Honor Guard

Sampson County Fireman’s Honor Guard

The late R.A. Burgess (deceased 1998) and Paul Hawkins established the Sampson County Fireman’s Honor Guard in 1996. R.A. and Paul met several times and then approached the Sampson County Fire Association. They received full support from the association.

To make this dream a reality, the Honor Guard cooked meals at the fire association meetings. The largest fundraiser was during the premier of Walt Disney’s 101 Dalmatian movie at the East Park Cinema. They raffled off a live Dalmatian puppy. Monies raised provided funds for uniforms, flags and materials during events.

The Sampson County Fireman’s Honor Guard performs several duties such as funeral services (for active, retired fireman and broad members), flag ceremonies and parades. The guard takes pride in everything we do, and we are especially proud of the following events. Every October we participate in the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service held in Emmetsburg, Maryland. In April of 2005 the guards were the lead unit at the NC Fallen Firefighter Foundation ground breaking in Raleigh which is the site for the NC Fallen Firefighter Monument. We plan to make the National Memorial an annual event.

Every year, the last Saturday night of January, we have a memorial service and gospel sing to honor our fallen brothers and sisters in Sampson and Duplin countys and this also helps raise money for the honor guard.

The Sampson County Fireman’s Honor Guard is governed by the By-laws of the organization and the Sampson County Fire Association. Board members are appointed by the Fire Association and are as follows:


Home Keith Powell Commander William Burney Lt. Commander Sandy Monroe Secretary Bob Greer Chaplin	Left to Right - William Burney, Jason Kelly, Frankie Butler, Keith Powell, Karmine Colantuono and Bob Greer




Sampson County Fireman's Honor Guard

	Present Membership - 2006
Original Members: R. A. Burgess Garland Fire Dept. William Burney Harrells Fire Dept. Mark Edwards Vann Crossroads Paul Hawkins Clinton Fire Dept. Johnny McGee Garland Fire Dept. Laurie Phillips Roseboro Fire Dept. Kevin Pope Turkey Fire Dept.	William Burney Harrells Fire Department Frankie Butler Herring Fire Department Karmine Colantuono Vann Crossroads Fire Dpartment Wendy Colantuono Vann Crossroads Fire Department Ray Cuvilje Taylors Bridge Fire Department Bob Greer Harrells Fire Department	Paul Hawkins Clinton Fire Department Dwight Johnson Salemburg Fire Department Jason Kelly Clement Fire Department Johnny McGee Garland Fire Department Sandy Monroe Roseboro Fire Department Keith Powell Taylors Bridge Fire Department


	Sampson County Fireman’s Honor Guard The late R.A. Burgess (deceased 1998) and Paul Hawkins established the Sampson County Fireman’s Honor Guard in 1996. R.A. and Paul met several times and then approached the Sampson County Fire Association. They received full support from the association. To make this dream a reality, the Honor Guard cooked meals at the fire association meetings. The largest fundraiser was during the premier of Walt Disney’s 101 Dalmatian movie at the East Park Cinema. They raffled off a live Dalmatian puppy. Monies raised provided funds for uniforms, flags and materials during events. The Sampson County Fireman’s Honor Guard performs several duties such as funeral services (for active, retired fireman and broad members), flag ceremonies and parades. The guard takes pride in everything we do, and we are especially proud of the following events. Every October we participate in the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service held in Emmetsburg, Maryland. In April of 2005 the guards were the lead unit at the NC Fallen Firefighter Foundation ground breaking in Raleigh which is the site for the NC Fallen Firefighter Monument. We plan to make the National Memorial an annual event. Every year, the last Saturday night of January, we have a memorial service and gospel sing to honor our fallen brothers and sisters in Sampson and Duplin countys and this also helps raise money for the honor guard. The Sampson County Fireman’s Honor Guard is governed by the By-laws of the organization and the Sampson County Fire Association. Board members are appointed by the Fire Association and are as follows: Chief George McGill, Harrells Fire Department Chief Ken Jackson, Plainview Fire Department Chief Mike Cottle, Turkey Fire Department