Ceremonial guardsman honors families, flag

Published Dec. 29, 2016
By Airman 1st Class Travis Beihl
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The U.S. flag is known to represent many different ideas and values like freedom, liberty and the American dream. However, when the flag is folded and handed to a loved one during a funeral, it can create entirely new feelings for both the receiver and giver.

Staff Sgt. Anthony O’Conner-Geiling, Keesler Honor Guard charlie flight NCO in charge, still vividly recalls the first time he handed a folded flag to a family member just eight days after joining the guard.
“My first active duty funeral cemented this job’s importance,” O’Conner-Geiling said. “It was January and the snow had just begun to melt, making the ground a muddy slush, which made it a little difficult to keep my footing. The mother was visibly upset throughout the entire ceremony. After folding the flag, we presented it and shadow boxes to the next of kin and her children. I handed the flag off to the oldest daughter who was about five years old and she started to cry.”

Being this close to a family and seeing their raw emotion can sometimes be hard on new honor guardsmen so O’Conner-Geiling had to take a couple of moments to gather himself and reflect on what he just experienced.

“After making it to the bus, I had to sit down and take a couple of deep breaths to keep myself together,” O’Conner-Geiling said. “At that moment, I recognized the importance of what the honor guard does, and it made me want to become as proficient at it as possible.”
O’Conner-Geiling has completed more than 280 funerals and has countless heart-wrenching stories engraved in his memories since his first honor guard detail in 2007.

“(Once) as I started to walk over to the husband of the deceased to present the flag, he started to cry,” recalled O’Conner-Geiling of another funeral detail. “His little boy, whom he was holding, looked at his father and said, ‘It’s okay daddy, you don’t have to cry.’ I’ll always remember that moment and how his son became his comforting force when he couldn’t hold it together,” he said.

O’Conner-Geiling became a ceremonial guardsman trainer after joining the Keesler Honor Guard, which put him in a position to share his passion and the honor he felt for this duty.

“He is a confident leader who takes care of his Airmen and doesn’t shy away from making a tough decision- even though it may be unpopular,” said Master Sgt. Larry Davidson, Keesler Honor Guard superintendent. “From his dress and appearance, to the training environment, to performing ceremonies, he is an out-front leader who sets and maintains the example.”

O’Conner-Geiling said his experiences in honor guard have taught him a great deal about military standards, bearing and honor.

“To me, the flag we hand off is a symbol of the military’s appreciation for their loved one’s honorable and faithful service,” said O’Conner-Geiling. “No matter if they are in for 28 years or two years, when you fold and hand off the flag to a loved one, the entirety of that fallen Airman’s life and career is represented by the flag. It is important for everyone to know just how much these ceremonies honor guardsmen perform mean to the fallen Airman’s family, friends and coworkers attending the service.”