They folded the flag at my Grandfather's funeral this morning, and I'm proud of it.

[Pab Sungenis]

My paternal grandfather, Tony "Husky" Sungenis, was buried this morning with full military honors. (He was a Korean War vet.) At the cemetary, two Army sergeants performed the full flag folding ceremony, despite the stories being circulated by the right wing about how the ceremony is no longer allowed.

One notable point: the ceremony was done in complete silence, as it has been every time I've seen it. The story goes that politically correct types have been forcing the Pentagon to ban the ceremony because of the religious overtones that go with certain folds of the flag, including a reference to "The Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost." As a former Boy Scout, I was aware of the significance of each fold of the flag, but I've never heard it enunciated while the flag was being folded at a funeral. It's always been done, at least at the funerals I've been to, with respectful slience.

I really have to wonder how much of this brouhaha is something ginned up by the neocons to make the left look anti-military and anti-God, and has no basis in fact.

Anyhow, they folded the flag for Husky and gave it to his widow this morning. I'm glad they did it, and if the man folding the flag, or the woman who held the other end and presented it to the family, had any thoughts of God, Jesus, or Howard the Duck as they performed that duty, to quote the founder of our Party, it neither breaks my leg nor picks my pocket.

As usual, much ado about nothing from the ideologically bankrupt frothing right.

©2007 P. Sungenis, All Rights Reserved.

[rusty quoin]

1. I salute Tony "Husky" Sungenis. n/t

[Purveyor]

2. Bless your heart and 'Tony "Husky" Sungenis' on this difficult day... n/t

[Bluebear]

3. Condolences, and thinking about you & your health.

Hope things are going well for you other than this sad event.

[Pab Sungenis]

16. They are, thank you.

The funny thing is that he and I both entered the hospital the same day in August, and were down the hall from each other. We kept getting each other's visitors by mistake when people would just tell the desk "Sungenis."

He'd had a series of bad strokes, the first of which pretty much just took his mind but left his body healthy. I didn't realize how bad it was until my Grandmother Marie came up to visit me and was sent to his room by mistake. When she got the correct room number and found me, she said "his memory's gone. He thought I was still his wife." She had divorced him more than 50 years ago.

The final stroke coming on Monday was a blessing. By then he couldn't take care of himself at all and could barely move.

It was an amazing funeral; all the Democratic (he was a former County chair, generally acknowleged as rebuilding the local party in the Nixon years) and about 2/3 of the Republican politicians of the area came through.

[tnlefty]

4. Oh pabsungenis, I'm sorry about your grandfather.

I was presented with the flag that draped my father's coffin and I visited flagsandbanners.com and got a nice "chest" to place it in. While I was at that site I purchased something similar for my spouse's grandfather's flag (a raging democrat) and I gave it to him for Christmas. He was in tears and told me that it was the greatest gift that he'd ever received.

Take care of yourself. :hug:

[lpbk2713]

5. May I ask something?

Was there a bugler to play Taps? I've heard they use boom boxes for that now.

I extend my sympathies and my appreciation for his service.

[Divine Discontent]

8. I'd ask them not to use a radio to do it if a bugler wasn't present

fortunately, the am-vets had a bugler and the guys to shoot a salute to my Dad who passed away last year, I was very thankful to them for doing that for my Korean War vet dad. My condolences to the OP for his loss this week.

[neverforget]

9. Last year when my dad died, they had a regular honor guard with a bugler.

They were Army Reservists.

[Pab Sungenis]

13. Yes, there was a live bugler.

They went all the way. I was impressed.

[lpbk2713]

17. Thanks for the reply

I served 65 - 69 and qualify for a military burial. Reason I ask is if they want to use a boom box for my burial I would just as soon they not bother.

[stevedeshazer]

15. My dad (WWII combat vet) got a boom box.

Four years ago. I was pissed.

I coulda done it myself. I can play a bugle. It would've meant more to Pop if my brother and/or I had played.

on edit to say: Thanks to your grandfather for his service and my condolences to you and your family.

[Aristus]

6. The religious references to folding the flag are utter horseshit.

I was raised in a military family, attended a number of military funerals, and even participated in a few as part of a funeral detail when I was in the Army. I NEVER heard of religious "folds" of the flag. Just another made up "war" on "Christianity" dreamed up in the filthy sewer of the right-wing mind.

[Pab Sungenis]

14. There are some religious "meanings" that can be associated with the folds.

Like I said, I was taught those as a Boy Scout when folding the flag. But, as I said above and you said, I've never heard those "meanings" spoken aloud at an actual flag folding, whether it was at a funeral or striking the colors. Never.

[Swamp Rat]

7. peace

:hug:

:patriot:

[Breeze54]

10. A salute to a patriot and

:patriot:

and my condolences to you...and your family. :hug:

"Old Warriors Never Die...they just fade away..."

[tandot]

11. my condolences to you and your family, and a salute to Tony "Husky" Sungenis

:patriot:

[emilyg]

12. Condolences.