Honor Guard

Commander Sergeant Sam Dennemann

Sergeant Sam Dennemann
The Zionsville Police Department Honor Guard Unit was authorized to be formed and was officially founded in September of 2008, with the purpose of representing the Zionsville Police Department through the adoption of drill and ceremony procedures to render honors to fallen comrades and to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by these men and women.

The Honor Guard Unit was originally founded with 7 active members of the team and currently has a total of 5 active members.
Duty
This unit was conceived and brought to fruition by then Captain, now Chief of Police Robert Knox with the purpose of serving as an operational unit to render honors at law enforcement and public service agency ceremonies and funerals as well as various community events.

Ceremony
Since its inception, the Honor Guard Unit has participated in several funeral ceremonies for fallen law enforcement officers and fire fighters, both active duty and retired, along with having participated in the 2010 commemorative ceremony at the Indiana Law Enforcement and Firefighters Memorial at the Indiana Government Center site in downtown Indianapolis.
Community Cooperation
The Zionsville Police Department Honor Guard unit has worked in cooperation with the Zionsville American Legion Post 79 to observe and commemorate events by executing ceremony and drill procedures, firing party displays and presentation of the National Colors.

This close working partnership with the American Legion has allowed the Honor Guard unit the opportunity to display their skills in the course of paying tribute to the men and women of the armed forces at yearly Veteran’s Day ceremonies.
Continued Training
The team has attended and graduated from honor guard courses of instruction as taught at the Elmhurst Honor Guard Training Academy in Elmhurst, Illinois as well as training and graduating from the Goshen Honor Guard Training Academy as offered by the Goshen, Indiana Police Department. From the training received at these respective academies, the Honor Guard Unit has received instruction in:
  • Basic drill and ceremony movements
  • Manual of arms
  • Flag law and etiquette
  • Color guard movements and drill
  • Funeral protocols
  • Firing party procedure and movements
The Unit trains extensively to maintain a high degree of familiarity with the procedures and techniques in readiness for participating in public displays or ceremony events.