Witnessing a veteran’s funeral conducted by the Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard is an emotional experience.
The passion, commitment, and dedication of the men and women in this group is evident with every step, every salute, and every sound from the bugler and bagpiper.
After folding the American flag, the Honor Guard presents it to the family of the fallen veteran at the ceremony. With the flag is a document on the 13 folds of the American Flag. These are sacred moments.
Dan Swearingen is the leader of the Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard and has been dedicated to the tight-knit group since 2012. The Prineville Band of Brothers began meeting in 2010, with only 40 members. They met at the previous Apple Peddler until the group outgrew the venue. They now meet every Thursday at Ron’s Comfort Café, with more than 1,000 members on their roster.
“I joined the Band of Brothers in November 2012, and the Honor Guard had started in September 2012,” indicated Swearingen. “Norm Smith and John Pearson got together, and they wanted to have an honor guard to honor veterans who passed.”
As a young man, he joined the United States Army and served as a military policeman, getting out in 1977. 15 years later, he re-enrolled in the Army and attended Drill Segreant School for 6.5 years. In his career, post-Army, he retired from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, and he started their honor guard. Upon retiring from the Army, for the second time, and with his background in drill and ceremonies, he joined the Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard to provide leadership for the group in 2012.
He went on to say, “I joined, and eventually took charge of the (local) Honor Guard, and I think we have come a long way since then. We do travel a lot. We get requests from out of the area, and we go to Willamette National Cemetery quite often if someone is from the Crook County area and they are going to be buried at Willamette National, we will get a request to go over there. There have been a couple times that we went over there, and we actually conducted the entire service.”
The organization travels throughout the state of Oregon, including Tillamook, Rogue River, Maupin, Mitchell, Twickenham, Joseph, and Ukiah. They average one service per week, sometimes more, sometimes less.
“It just depends on where the family might be from or where the person is going to be buried. It’s a large commitment, and we might have three in a weekend, and we have had three in one day,” commented Swearingen.
Members speak on their passion as an Honor Guard member
Ken Lundy joined the Band of Brothers in 2015 and has lived in Prineville for 11 years.
“I got into the Honor Guard because the families that have lost a family member who was in the military—to help to support them,” said Lundy. “I do it for the family, and I do it for the comradery, for the other fellow service members in the Honor Guard.”
Bill Pickens is one of the longest-standing members of the local group.
“I am one of just five members in the honor guard who have been here from the beginning in 2012. I have been through it all with the training and the ups and the downs and stuff. We are always looking for new members because the average age of this group is 75-plus.”
Pickens added that it is a real honor to go all over the state of Oregon to perform services for families and fallen veterans. It is the responsibility of families to ask for their services.
He added, “They all have some connections to Prineville, so that is why we get to go to those places.”
Willis Roberts was a hospice volunteer before he joined Band of Brothers in 2013, and one week later, he joined the Honor Guard. He continued his volunteer work for hospice and often supported the families of veterans during their time in hospice and then supported them through the honor guard after their passing.
“It was difficult, but I’m glad I am doing what I am doing,” concluded Roberts.
Bob and Nancy Eck are the only couple who serve together in the Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard. Nancy, from Monterey Parks, California, joined the Women’s Army Corps in 1973, and oversaw teletype maintenance. She later became a drill sergeant, and when assigned to Hawaii, she met her husband, Bob in 1994—who was also in the Army. Nancy and Bob worked for Intel and moved to Prineville when they retired. She was Commander of the Prineville VFW in 2023.
“A friend of ours said, ‘Since you are military, you should check out the Band of Brothers, for social and camaraderie,” commented Bob Eck. “We did, and shortly after that, we joined the Honor Guard, and for exactly the same reasons—because we feel like we should give back to the military community. What we provide is a lot more than just the basics that the family would get, and I think it gives them a better sense of closure.”’
Nancy added, “It adds something special to the family of the deceased to have their military service honored.”
The commitment of the Honor Guard
In addition to the many facets of the Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard, folding the American Flag is a big part of the ceremony. In order to fold the American Flag to the specifications of the Army, the Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard had to attend training every Tuesday evening for nine months to get certified in the folding of the flag.
“We could actually step in and fold the flag if the military is unable to be there due to prior commitments and weather, if they are not able to make it over the mountain,” said Swearingen.
In the beginning, the local Honor Guard didn’t have a rifle party, but they began getting requests for rifle salutes. They have since incorporated the rifle party. They offer the rifle salute to any veteran who qualifies for military honors.
The Authorized Provider Partnership Program (AP3) symbolizes the continuity of respect for deceased veterans from those who are serving and those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. This program allows the use of community volunteers to augment the legislated two-person uniformed detail—with one member of the detail from the branch of service of the deceased veteran. They fold and present the flag at veteran funerals. The Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard assists with the rendering of military honors and the added elements to the funeral service, such as the rifle party, flag line, casket team, and bagpiper and bugler.
Swearingen added, “We augment the active-duty military branch-they are required to provide two individuals—to fold the flag and make [the] presentation, and to play taps. The Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard has the military branch flag line and color guard, a rifle party, a bagpiper, and access to a bugler.”
He pointed out that they follow training from a military manual, FM 22-5 (the army now titles this manual as TC 3-21.5), the U.S. Army’s Drill & Ceremonies manual. He added that it provides guidelines on how to hold and march with the United States Flag, how to hold and shoot the rifles, and the wearing of the Cavalry Hat. The local honor guard also has an Honor Guard Creed.
“It’s kind of a living document, because I am always adding to it, trying to make it better, but it gives us something to work from,” Swearingen commented of the training manual.
Continuing the legacy of the Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard
Recently, the Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard received a donation from an anonymous donor for new hats. They previously had baseball cap-style hats. The new hats are a traditional black cowboy hat, with a flattened and trimmed brim, and a cattleman’s crease. They had WW Western Wear, and Prineville Men’s Wear shape and trim them.
Although the Honor Guard does not charge a fee, they accept donations. Two of their members make custom flag boxes, which are given to the next of Kin if they were a member of the Band of Brothers. Either way, families receive either a custom flag box or a store-bought flag box. There are also members who customize shell boxes with a laser-engraved logo of the Veteran’s branch of service, and the Band of Brother’s emblem if they are a member.
Swearingen concluded a recent training with his team, with the group gathered together in a circle. He gave generous kudos to the various members, and they reviewed as a team on what went well, and what could be improved upon.
Most of all, the camaraderie was evident, and this group will show up every time one of theirs has fallen, and the family needs closure.
“It’s an honor to do this. It’s a way of sending off fellow veterans in a good way, to let them know that as veterans, we all stick together, and we do love them,” concluded Honor Guard member, Jolynn Moore.
Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard Mission Statement
It is our goal to promote a positive public image by paying tribute to our fallen Veterans by assisting in the ceremonies and memorials and laying them to rest with honor and dignity. We also honor those servicemen and servicewomen returning from deployments. We will accomplish this mission using Drill and Ceremonies, Military customs and Courtesies, and presenting ourselves in a neat and professional Military manner.
Upcoming Memorial Day events
On the morning of Memorial Day, the Band of Brothers will put out the flags, including the lining of the entrance to the Crook County Fairgrounds. The parade will begin at 10 a.m., sponsored by the VFW. It begins at 4th and Main St.
VFW Auxiliary will conduct a Wreath ceremony at Elm Street Bridge/Ochoco Creek at 11 a.m. It will include a rifle salute, taps, and bagpipes by the Prineville Band of Brothers Honor Guard.
Following will be a Wreath Ceremony at Juniper Haven Cemetery at the Pioneer section Flagpole. They will conduct a rifle salute, taps, and bagpipes.
At 1 p.m., there will be a rededication of the Bob Ervin Veterans Memorial at the Crook County Fairgrounds. There will be a rifle salute, taps, and bagpipes.
