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Range Coach
05-05-06, 01:23 PM
Understand what the flag draped coffin really means. Here is how to understand the flag that laid upon it and is surrendered to so many survivors



Do you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776?

Have you ever noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the United States of America Flag 13 times? You probably thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day!

The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents the weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.


The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.

The 6th fold is for where people's hearts lie. It is with their heart that They pledge allegiance to the flag of the United! States Of America, and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Liberty</st1:place></st1:City> and Justice for all.


The 7th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that they protect their country and their flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of their republic.


The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.


The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.


The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.


The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.


The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.


The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their nations motto, "In God We Trust."

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy today.

There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future, you'll see flags folded and now you will know why.

HollywoodMarine
05-05-06, 04:55 PM
Thanks for posting that. I had a copy and lost it- and it just what I needed to take to a Boy Scout Meeting this weekend.

Range Coach
05-05-06, 05:19 PM
Hollywood, it's good to know that the young men of America are being led and trained by a Marine. The Wolf Cubs of Troop 1010, Sam Houston Area Council thank you.

Bill Thompson
05-05-06, 05:53 PM
This post has a special meaning for me. My Friend (USA) passed away yesterday and will have a full military funeral on Monday. This information will be passed on to his son and daughter. Thank You very much.

Range Coach
05-05-06, 06:10 PM
Bill,
Please accept my condolences on your loss. Shoot me an e-mail with your e-mail address and I'll forward you the article that actually shows the folds.

Since1775
05-06-06, 08:33 AM
The American flag isn't folded because it has a special meaning. The flag is folded this way simply because it provides a dignified ceremonial touch that distinguishes folding a flag from folding an ordinary object such as a bedsheet, and because it results a visually pleasing, easy-to-handle shape.

Range Coach
05-06-06, 09:37 AM
Okaaaaayyy. I thought that customs had special meanings. From the sounds of it, the Marine Corps customs don't have a special meaning either?

The flag folding ceremony is just that--a custom. I can't speak for you, but I don't need "a dignified ceremonial touch" to help me distinguish the flag from a bedsheet!

If you can find time to pull yourself away from the "visually pleasing shape" take a look at the United States Code which references U.S. Flag Code, specifically Title 36, Article 10---what the hell---you might as well take a look at all 50 Titles. Education is a good thing if you choose to accept it.

Smartass? Yes. Dumbass? Not by a long shot.

jennifer
05-06-06, 11:38 AM
wow... that was very touching Range Coach... can you email me the original with the folds at migh_tee_mouse04@yahoo.com thanks

Range Coach
05-06-06, 01:32 PM
Jennifer, the specific link is: http://www.usflag.org/foldflag.html The site www.usflag.org (http://www.usflag.org) give a vast amount of information like Standards of Respect, Flag Etiquette, and why the flag patch is backwards on military uniforms--something that I never realized until I researched it.

jennifer
05-06-06, 02:18 PM
thanks a lot Sgt. :D

Phantom Blooper
05-06-06, 02:26 PM
Claim: An American flag is traditionally folded thirteen times because each of the folds has a special meaning.

Status: False

Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2001]


"WHY THE AMERICAN FLAG IS FOLDED 13 TIMES"
Have you ever wondered why the Flag of the United States of America is folded 13 times when it is lowered or when it is folded and handed to the next of kin at the burial of a veteran?

Here is the meaning of each of those folds and what it means:

The first fold of our Flag is a symbol of life.

The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.

The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing our ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.

The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.

The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country, in dealing with other countries may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."

The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our Republic.

The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother's Day.

The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.

The tenth fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.

The eleventh 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.

The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

The thirteenth fold: When the Flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding us of our Nation's motto, "In God We Trust." After the Flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today.

The next time you see a Flag ceremony honoring someone that has served our country, either in the Armed Forces or in our civilian services such as the Police Force or Fire Department, keep in mind all the important reasons behind each and every movement. They have paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us by honoring our Flag and our Country.




Origins: This
item about the meanings of the folds in a flag reminds me of a joke told by deadpan comedian Steven Wright: "Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?" As often happens, a "meaning" has been grafted onto some facet of everyday life, to the point that the symbolic, after the fact meaning has been confused with the original purpose.

Traditional flag etiquette prescribes that before an American flag is stored or presented, its handlers should twice fold it in half lengthwise; then (from the end opposite the blue field) make a triangular fold, continuing to fold it in triangles until the other end is reached. This makes a triangular "pillow" of the flag with only the blue starred field showing on the outside, and it takes thirteen folds to produce: two lengthwise folds and eleven triangular ones.

The American flag isn't folded in this manner because the thirteen folds correspond to the original thirteen states, or because the folding produces a shape resembling a cocked hat, or because each of the folds has a special symbolic meaning. The flag is folded this way simply because it provides a dignified ceremonial touch that distinguishes folding a flag from folding an ordinary object such as a bedsheet, and because it results a visually pleasing, easy-to-handle shape. That this process requires thirteen folds is coincidental, not the product of design.

An even more elaborate flag folding ceremony has since been devised for special occasions such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day, one which incorporates the association of particular symbolic meanings with each fold of the flag. These associations are "real" in the sense that they mean something to the people who participate in the ceremony, but they are not the reason why a flag is folded in the traditional thirteen-step manner. As was the case with the candy cane, an invented (religious) symbolism has become so widespread that it is now often mistakenly assumed to have been an integral part of the origins of the item it is associated with.

Last updated: 19 October 2002



The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/military/flagfold.htm

outlaw3179
05-06-06, 06:20 PM
cool...well Im going to go with range coach's version. I like it better and it sounds better than a "ceremonial touch".

Range Coach
05-06-06, 06:31 PM
Again with the bedsheet reference! Have you never taken place in a veteran's burial ceremony? The purpose of the flag folding is read aloud prior to, or during the folding ceremony. I think it's better than telling the next of kin, "Here's your flag. We folded it this was so you won't mistake it for a bedsheet." Phantom Blooper, I'm glad that this item remindes you of a joke. What sitcom does the Marine Corps remind you of? Again, I reference United States Code, Title 36, Article 10. But hey--what does the United States know, right?

Phantom Blooper
05-06-06, 06:40 PM
Phantom Blooper, I'm glad that this item remindes you of a joke. What sitcom does the Marine Corps remind you of?

Range Coach, Backup and Regroup Marine....because I didn't write the article! If you checked the source at the bottom of my post it is from www.snopes.com I suggest that in the future if you have a LEGITAMITE ***** take it up with the original writer. And for your uniformed information...I have always happened to like the version that you posted better so I suggest that you stand down Marine!

If you are asking me about sitcoms I cannot come up with any of late. But some individuals remind me of Gomer Pyle...Gollyyyyyy!

Have a fine Marine Corps day!

Semper-Fi! "Never Forget" Chuck Hall

Range Coach
05-06-06, 07:00 PM
The problem here, Staff Sergeant, is that I will not stand down. Instead I STAND UP for what I believe in. So you didn't write the crap that you posted--I appologize. The reference to a bedsheet, no matter who says it, chaps my a$$! I find nothing funny about the flag, the flag ceremony or anything to do with the flag. I still get chills even when my son's Cub Scout Troop has a flag posting ceremony. By the way, the "visually pleasing, easy-to-handle shape" that resides in a glass case on my mantle (yes, it has my father's name on it) means a HELLUVA lot more to me than any "snopes.com" or "opinionated SNCO" can every begin to understand, so no, Staff Sergeant, I will NOT stand sown.

"If the Army or the Navy
Were to look on Heaven's scene,
They would find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines!"

sgt tony
05-06-06, 07:22 PM
Range Coach i would like a copy of the flag folding that you have along with the 13 fold. Please e-mail it to sgtrockmarine@yahoo.com. Thank you i enjoy your better than the bed sheets.

Phantom Blooper
05-06-06, 07:27 PM
Why are you jumping on my ass? I didn't write the comment about anything that your ****ed off about! And really I don't care what you think of this opinionated SSGT. I have peoples flags on my office wall and that isn't the original discussion. You ain't screwing me or sleeping in my bed so your opine doesn't matter to me. Jump on the people who originally wrote the article or made the comment about the sheet you are referring too.. I told you I agree with your version. I was just setting the story straight. And yes you will stand down and leave me the hell alone for something that I didn't start. Don't question my patriotism about the National ensign or about this country. I also stand up for this country. But not at the expense of someone else being over zealous in their words.You need to go back to the original poster about the bedsheet comment and back off from me!

Since1775
05-06-06, 07:30 PM
http://www.wantajoke.com/usmc/usmc4usa.jpg

Flag Folding Ceremony

http://www.wantajoke.com/usmc/usa-flag-01.gif

The flag folding ceremony described by the Uniformed Services is a dramatic and uplifting way to honor the flag on special days, like Memorial Day or Veteran's Day.

Here is the sequence of events...

PRELUDE:

The flag folding ceremony represents the same religious principles on which our country was originally founded . The portion of the flag denoting honor is the canton of blue containing the stars representing the states our veterans served in uniform. The canton field of blue dresses from left to right and is inverted when draped as a pall on a casket of a veteran who has served our country honorably in uniform.

In the Armed Forces of the United States, at the ceremony of retreat the flag is lowered, folded in a triangle fold and kept under watch throughout the night as a tribute to our nation's honored dead. The next morning it is brought out and, at the ceremony of reveille, run aloft as a symbol of our belief in the resurrection of the body.

PAUSE ... Wait for the Honor Guard (if performing) to unravel and fold the flag into a quarter fold -- resume reading when Honor Guard is standing ready.

[B] The BODY:

The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.

The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.

The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.

The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.

The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."

The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.

The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on mother's day.

The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty, and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.

The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first born.

The eleventh 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.

The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.

When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto . . . "In God We Trust."

PAUSE . . . Wait for the Honor Guard (if performing) to inspect the flag -- after the inspection resume reading.

POSTLUDE:

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington and the sailors and marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today.

http://www.wantajoke.com/usmc/flag010.jpg

Range Coach
05-06-06, 07:46 PM
By the numbers
1. One good ass-jumpimg deserves another
2. I acknowledged that you didn't write the article and I appologized.
3. Obviously you do care what I think about you.
4. Thank God for small favors. I ain't screwing you 'cause you're not my type.
5. It's not my version, but thanks for agreeing with it.
6. Thanks for "setting the story straight".
7. Yes, you did start it--refer to #6.
8. I have no doubt or question that you are a patriot.
9. A Marine that is over-zealous? C'mon---is that possible?

I think that the problem here is that we are both trying to verbalize the same thing, we're just going about it in two totally different ways. Where else could we do this and not be imprisoned? Where elso could you and I agree to disagree and not have a rifle shoved in our faces?

Now, Staff Sergeant, having said that, I will stand down.

Range Coach
05-06-06, 07:50 PM
Sgt Tony, Since1775 has most graciously posted the article for all to see. Bill, please accept my most sincere thanks for doing so.

Since1775
05-06-06, 08:20 PM
If I offended anyone with my post it was not my intention. I did ceremonial duty at Arlington National Cemetery for many a fallen soldier. I personally have attended well over 1000 funerals as a civilian that had military honors. I fly an American Flag by good standards. I have put it on the flag pole before going for Treatment for Cancer and when it why time to take it down in the evening I did, Sick or Not. I am an American by Birth and I am a Marine by Choice. And I flown an American Flag long before September 11 and yes it disgusts me when people burn the flag.

And when I die I will have a Military funeral. And my flag will be presented to someone that knows how to fold it. And knew I was one PROUD MARINE AND PROUD AMERICAN.

jennifer
05-06-06, 09:14 PM
lol... :banana:
You ain't screwing me or sleeping in my bed so your opine doesn't matter to me.

ivalis
05-06-06, 09:31 PM
21 being the sum of 1776 is the least likely of many explainations of the 21 gun salute.

Range Coach
05-08-06, 12:30 PM
Like ivalis stated, it is the least likely explanation, but mathematically, it does compute. The history of the 21 gun salute, however, is interesting. The following comes directly from the United...