Best Viewed at
600x800
| |
 Flag Folding
 
How to fold the
Flag
Step 1
To properly fold the Flag, begin
by holding it waist-high with another person so that its surface is parallel to
the ground.
Step 2
Fold the lower half of the stripe section
lengthwise over the field of stars, holding the bottom and top edges
securely.
Step 3
Fold the flag again lengthwise
with the blue field on the outside.
Step 4
Make a triangular fold by bringing the
striped corner of the folded edge to meet the open (top) edge of the flag.
Step 5
Turn the outer (end) point inward,
parallel to the open edge, to form a second triangle.
Step 6
The triangular folding is continued until
the entire length of the flag is folded in this manner. Only one person does
this triangular folding; your partner ceremoniously and patiently holds the
other end (ensuring that it doesn't touch the floor!).
Step 7
All you've got left is the final
fold--the tricky turn that some argue is at the crux of the whole operation.
Instead of you folding the thick triangle of folded flag fabric over the last
remaining blue square, your partner--who has waited for you so
patiently--finally gets to do some creasing. The person on the union end of the
flag will take the corner on the open leg and fold it down along the edge of the
other leg to form a triangle. He or she then tucks the remaining blue tab under
the folds of the thick triangle until the flag is a neat triangle and can't
easily unravel. When the flag is completely folded, only a triangular blue field
of stars should be visible.
Store the flag in a safe place, and when
you want to raise it or use it again, unfold it using these steps in the
opposite direction. Now, sit back and enjoy the fireworks!
- 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 Veterans Day, and is
sometimes used at retirement ceremonies.
Here is a typical sequence of the
reading:
- (Begin reading as Honor Guard or
Flag Detail is coming forward).
-
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 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.
- (Wait for the Honor Guard or Flag
Detail to unravel and fold the flag into a quarter fold--resume reading when
Honor Guard is standing ready.)
-
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 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.
- 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 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 Ghost.
- When the flag is completely
folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, "In
God we Trust."
- (Wait for the Honor Guard or Flag
Detail to inspect the flag--after the inspection, resume reading.)
-
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.
|
