Honor Guards

I was interested to hear that the military is going to be required to provide honor guards at veterans’ funerals upon request (Jan. 8). The article went on to say that with the current downsizing of the armed forces, they would be hard-pressed to provide this service, in view of the number of veterans dying each year.

It would seem to me that the men and women in the Army and Navy Reserve officers training programs at universities across the nation could also serve as honor guards. Those students whose post-secondary education is being subsidized by the government would seem to be ideal sources for this duty. Also, the cadets at West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy could take part, as well as students in the many private service academies, such as VMI. In the Kennedy tradition, for this pool of volunteers, the question of “what you can do for your country” could become operational.

SHAYLE UROFF

Camarillo