Thread: A Faithless Flag?

A Faithless Flag?
Posted by Bobby Eberle
October 31, 2007 at 6:13 am

In the ongoing effort to take God out of everything, the Department of Veterans Affairs has stepped forward to do their fair share. Prayers at school? Forget about it. Saying "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance? The courts keep trying to remove the words. Now, the federal government wants to remove God from your burial ceremony. Cradle to grave with no faith references? That is not the foundation that built our country.

At issue is the flag-folding ceremony at military funerals. When the flag that has draped the departed's casket is folded, there is a traditional recitation which accompanies each of the thirteen folds. The Veterans Affairs bureaucracy decided last month to ban the recitations after a complaint was filed following a service at Riverside National Cemetery in California.

As noted in a FOX News report:

At issue are secondary meanings attached to the folding of the flag. As the Memorial 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 at the California cemetery, and according to reports, prompted the ban.

More on the Flag
A properly proportioned flag will fold 13 times on the triangles, representing the 13 Original Colonies. When finally complete the triangular folded flag is emblematic of the tri-corner hat worn by the Patriots of the American Revolution. When folded no red or white stripe is to be evident leaving only the honor field of blue and stars.
Reference

FOX News reports that following this incident, the National Cemetery Administration halted the ceremony. According to spokesman Mike Nacincik, "It was an effort to create uniform services throughout the military graveyard system."

The recitation following the 12th fold is a direct reference to Christianity: "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." So, once again, another Christian reference has been stricken from public affairs.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) issued a statement on Tuesday called for the VA to reverse their decision. "If a family member would like the 13-flag fold recitation at the funeral of their loved one, they should not be prevented by Washington bureaucrats," said Rep. Calvert.

"Veterans have every right to be upset that a tradition they hold sacred has been banned from the military funeral ceremony," stated Rep. Calvert. "The funeral ceremony for a veteran is a private and often very spiritual event. If a family would like the 13-flag fold recitation included, the VA should not stand in the way. What’s next? Disallowing the playing of Amazing Grace at military funerals? The VA is being manipulated by out-of-control secularists who wish to banish the word 'God' from American history and culture."

In a follow-up story, the Associated Press is reporting that the VA is now saying that they are not banning the recitations entirely but now making it optional at a family member's request.

As noted in the AP story, "The policy was not clear to lawmakers Tuesday who interpreted comments from VA officials to mean the 13-fold recital could no longer be recited at all by cemetery workers or volunteers." I completely agree!

This seems like one more attempt to take our Judeao-Christian heritage out of a government that was founded on Judeao-Christian principles. When the attempt created an uproar, the government folks decided to "clarify" the matter. In other words, they got caught and now are backtracking. Just like with other attempts to remove God and Christian references from public life, we as citizens must always be on guard. Only through our actions and voices can we stop such activities. As soon as well let one pass, many more will follow.

http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=589

VA Clarifies Flag-Folding Ceremony
Posted by Bobby Eberle
November 1, 2007 at 6:34 am

Department of Veterans Affairs must have heard the message loud and clear. No sooner had word begun to spread over their proposed ban on the flag-folding recitation, than the VA put out a "clarification" on the issue.

According to a press release by the agency, the VA wanted to clarify the process "to ensure burial services at the 125 national cemeteries operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reflect the wishes of veterans and their families."

"Honoring the burial wishes of veterans is one of the highest commitments for the men and women of VA," said William F. Tuerk, VA's Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs. "A family may request the recitation of words to accompany the meaningful presentation of the American flag as we honor the dedication and sacrifice of their loved ones."

The press release notes that:

* Volunteer honor guards are authorized to read the so-called “13-foldâ€