Seems the link to the story does not go there ... This is the rest of the story ....
The recitation of the 13 folds of the U.S. flag can no longer be made at national cemeteries. Veterans and honor detail volunteers, such as Bobby Castillo, 85, left, and Rees Lloyd, 59, are furious.
“That the actions of one disgruntled, whining, narcissistic and intolerant individual is preventing veterans from getting the honors they deserve is truly an outrage,” said Rees Lloyd, 59, a Vietnam-era veteran and Memorial Honor Detail volunteer. “This is another attempt by secularist fanatics to cleanse any reference to God.”
World War II Navy sailor Bobby Castillo, 85, another member of Memorial Honor Detail 12, called the federal decision “a slap in the face to every veteran.”
“When we got back from the war, we didn’t ask for a whole lot,” said Castillo, who was wounded in 1944 as he supported the Allied landings in France. “We just want to give our veterans the respect they deserve. No one has ever complained to us about it. I just don’t understand.”
The pair, part of a team that has performed military honors at more than 1,400 services, said they were preparing to read the flag-folding remarks when workers in a staff car came up to them and stopped them.
Charlie Waters, parliamentarian for the American Legion of California, said he’s advising memorial honor details to ignore the edict, even if it means being kicked out of cemeteries.
“This is nuts,” Waters, a Korean War veteran, said in a telephone interview from Fresno. “There are 26 million veterans in this country and they’re not going to take us all to prison.”
Washington’s Explanation
Mike Nacincik, the spokesman for the National Cemetery Administration, said the new policy, which was outlined in a Sept. 27 memo, is aimed at creating uniform services throughout the military graveyard system.
He said the 13-fold recital is not part of the U.S. Flag Code and is not government approved. After the complaint made its way through government channels, Steve Muro, director of field operations, wrote the new policy.
Nacincik said that while the flag-folding narrative includes references to God that the government does not endorse, the main reason for the new rules is uniformity.
“We are looking at consistency,” Nacincik said. “We think that’s important.”
As for comments that the edict is an attack on religious beliefs, Nacincik said, “People are going to have their own views on that.”
He said the flag-folding narrative can be read but only if families make arrangements on their own and do not use cemetery workers, which include volunteers. The U.S. government owns Riverside National, the most active national cemetery in the country with more than 8,000 burials of veterans and immediate family members each year.
A Jewish Perspective
Rabbi Yitzhak Miller, of Riverside’s Temple Beth El, said he understands the government’s decision to ban the recitation but believes it is a quick solution to a complex issue.
“It is a perfect example of government choosing to ignore religion in order to avoid offending some religions,” Miller said. “To me, ignoring religion in general is just as problematic as endorsing any one religion.”
Miller said the 11th fold, and the 12th fold, which refers to the Christian Trinity — “God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost — amounts to an endorsement of Judaism and Christianity. He said he would like to see a reference to “God as we understand God” mentioned in the ritual but without endorsing any specific tradition.
“To acknowledge those two without acknowledging others denigrates the patriotic men and women of other faiths who serve our country,” he said.
Family Wishes
Lloyd and Castillo said they always speak to families before providing military honors to their loved ones. Honors include a rifle salute, the playing of taps and the folding of the flag. Some families don’t want any honors; others decline specific parts of the ceremony. Those wishes are paramount and are always respected.
Lloyd said the 16 members of the Memorial Honor Detail he serves on have distributed hundreds of copies of the script they recite while folding the flag. They’ve received dozens of letters thanking them, and several mention in particular the flag-folding recitation. But now presenting families that memento isn’t allowed under the directive.
Lloyd, a member of the state American Legion, said he knows Riverside National Cemetery workers are just obeying orders. The real battle is with Washington.
“We’re going to fight this tooth and nail, hammer and boot,” he said.
Flag folds
These meanings, not part of the U.S. Flag Code, have been ascribed to the 13 folds of American flags at veterans burial services:
1. Symbol of life.
2. Symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.”
6. Represents 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.
7. A tribute to our armed forces.
8. A tribute to the one who entered in to 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.
9. A tribute to womanhood.
10. A tribute to father.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”
Sources: USHistory.com, other Web sites
Time for the masses to fight for their rights against the wackjobs.
If anyone has names and telephone numbers and email addresses, let us know so we can provide our rather terse comments and tell them what we think of this BS. We all have the info on the Congressional morons and the White House.
There’s an oil stain from the garbage truck on my street that resembles the Mona Lisa.
Posted a few days ago. And there is a report that the American Legion, which does the burials is going to ignore that order.
THE AMERICAN FLAG
Did 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 how the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the American 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 our flag is a symbol of life.
The 2nd fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.
The 3rd 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 4th 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 time of war for His divine guidance.
The 5th fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decaur, “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 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 7th 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 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 defense of our 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 us of our 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 us the rights, privileges and freedoms we enjoy today.
There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future, youll see flags folded and now you will know why. Share this with the children you love and all others who love the symbol of “Liberty and Freedom.”
http://tabbykatus.tripod.com/id5.html
My best guess is that this slowly diffused to other honor guards over the years.. but it seems like around 2001 this wording took off.. most often referenced in the form posted on this site.
The Meaning To The 13 Folds Of The American Flag
http://tabbykatus.tripod.com/id5.html
.. and was adopted by the American Legion as their standard for times of particular honor like Veterans Day and Funerals for folding the flag.
http://www.legion.org/?section=our_flag&subsection=flag_folding&content=flag_symbols
The language seems archaic and thus seems to come from a long tradition and folks have just accepted this and adopted it as their own.
Almost all links to this wording and ceremony have been deleted from US Official sites and nothing has been put in its place.. though for a time.. the language was quite wide spread.
The Air Force came up with PC wording and made this Official but I believe it is largely rejected, and the ceremony is done in silence rather than use the new words. It was done in silence at a USAF Veteran’s funeral I attended most recently.
More stuff..
Jul. 04, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
HONOR GUARD’S NEW WRINKLE
Air Force’s flag folding ceremonies lose religious references
By KEITH ROGERS
© 2006 REVIEW-JOURNAL
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jul-04-Tue-2006/news/8304650.html
++++Quote from Above+++++
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.
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Other criticism.... from the Atheist side of the blogosphere....
Fisking a Flag-Fold Flogging..
Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub
http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2006/07/19/fisking-a-flag-fold-flogging/
++++Quote from above+++++
6. The naval method of folding flags predates the Pledge of Allegiance by 200 years at least. The phrase “one nation, under God, indivisible,” didn’t exist until 1954. As originally adopted by Congress in 1931, the Pledge said “one nation indivisible.” (There is some great irony in the use of “under God” to break up “nation indivisible,” is there not?) The original pledge was written by Francis Bellamy in 1892, long after the folding of the flag was tradition. It is simple error of history to describe a folding process as honoring a concept not written until long after the folding process was created and promulgated. “Under God” was added in 1954 after a lobbying campaign by the Knights of Columbus, to distinguish the U.S. from the “godless” Soviet Union.
7. Twelve folds until 1956? According to the faux symbolism above, the 12th fold represents the U.S. motto, “In God We Trust.” That was declared the nation’s motto in 1956 (Public Law 84-140). Are we to understand that there was no 12th fold until 1956?
Prior to 1956, questions about the nation’s motto usually were answered with reference to the Seal of the United States, which bears three mottos: “E Pluribus Unum” on the obverse (Out of many, one), and “Novus Ordo Seclorum” (A new order of the ages), and “Annuit Coeptis” (Providence has favored our undertakings) on the reverse. Those mottoes are based on lines from the poetry of the Roman, Virgil.
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Flag ceremony update
Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub
http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2006/07/29/flag-ceremony-update/
++++Quote from above++++++
There is no particular meaning attached to folding the flag. Comments noted that the ceremony making the internet rounds is posted at the website of the American Legion. I wrote to the Legion’s public relations department, but have heard nothing back. Generally, the information on flag etiquette at that site is solid. Only the flag-folding ceremony material is not top-notch. I would be happy were the Legion to add a note that the ceremony is a sample ceremony. Several sites mention that the ceremony comes “from the U.S. Air Force Academy.” One site even had a link, but the link was dead. I did find a few sources that explained further. The Air Force Academy web site may have featured a flag-folding ceremony at one point, perhaps even the one being passed around. One of the more popular ceremonies featured had been written by one of the chaplains at USAFA. As happens in the military, someone got concerned about the accuracy of the claims, and the ceremony was pulled. However, Air Force color guards had used the ceremony, and there was demand for something to say during the folding of the U.S. flag, at some ceremonies.
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Somebody needs a good, old-fashioned, ass whooping.
I have been to military funerals, both in National Military and Private cemetaries, and this is the first I have heard of this flag-folding recitation. I even arranged my grandfather’s funeral, we had a flag detail from the nearest base come out, and this recitation was not used.
This is a tempest in a teapot if you ask me.
The identity of the person who complained should be made public. Let them debate their case in the public arena, not behind closed doors like a coward.