VFW Teaches Flag Facts, Respect
Veterans guiding participants in the correct way to fold a flag.
By Greg Wells
CCN–Editor
Bill Will, Commander of VFW Post 5419, lead off the flag day gathering at the extinction office’s meeting room last Friday.
After the pledge he recognized last week’s Cumberland County News column by Wanda Gilbert about our nation’s flag. He read the column to the group.
When thanked, Gilbert stressed her appreciation of all the veterans and praise them for their service.
Will went on to read the history of the flag as well as other information regarding Old Glory, how she is handled and displayed.
Then he moved to the folding of the Stars and Stripes. After calling two of his fellow veterans to the front and sought out for volunteers from the audience to learn how to fold the flag of the United States of America in the proper manner for presentation or storage.
In simple terms, the folding proceeds with one person taking hold of the flag at the head of the hoist end at the field of stars, called the canton, with their left hand, which they can’t let go of until finished, and the toe of that hoist ends with their right. The person helping them takes the flag by the other end, and the two pull it out straight and flat horizontally at waist height.
Then they fold the flag in half by each bringing their own hands together, the first person not letting go of the Canton, but adding that heel of the hoist end to their left then grabbing the fold with their right. Aside from the rule that the person in charge can never let go of that left hand there is also a rule that arms and hands may never cross. That in mind they repeat the fold just made.
With the double folds in their left hand, the second person moves their left hand over the stripes, folding a triangle at the fly end of the fly. Keeping a taught hold with their right hand they re-grasp the flag with the left, again on the folded side. Then moving the right up the flag so the new point created by the triangle has squared up the flag. Folding continues with each fold alternating as they proceed.
In the end only the blue field and white stars, the canton, is showing on either side as the last of the hoist end is tucked into the folds.
There were several sheets of names filled with the names of those who came to watch the presentation.
