everything we can do," he said. "We just don’t have the people."

Honor guard volunteers do not need to be veterans to serve. They simply need to be members of a Veterans Service Organization, such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans or a women's auxiliary, and they need to have text messaging capability to maintain communication regarding service requests.

Johnson, who is retired from 34 years of military and federal service and is a 9/11 survivor, is dedicated to ensuring all American heroes are buried with the respect and dignity they earned while serving their country.

“When I die, I want my wife to receive the flag, to hear the rifle salute, to hear taps; I do. I received my dad’s flag when he passed away," he said, emotion in his voice. "That’s the whole heart of my current team. When I send out a request, 'Hey, it’s in Mullan,' they say, 'Hey, sure, we’ll be there.'"

Post 143 Honor Guard members will host a military funeral ceremony demonstration at 6 p.m. June 16 at the Post Falls American Legion, 1138 E. Poleline Ave. All are welcome to attend.

"We've invited the public to see what really happens with the rifle salute, the presentation, taps, the whole nine yards," Johnson said.

Contact Johnson at 703-887-5533 or Adjutant Dan Neese at 208-518-8565 for details about how to volunteer or support the Post 143 Honor Guard.

"We need people. We’re really hurting," he said. "The last thing I want to tell families is, 'I’m sorry.'"

    Post Falls Post 143 Honor Guard Commander Ken Johnson stands at attention Monday while conducting military funeral honors in Pinegrove Cemetery in Rathdrum.
  

    An American flag is draped over the casket of Clifton "Cliff" Shove as he is given full military funeral honors in Pinegrove Cemetery in Rathdrum. Shove enlisted in the Army and served his country for 24 years, retiring as a sergeant first class. He passed away May 10.