KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE ) — The East Tennessee Veterans Honor Guard reached a somber milestone on Friday as the group assisted with its 7000th funeral service.
The group performs traditional military honors for veterans being laid to rest. The 7000th service was for U.S. Navy veteran Michael Mumley . It was held at East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery.
Mumley’s son, Michael Mumley Jr., is also a military veteran who served 26 years in the U.S. Army.
“I did time in the army myself and it’s just the right thing to do to be able to give them a dignified burial. A send off that they deserve, that they earned from being in the service,” he said.
He also works at the cemetery, and is involved in veterans’ funerals often. However, having the honor guard at his own father’s service, he said, is a great privilege.
“Having the honor guard here is terrific, they are a great group, they do a magnificent job and they all do it on a volunteer basis, so having them here in the numbers that they have today is fantastic,” Mumley said.