Closing

FLAG FOLDING CEREMONY
READ BY PAUL PETERSEN. JUNE 8, 1997

Our Flag represents the religious principles on which we founded our country. The canton of blue denotes honor and contains the stars of the states our men and women have served under. The stripes represent the thirteen colonies of our founding nation.

In the armed forces, after taps have been sounded, the flag is lowered and folded in a triangle fold and guarded in honor of the dead. But come morning Reveille, it is run aloft as a symbol of our belief in the resurrection of the body.

Each fold is symbolic of our faith.

The 1st fold represents life.

The 2nd fold represents our belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold honors the departed veterans who gave life that we might attain peace.

The 4th fold reminds us of our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is God we turn to for divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to our country that, as Stephen Decatur said, "she might be right; but right or wrong, she is always our country."

The 6th fold rests on the heart and it's with the heart that we pledge our allegiance to the flag, the republic, God, Liberty and Justice.

The 7th fold is a tribute to the armed forces by which we protect our nation.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the One who entered the "valley of the shadow of death" that we might all see the light of day.

The 9th fold honors womanhood who in faith, love, loyalty and devotion molded the character of the men and women who made this country great.

The 10th fold honors the fathers who have given of sons and daughters for the defense of our nation since she was born.

The 11th fold reminds us of the lower portion of the Star of David from which our Savior descended, and calls to mind the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold completes the triangle upon which the nation lives; the emblem of eternity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit: the Holy Trinity of God.

When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost to remind us, our national motto, "in God We Trust" and of heaven.

FLAG FOLDING PROGRAM
(and it's meaning)
Submitted by Mike Horn

The flag folding ceremony represents the same religious principles on which our great country was originally founded.  (See 'Folding the Flag'.)

The portion of the flag denoting honor is the canton of blue containing the stars representing states our veterans served in uniform. The canton field of blue dresses from left to right and is inverted only when draped as a pall on the casket of a veteran who has served our country honorably 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.

• 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 and who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain 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 stand, 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 enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
  
• The eighth 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, and to honor our 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 he or she was first born.
  
• The eleventh fold, in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, 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."

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.