Robert W. Fuller, a World War I veteran and charter member of Post 41 died unexpectedly of appendicitis. Mr. Fuller was an extremely popular young man in the community and the Legion decided that he deserved a full military funeral. Since military funerals at that time were reserved for active duty personnel, Post 41 decided to form its own Honor Guard to conduct the funeral. The pallbearers and color guard were all Legionnaires while the local National Guard Company served on the firing squad and provided the bugler. Most of the National Guard participants were also members of the Legion. Robert Fuller’s funeral marked the beginning of the Clarke County Honor Guard.

Post 41 continued to provide the Honor Guard for local veterans’ funerals in this manner until February of 1949. At that time, Post 41 agreed to form a joint Clarke County Honor Guard with the local VFW Post 9760. The two posts shared the $75 cost of outfitting a fifteen-man Clarke County Honor Guard. Since then, the two posts have continued this shared responsibility. Over its eight decade history, the Clarke County Honor Guard has provided military funerals for hundreds of local veterans.

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