Furor After Flag-Folding Ceremony Pulled From Cemeteries (Fox News)

[underpants]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306186,00.html

A group of congressmen has asked the Department of Veterans Affairs to reconsider its ban on the flag-folding ceremony at military funerals after the agency decided last month to streamline burials at federal cemeteries.

Veterans Affairs made the new policy decision last month, after a complaint was filed to the White House, said Rees Lloyd, a member of the American Legion's Memorial Honor Detail for services at Riverside National Cemetery in California.

At issue are secondary meanings attached to the folding of the flag. As the honor guard makes the 13 folds — traditionally representing the original colonies — they recite "the first fold of our flag is a symbol of life, the second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life, etc."

A complaint about the recitation for the 11th fold — "in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" — garnered a complaint and prompted the ban.

In a Sept. 27 memo, the National Cemetery Administration halted the ceremony. It was an effort to create uniform services throughout the military graveyard system, spokesman Mike Nacincik said.

Nacincik said the 13-fold recital is not part of the U.S. Flag Code and is not government-approved.

[T Wolf]

1. This account is different from what I had heard - in that the 13th fold was

accompanied by an incantation invoking "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost" which would probably offend a different group of veterans' families than the 11th fold noted in the OP.

Either way, religion does not belong there, especially espousing a particular one.

[lapfog_1]

2. Well, having been to two (one for my brother, one for my dad)

I can say that while the flag was folded and presented to my mother (both times), nobody ever recited anything. It was completely silent. After the presentation (in my bothers case), the navy played taps and there was a gun salute (and I don't remember how many, I wasn't really paying attention to that).

'Course, it's been 20 years since then.

[underpants]

4. AS Mojorabbit posted this too-I didn't know about any recitation

it wouldn't surprise me if this was actually knew and just more the "poor poor Christians" never getting a break in this society tripe

[tsuki]

6. Same Here. Total silence. Total concentration. Total dignity. 1976. nt

[goodgd_yall]

10. I read in my local paper that a particular group did this type of ceremony

Volunteers for the "Memorial Honor Guard" was the group named. My father, too, had flag-folding and it was silent as it should be. One should be able to have one's own thoughts during the ceremony, IMO, not some invasive words composed by who knows who.

[underpants]

12. Googled it- loooks like this is a creation of the 1980'sin the Air Force

http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/news/rj070406.htm

With that, the airman standing face to face continued to fold Old Glory in a triangular shape until it took on the appearance of a star-studded, tri-cornered hat, reminiscent of the style worn by colonial soldiers.

Although the new, official script is steeped in history and patriotism, an unofficial one that had been read since the 1980s by Air Force honor guards at many retirements and special occasions in Las Vegas and across the nation gave religious meaning to some of the 13 folds.

[goodgd_yall]

15. Thanks for the info

In the news article I read, I was trying to figure out who exactly, that is, what organization(s) did the script. I just had never heard it before in the couple of military-style burials I've been to.

[Mojorabbit]

3. They did a silent flag

fold at my Dad's funeral in Jan. I don't see why that could not be a compromise.

[dflprincess]

5. This has come up on DU a couple times lately

Check it out the flag folding ceremony at Snopes (I'm too lazy to look up the link again). The 13 folds don't even represent the original states - it's just coincidence that that there's that many folds in the flag.

Also, as you read what gets recited with each flag you'll see that whoever came up with this drivel was grasping at straws to come up with 13 lines.

[underpants]

8. Here it is-you are right many of these are repetitive and quite a stretch

http://www.snopes.com/military/flagfold.asp

[libodem]

7. The interesting news is

that it is a contingent of Democratic Congressmen whom are fighting to keep the ceremony, as is. Yes, there needs to be a compromise. Why is so much all or nothing in this world?

[Captain Hilts]

9. It has no basis in fact or the US code. Someone made it up. nt

[goodgd_yall]

11. Is Fox News actually reporting that flag-folding itself is now banned?

Fox has a way of making much ado about nothing. I think the flag-folding itself is continuing it's just the words that the American Legion has tagged on to it that is being dropped.

[underpants]

13. No but it wouldn't surprise me if that is what is heard by their audience

which of course is probably the whole point of this

[goodgd_yall]

16. Exactlly

And Fox News loves to whip up the viewers on anything to do with flag and religion.

[ieoeja]

14. Glad my dad died before they modified the ceremony.

I don't believe I could have sat there and listened to it. I know my dad, who was in charge of most military funerals performed by his post the last couple decades before he died, would have been livid about them adding this bullshit to the existing ceremony.

Of course, he wanted his ashes spread around the farm, not buried in a cemetary. But he also said, "whatever makes your mother happy. What will I care? I'm dead."

[nealmhughes]

17. I have assisted at military funeals on LI at Calverton Nat. Cemetary.

My parish was close to the cemetary (in Riverhead) and our rector did a lot of "gratuity free" Episcopal funerals for those who were Episcopalians or else just "general Protestants."

There was absoutely nothing said during the flag folding portion. As a matter of fact, when there was no wind one could hear the flag as it was being snapped into form at each fold.

The only religous part was from the Book of Common Prayer and the consecration of the grave, and that was because they had requested a religious funeral service!

Military funerals are very short, very moving and very efficient with a minimum of folderol. Very nice for a funeral.