Flag question for the Vets.

[DCChris]

My dad died last Tuesday. He was an Air Force veteran, and entitled to a military funeral service. My question is this.....my mom was presented with the folded flag, and also 3 spent casings from the rifle team. Are the casings to be stored inside the folded flag, and if so, what part. Thanks in advance.

[64Jeeper]

Placing spent shell casings into a fold, or folds, of a Military Funeral Flag violates provisions of the U.S. Flag Code as well as several Military Funeral Honors Directives.

The Funeral Flag is usually lifted from the coffin and folded during, or immediately following, the 3-volley rifle salute and the sounding of Taps. If shell casings are inserted into the Flag while it is being folded for presentation to the Primary Next-Of-Kin (PNOK), then the casings obviously CANNOT be from that particular Veteran's or Servicemember's Funeral Honors ceremony.

In addition, inserting shell casings into a Military Funeral Flag requires that the Flag be "opened" to retrieve the casings. A Military Funeral Flag should NEVER be opened again after it has been folded and presented to the PNOK.

The proper procedure for presenting spent shell casings to the PNOK is as follows ...
Three spent shell casings, one from each of the three volleys, should be retrieved from the ground after the casings have cooled. Usually, the Rifle Squad Detail Leader retrieves the shells while those in attendance are focusing their attention on the Funeral Flag presentation to the PNOK.

The three casings are then presented separately to the PNOK after the ceremony has concluded, but before the PNOK leaves the cemetery. The casings can be presented "loose" or they can be placed into a display box.

The remaining shell casings can be presented separately to the PNOK so that he/she can distribute them to family or friends.

The three spent shell casings represent Duty, Honor, Country.

Funeral Flag display cases and shell casing display boxes are available for purchase from a number of providers. Display cases and boxes usually have a area on the lower front that is intended for an engraved plaque that can be added later.

If the Funeral Flag and the shell casings are publicly displayed after the funeral, the box holding the shell casings should be positioned to the immediate left (the viewer's right), or directly in front of (but not "on"), the display case holding the Funeral Flag.

[Dannytheman]

I am very sorry for your loss!! 64Jeeper has it completely covered for you!

[DCChris]

I knew I'd get good info here as always. Thanks Jeeper, Shakey, and all the other great forum members here.

[headcase]

My dad died last Tuesday. He was an Air Force veteran, and entitled to a military funeral service. My question is this.....my mom was presented with the folded flag, and also 3 spent casings from the rifle team. Are the casings to be stored inside the folded flag, and if so, what part. Thanks in advance.

Sorry for your loss. There is nothing, that I know of, that directs the storage of spent brass from a funeral ceremony. I know that some people like to tuck the spent brass into the bottom fold, if the flag is going to be displayed in a triangular display box. I know of others who, if the flag is displayed in a larger display box(usually with the deceased's medals and commendations arranged within it), set them inside at the lower right corner. But, again, as there is no regulation, that I am aware of, that even mentions the spent brass, it would be up to the next of kin who receives the flag, to decide how to display it.

Personally, I would tuck them into the bottom fold.

Hope that helps.

[phillyd2]

Thanks for posting 64Jeeper - I never knew about the casings.

[camper]

I tried finding something else, but this was the best I could do:

http://www.capitolflags.com/flagcase...flag-case.html

Towards the bottom of the page they have a "21 gun salute" pedestal to go along with a flag case, which will give you the ability to remove 3 of the casings to replace with the 3 you were given.

Hope it helps, and so sorry for your loss.

camper

[headcase]

Placing spent shell casings into a fold, or folds, of a Military Funeral Flag violates provisions of the U.S. Flag Code as well as several Military Funeral Honors Directives.

I would love a cite for this assertion.

The Funeral Flag is usually lifted from the coffin and folded during, or immediately following, the 3-volley rifle salute and the sounding of Taps. If shell casings are inserted into the Flag while it is being folded for presentation to the Primary Next-Of-Kin (PNOK), then the casings obviously CANNOT be from that particular Veteran's or Servicemember's Funeral Honors ceremony.

Not quite sure what this is about?

In addition, inserting shell casings into a Military Funeral Flag requires that the Flag be "opened" to retrieve the casings. A Military Funeral Flag should NEVER be opened again after it has been folded and presented to the PNOK.

Opened? A properly folded flag has a final tuck at the bottom, where the last flap is tucked into the crease.

The proper procedure for presenting spent shell casings to the PNOK is as follows ...
Three spent shell casings, one from each of the three volleys, should be retrieved from the ground after the casings have cooled. Usually, the Rifle Squad Detail Leader retrieves the shells while those in attendance are focusing their attention on the Funeral Flag presentation to the PNOK.

The three casings are then presented separately to the PNOK after the ceremony has concluded, but before the PNOK leaves the cemetery. The casings can be presented "loose" or they can be placed into a display box.

The remaining shell casings can be presented separately to the PNOK so that he/she can distribute them to family or friends.

The three spent shell casings represent Duty, Honor, Country.

This is all very true. True as it may be, it pretains only to the detail presenting the Flag and the Brass, not to the recipients of the flag. It would be improper for the Commander of the military detail who folds and presents the flag, to insert anything into the flag at any point. The civilian recipients are bound by no such code or regulation. It would not be disrepectful to even offer the flag to an organization the deceased was fond of, for flying.

Funeral Flag display cases and shell casing display boxes are available for purchase from a number of providers. Display cases and boxes usually have a area on the lower front that is intended for an engraved plaque that can be added later.

True.

If the Funeral Flag and the shell casings are publicly displayed after the funeral, the box holding the shell casings should be positioned to the immediate left (the viewer's right), or directly in front of (but not "on"), the display case holding the Funeral Flag.

Again, I would love to see a cite for this. The first and last sections I quoted are not part of the Flag code. If they are from some sort of military guide, I would imagine that they were made up as a guideline, as again, I have no knowledge of any statute, law, or code, that mentions the display of a funeral flag, or the accompanying spent brass.

[riverpirate]

Placing spent shell casings into a fold, or folds, of a Military Funeral Flag violates provisions of the U.S. Flag Code as well as several Military Funeral Honors Directives.

The Funeral Flag is usually lifted from the coffin and folded during, or immediately following, the 3-volley rifle salute and the sounding of Taps. If shell casings are inserted into the Flag while it is being folded for presentation to the Primary Next-Of-Kin (PNOK), then the casings obviously CANNOT be from that particular Veteran's or Servicemember's Funeral Honors ceremony.

In addition, inserting shell casings into a Military Funeral Flag requires that the Flag be "opened" to retrieve the casings. A Military Funeral Flag should NEVER be opened again after it has been folded and presented to the PNOK.

The proper procedure for presenting spent shell casings to the PNOK is as follows ...
Three spent shell casings, one from each of the three volleys, should be retrieved from the ground after the casings have cooled. Usually, the Rifle Squad Detail Leader retrieves the shells while those in attendance are focusing their attention on the Funeral Flag presentation to the PNOK.

The three casings are then presented separately to the PNOK after the ceremony has concluded, but before the PNOK leaves the cemetery. The casings can be presented "loose" or they can be placed into a display box.

The remaining shell casings can be presented separately to the PNOK so that he/she can distribute them to family or friends.

The three spent shell casings represent Duty, Honor, Country.

Funeral Flag display cases and shell casing display boxes are available for purchase from a number of providers. Display cases and boxes usually have a area on the lower front that is intended for an engraved plaque that can be added later.

If the Funeral Flag and the shell casings are publicly displayed after the funeral, the box holding the shell casings should be positioned to the immediate left (the viewer's right), or directly in front of (but not "on"), the display case holding the Funeral Flag.

Wow , I did honor gaurd for funerals when I was in the military and never knew this. We never presented the spent cases to anyone that I can remember. Then again we were oversees and every bullet/case had to be accounted for at all times, so maybe it was against regs over there, dont know. Even though I no longer am in the military and really dont care about all the pariotism that is PC now but it still gets me to this day the honor that is shown among military personel when it comes to death. There is nothing like witnessing a military funeral , to me it is more reverent than going to church.

[HiredGoon]

I would love a cite for this assertion.

I found this from the Military Salute Project:

Military Funeral Rifle Salute Shell Casings