A Final Salute
American military members are given a final salute with a beautiful flag ceremony during their funeral. A somber but meaningful tradition, it is our military’s way of thanking its members for their dedicated service.
Military honors are reserved for military members who died while on active duty or while in the Selected Reserve. Also, veterans who were honorably discharged who completed at least one term of their enlistment or term of obligated service in the Reserves are also eligible to receive these honors.
Learn the flag’s role and other key components to a military funeral.
THE FLAG’S ROLE
At the service, there will be an American flag draped over the coffin of the deceased serviceman or woman. With the family’s approval, the flag may be pulled away to allow for an open-casket funeral.
The flag should also be treated with utmost respect during this honorable funeral. This means flowers or pictures should never be placed on top of the flag. There are crescent-shaped arrangements available for resting on a coffin and avoiding contact with the flag.
The placement of the flag is also important. It should be placed so the blue field with stars is at the head and over the left shoulder of the deceased.
FLAG-FOLDING CEREMONY
Following the traditional 21-gun salute and the somber performance of Taps, the funeral concludes with a flag-folding ceremony.
Folding of the flag consists of 12 folds, each one represents a different aspect of America, God and other factors that our country depends on. Here are the steps to properly fold a flag as reported by The American Legion: Step 1: Straighten out the flag to full length and fold
lengthwise once.
Step 2: Fold it lengthwise a second time to meet the open edge.
Step 3: A triangular fold is then started by bringing the striped corner of the folded edge to the open edge.
Step 4: The outer point is then turned inward, to form a second triangle.
Step 5: The diagonal or triangular folding is continued toward the blue union until the end is reached, with only the blue showing and the form being that of a three-corner hat.
Once the flag has been folded, it is then given to a member of the deceased’s family. It is used to represent an expression of gratitude for the sacrifice they have made.