Flag Folding Ceremony

This just seemed appropriate somehow. Military funerals touch the deep roots of us and our country. Respect for our flag is never ending.

http://www.usa-patriotism.com/reference/flag_folding.htm

Cool link. It always brings tears...

As a signalman in the Navy, flag duties was one of our responsibilites. When getting under way, the Ensign is shifted from the stern of the ship to the main mast. This was one of my favorite ceremonies.

The flag to be flown from the main mast was folded, and rolled with the clip and ring exposed. A string was tied around it and it was raised to the top of the mast.

When the messenger sounded, "Underway! Shift Colors!", the stern Flag was lowered, and a hard yank of the lanyard released the Flag on the main mast. If there was even the slightest breeze, the flag exploded to fullly open. Every time we did this I got the image of old iron sailors, on older wooden ships running up the colors, moments before giving chase on an enemy galleon.

Thank you for sharing this awesome ceremony. The Navy is very dear to my heart. My late husband served four years on the destroyer "Buchanan" in the WWII Pacific. My grandson is serving on the submarine "Indiana", and just made chief. From him I have learned so many of the Navy traditions.
Fair winds and following seas.
Pati

Congrats to your son on making CPO. Sub sailors are a breed apart.

Tradition sent me to the Navy, as a 5th generation sailor. History and ceremony lead me to the signal bridge. It's a highly untechnical rate, and all but obscure. I think the only reason they keep it around is due to the history of it. Boatswains Mates (Deck Hands), Quartermasters (Navigation), and Signalman (Visual Communication), are the 3 oldest rates in the Navy. With flags of all sorts involved in every Naval ceremony, the signalmen also had to know the history and tradition of various ceremonies. Learning this lead me to something kind of fun.

When my daughter was 2 (now almost 16), I'd been studying for my E5 test. Reading through a bunch of old traditions, I came across a nearly century old regulation that any person born, died, or christened on a US Navy vessel was to have their name inscribed on the interior of the ships bell. Curious, I went and had a look at our ships bell, and even though the ship I was on was more than 50 years old, there wasn't a single name inscribed on the bell. Since my daughter had been baptized on the ship, by the ships Chaplain, I went about testing this more than 100 year old regulation. I received a lot of odd looks as I walked it up the chain of command, but at the end of the road, hers was the only name inscribed on the bell of the U.S.S. Sierra (AD-18) when she was decomissioned in 1993.

GREAT stories, BT!! I come from a couple of generations of sailors in the US Military so I really appreciate your comments.

Thanks Darius. I really enjoyed my 4, and typing the memories out, puts me right back in them.

BT, I think your daughter being baptized on board your ship is amazing. Is this an old tradition, or were you fortunate enough to get permission?
When the last boomer was built in Groton, the "Louisiana", my grandson was stationed there to be part of the Sonar installation crew. In doing so he earned his "plank". Also, I found the tradition of attaching a broom to the main mast at completion, or in his case the tower, so interesting. Probably the most impressive ceremony I have ever attended was when the Louisiana was commissioned in Kings Bay GA. That was when the Electric Boat Company (funny name) turned her over to the Navy. I was completely overwhelmed by patriotism and grandmother's pride!
You write so beautifully, with your permission, I would love to share these rememberances with my grandson. He is at sea now (or should I say under) but is expected back in about a month.
Pati
Edited for P.S. You spoke of "Reading through a bunch of old traditions", is this a publication? I would love to have a copy.

This message was edited Jun 12, 2004 9:17 AM

Thanks Pati, and please feel free to send it on to him.

Anyone that's part of a ships crew can have their children baptized when in port. Peopl can and do get married on board ships as well. I'm not sure how long they've been allowed to do it, but the bell tradition goeas back at least 100 years, and I'm guessing even further, for births, deaths, and baptisms. Did you know that any baby born on a US Navy vessel is an American Citizen, regardless of their parents nationality?

It's nice that you were able to attend a commisioning ceremony. They're absolutely incredible.

I wasn't sure if you were told, but the broom from the mast, dates back to the 1600's. Warships would hang it when returning to port, to indicate a clean sweep of the enemy.

Most of the stuff that I read were Just Navy manuals that we had on the ship. I enjoyed looking for all of the old, outdated, and obscure regualtions that just never made their way out. Kind of like looking through a States laws, and finding out that it's illegal in Sarasota Florida to sing while wearing a bathing suit. Completely outdated, but still a law that was never changed. The Navy has some as well, and those were the interesting things that I always went after.