GREENFIELD — Bob Workman runs the Greenfield Veterans Honor Guard with discipline. The men who serve in the troop, which throughout the year attends public events as ambassadors of the veterans community, stand tall with flags or rifles in hand, just as regimented as the days they wore military uniforms.
So when one of his fellows stepped out of line Tuesday afternoon, broke their protocols and took the rifle from his hand, ushering him forward, Workman was rightfully surprised.
It took him a second to really catch on, he said with a laugh; to realize that amid the pomp and circumstance that was the annual Hometown Heroes ceremony — an event held annually on Sept. 11 to commemorate the terror attacks of 17 years ago — he was also being recognized and remembered.
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Workman, a Marine Corp veteran, commander of the local honor guard and the county’s veterans services officer, received the Circle of Corydon Award on Tuesday.
The accolade is handed out by the governor’s office and honors Hoosiers who have made remarkable contributions to their communities. It was presented to Workman by the leaders of the American Legion Post 119 during a quick and quiet ceremony before an annual, laughter-filled bean-bag tournament began.
As the county’s veterans service officer, Workman’s job is to assist veterans and their dependents with completing the forms and applications related to receiving federal and state benefits, including medical care, pensions, disability compensation and more.
It’s work that doesn’t come with enough recognition, said Kurt Vetters, the vice commander of the local American Legion.
“Bob is one of those guys who toils away in a little office, in a building that needs work, in a community that needs help. And there aren’t a lot of awards for guys like that,” Vetters said.
The post also recognized, as they have in the past, one firefighter of the year and one law enforcement officer of the year — Greenfield Fire Territory Deputy Chief Jason Horning and Greenfield Police Officer Justin Jackson, respectively — with Commitment to Service awards for their dedicated service to the community.
Horning oversaw the fire department’s renovation of its Station 22, located on New Road, and throughout the project was a constant advocate for the firefighters who would spend their time in the place, organizers said.
Jackson went above and beyond the call of duty earlier this year when he resolved a potentially dangerous situation by calming down a citizen who had barricaded themselves in a home, organizers said.
This year’s Hometown Heroes event was the third time Greenfield Main Street and the Greenfield Veterans Honor Guard teamed up to host a program on the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. The event aims to honor the roughly 3,000 Americans who lost their lives that day, especially the first-responders who died trying to save others.
Dozens gather in the city’s North Street Living Alley for the Hometown Heroes event.
They pause to remember, stand for a 21-gun salute, listen to a performance of Taps and watch the honorees receive their awards — a moment of solemnness before some fun begins.
Following the ceremony, attendees can sign up to participate in a bean-bag tournament that serves as both a fundraiser for a local veterans’ cause and a chance for residents to enjoy games, dinner and drinks alongside the men and women in uniform who protect them every day and served in decades past.
It’s a way of upholding the promise to never forget while embracing the healing that comes with time, said Greenfield Main Street director Shelley Swift.
“Life goes on, and I’m sure the people who perished that day wouldn’t want us to be in a constant state of mourning,” she said. “They’d want us to celebrate the people who keep us safe every day.”