Color Guard/ Honor Guard Needs You!

Color Guard/ Honor Guard Needs You!

Within the last two months we have seen our ranks dwindle by three.

We have lost and will miss three steadfast participants in our Color Guard/ Honor Guard. So now have a shortage of Guard members.

We need your assistance to fill our ranks so we can accept requests from the community that ask our post to present the colors of our nation before their event.

This is not demanding work, and we can teach you if necessary.

We can even help with the procurement of uniforms, and we even have a few extra ones from the generous donations of members who have retired.

Please consider putting on the uniform again and show our neighbors what a privilege it is to be able to serve as we all have done before.  Let them know what it is to be a proud AMERICAN!

Our guard is well known throughout Frisco and surrounding communities, and as far away as Dallas and Fort Worth.  Each time our color/honor guard participates in an event, our post’s brand is enhanced.

Contact Bill Drake at 214-274-9955 for more information.

American Legion Post 178 Color Guard Opens 2023 Frisco Bowl

American Legion Post 178 Color Guard Opens 2023 Frisco Bowl

Color Guard Members: Larry Wilhelm, Kevin Robinson, Terry Gilbert, Norm Burgess, Noel Leduna, and Bill Drake. Not pictured Ted Ruybal. Photos by John Brady

For the past 6 years your Frisco American Legion Post 178 Color Guard has been honored to present the colors opening the Frisco Bowl. This year’s Frisco Bowl was held on December 19, 2023, and featured the UTSA Roadrunners verses Marshall’s Thundering Herd with UTSA winning 35 to 17 marking their first bowl game win in history. Founded in 2017, the Frisco Bowl is an annual NCAA sanctioned post-season Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college bowl game played in Frisco, Texas.

American Legion Post 178 and Lebanon Trail Navy National Cadet Corps Kickoff Freedom Fest Celebration

American Legion Post 178 and Lebanon Trail Navy National Cadet Corps Kickoff Freedom Fest Celebration

The American Legion Post 178 Color Guard and cadets from the Lebanon Trail Navy National Defense Cadet Corps presented the Nation’s Colors and service flags at the Frisco Freedom Fest.
Photo courtesy of Cadet Seaman Emma Ward.

The Post 178 Color Guard and Lebanon Trail Navy National Defense Cadet Corps had the honor of presenting the Nation’s Colors and Service Flags during the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Frisco Freedom Fest. The Independence Day celebration in the City Hall Plaza had live entertainment, local vendors, and The Taste of Frisco, featuring more than 20 local restaurants. 

Post 178 and the Cadet Corps also manned an information booth in the ‘Patriotic Vender Village’ which included more than 20 local participants. In addition to discussing membership opportunities, cadets shared information about their program. 

Festivities concluded with one of the largest fireworks shows in North Texas.

Peter J Courcy Post 178 Honor Guard Performs Military Honors for Honorary Life Member

Peter J Courcy Post 178 Honor Guard Performs Military Honors for Honorary Life Member

Honor Guard members performing military funeral honors for Burnett “Burnie” Louis Sutter:
(L – R) Larry Marshall, Larry Wilhelm, Charlie Daniels, Ted Ruybal, and Fred Rogers.

 

The Post 178 Color Guard currently consists of twelve members, eight of which participate in the Honor Guard performing military funeral honors for veterans. The Post has been providing this service since the post was chartered in 2014.

The Post 178 Honor Guard recently was honored to participate in a worship service celebrating the life of Burnett ”Burnie” Louis Sutter. Near the end of the worship service the Post 178 Honor Guard performed the military funeral honors to present a United States flag to his only daughter, Sandra Daun Richards.

All eligible veterans, including military retirees, are entitled to military funeral honors. At a minimum, the funeral honors ceremony will consist of the playing of taps and the folding and presentation of the U.S. flag. At least two uniformed military personnel shall perform the ceremony. If a bugler is not available, an electronic recording will be played. One of the uniformed military personnel will be from the deceased veteran’s parent military service and will present the flag to the next of kin.

Mr. Sutter was awarded a Post 178 Honorary Life Membership on April 7, 2021, his 100th birthday. At the time, Mr. Sutter was the most senior of the post’s six World War II veterans. He was a US Army World War II veteran and served in the ”Tough Hombres”, 90th Division, 358 Regiment, M Company. He landed at Utah Beach, Normandy, France, in June 1944. For his military service in France, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor medal in 2018.

Veterans Day Tribute Given by  Post 178 Color Guard and Frisco High School

Veterans Day Tribute Given by Post 178 Color Guard and Frisco High School

The Frisco High School Choir, and Orchestra and American Legion Post 178 Color Guard presented a Veterans Day tribute to honor local area veterans.

The program included patriotic songs which were led by Julie Daniels, Director FHS Orchestras. Post 178 Chaplain James Schaub gave the invocation and benediction. The Post 178 Color Guard presented and retired the Nation’s colors. Larry Wilhelm, Color Guard Captain, and Ted Ruybal concluded the program with the POW/MIA remembrance service.

The program honored and listed the names of the eleven young men who lived in Frisco who have been killed in action since World War I. Each is honored at the Veterans Memorial in Frisco Commons with a plaque at the Wall of Honor, as well as a trail marker describing their service.

The eleventh soldier listed was Corporal Peter John Courcy, U.S. Army – Operation Enduring Freedom, who was killed in action on February 10, 2009, in Afghanistan. He was 22 years old. Because Peter had attended Frisco High School, a special tribute honored him.

Peter J Courcy is the namesake of Post 178.

Color Guard Motto “Have Flags Will Travel”

Color Guard Motto “Have Flags Will Travel”

    Post 178 Color Guard events during May 2021.
 Photo #1 – Texas Gold Star Families Memorial Dedication
 Photo #2 – Memorial Day Program at Sunrise Senior Living
 Photo #3 – 31st Annual Lone Star Corvette Classic at Texas Motor Speedway
 Photo #4 – Armed Forces Day Celebration at Prairie Estates Skilled Nursing
 Photo #5 – Texas Motor Speedway INDYCAR Race
 Photo #6 –  Memorial Day Observance at Frisco Commons Park
 Photo #7 – Armed Forces Day at Frisco Roughriders Game
 Photo #8 – Allen Americans Hockey

The American Legion Post 178 Color Guard has been in high demand in 2021.  Its participation in events during 2020 were almost nonexistent because of the pandemic.  But as COVID-19 restrictions have eased, requests to present the Nation’s Colors have increased dramatically.

The guard maintains a remarkably busy schedule for presenting the Nation’s Colors in Frisco and surrounding communities at numerous events, such as grand openings, ballgames, schools, holidays, community events and American Legion functions. Its Honor Guard also performs funerals and memorial services for area veterans and members of Post 178 upon request of the family.  It also is qualified to perform services at the D/FW National Cemetery.

The guard was formed in 2014, the same year Post 178 was chartered.  It currently has 12 members who fill various positions: flags, rifles, bugle, saber, and detail leader. In 2020 because of COVID-19, the number of events were reduced to ten. The number of events was 40 and 58 in 2019 and 2018, respectively.  In May 2020 only 1 event was completed, however, 8 were completed in May 2021. The number of events should return to normal levels in 2022.

Besides time dedicated to scheduled events, practice is held monthly.  Additionally, members pay more than half of the $400 in uniform costs.  The post also has a Service Flag Detail that presents the flags of the United States Services and averages 3-4 events per year.

Post 178 is proud of its Color/Honor Guard.  It provides services at no cost, but accepts donations, and welcomes interested parties to contact Color Guard Captain Larry Wilhelm at friscolegion.colorguard@gmail.com. To learn more visit friscolegion.org.