By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Chris Heisler is nearly unstoppable. In Hays last Wednesday after driving from St. Louis, he and his service dog Major stopped to rest overnight and to visit with his friend, Bill Ring, the Ellis County Emergency Manager.

The next morning, Heisler headed out again in his specially-wrapped Chevrolet pickup with the U.S. Honor Flag securely stored in the vehicle in a biometric-lock safe.  Heisler drove west on I-70 to Denver, accompanied by Kansas law enforcement, until the “handoff” at the state line, where Heisler and Major were welcomed by Colorado law enforcement and a cascading water salute by firetrucks.

For the fifth time in less than 10 months, Heisler was taking the U.S. Honor Flag to the funeral of a law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty as the result of a felony action–this time in Denver.  “He died protecting his community and we’ll bring a national honor to him.”

(James Bell, video editor)

“It’s unfortunate,” Heisler acknowledged, “but this flag that travels all over the country in this truck is a special U.S. flag that flew during recovery effort at Ground Zero following the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City.  Since then, this flag has traveled more than seven million miles to honor fallen police officers, firefighters and soldiers.”

Those 7,000,000 miles include travel on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, submarines, and the space shuttle’s last mission to the International Space Station.

The U.S. Honor Flag, transported by Heisler and Major, was part of 143 funerals, tributes and memorial events last year.

“It represents the selfless service of the men and women who served our communities and our country.”

Heisler is himself a disabled veteran who served in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division in Iraq.  He took the flag with him to Iraq, which had been given to Heisler by the Texas House of Representatives shortly after 9-11.  “At that point, it was just a flag we used in Iraq for promotion ceremonies, enlistment ceremonies, and memorials for soldiers who were killed,” he said.  Heisler, a Texas native, returned stateside with the flag.  In 2007, it was used during the funerals for three Midland police officers killed in the line of duty.  “When the flag went to honor them, it was done so reverently the flag has never been back to my house since.  It’s always moving.”

There is no staff for the U.S. Honor Flag network, founded by Heisler. Donations to the non-profit organization can be made on its website. It’s now a large organization operated by volunteers from across the country. “It’s an incredible group of people who just do the right thing,” he said with pride.

One of those volunteers is Salina resident Patti Payne.  She and her daughter met up with Heisler while he was in Hays. Payne volunteers as a USHF Logistics Coordinator.  She has the connections.  Payne is a dispatcher for the Kansas Highway Patrol, where she’s worked for 17 years.

Special white gloves, with USHF embroidered in blue, are worn by the honor guards hold the flag.   All-white replica gloves are Replicas are placed on the hands of the deceased heroes and are buried or cremated with them. The gloves worn by the honor guard members–only once–are given to the family after the ceremony.

Major, a 16-month-old yellow Labrador and Heisel’s second service dog, also participates in the ceremonies.

“He’ll stand in formation with the officers and he does the salutes. He’s a great part of the team.” Major also accompanies Heisel on his visits to classrooms–“from kindergarten to college”-across the country to talk about the U.S. Honor Flag program.

Among the symbols and logos decorating Heisel’s transport truck is a closeup picture of gloved honor guard hands holding the U.S. Honor Flag.

Those are the hands of slain Topeka Police Cpl. Jason Harwood. Harwood was a member of the police color guard during funeral services for Topeka police Cpl. David Gogian and Officer Jeff Atherly who were shot to death on Dec. 16, 2012, in the parking lot of a Dillon’s grocery store. Hardwood was then killed Sept. 7, 2014, during a car stop in east Topeka. Harwood’s badge number–339–graces the front license plate of Heisel’s truck. It was given to him by Harwood’s brother, Jeremy Harwood, a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper.

Heisler said it’s the first time one of the U.S. Honor Flag honor guard members was later killed while on duty, and then, in turn, was honored with the same flag he once carried for another law enforcement officer.