the Spokane Area Veterans Honor Guard is a volunteer organization that provides military funeral honors, such as rifle salutes and flag presentations, for veterans in the Inland Northwest. They often step in when active-duty teams are unavailable or to provide elements (like the rifle volley) that active-duty teams may not have the staffing to perform.
If you are arranging a funeral, the standard and most effective process is to have your funeral director make the request. They have the necessary forms and direct lines to both the official military branches and the volunteer honor guard.
"Official" Military Honors: Provided by active-duty personnel from the veteran's specific branch (e.g., Fairchild AFB for Air Force). By law, they provide a two-person team to fold/present the flag.
Spokane Area Veterans Honor Guard (Volunteer): This group acts as a "force multiplier." They can provide a rifle squad (21-gun salute), which active-duty teams rarely provide anymore due to staffing limits. They also fill in if active-duty members are completely unavailable.
The group is always looking for dedicated volunteers to join their ranks. You do not need to be a member of the VFW, but you MUST be an honorably discharged veteran.
To Join: Contact Rick Mattausch at (509) 434-9730.
Requirements: Typically a memebr must be able to stand for periods of time and be available during weekdays when most funerals occur (though they do weekend services as well). Training and uniforms are usually coordinated through the group. Funerals are most often in Spokane County but they may be across the Inlandnorthwest depending on the needs of the family.
4. Other Important Contacts
If you are trying to coordinate official honors for a specific branch and cannot go through a funeral director, here are the regional coordinators: In all cases you must have the deceased's DD-214
If you need to contact the volunteer honor guard directly (e.g., for a memorial service without a funeral home involved):
Spokane Area Veteran's Honor Guard: Rick Mattausch (509) 434-9730
Air Force and Space Force (Fairchild AFB): (509) 247-4713
Army: (509) 532-2777
Navy and Coast Guard: (360) 315-3273 (Regional office)
Marine Corps: (509) 327-4216 (ext. 1)