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Contents

CELEBRATING

AMERICA’S

FREEDOMS

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

The United States Flag ................................................................................................................................2

“Old Glory”....................................................................................................................................................3

The Pledge of Allegiance .............................................................................................................................4

Guidelines for Display of the Flag ................................................................................................................5

The Story of Taps.........................................................................................................................................7

“The Star-Spangled Banner” ........................................................................................................................8

The National Cemetery Administration ........................................................................................................9

The Origins of Memorial Day .....................................................................................................................10

The Origins of Veterans Day ......................................................................................................................12

Arlington National Cemetery ......................................................................................................................13

The POW/MIA Flag ....................................................................................................................................14

The Origin of the VA Motto - Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address ..........................................................15

Flying the American Flag at Half Staff........................................................................................................16

The Origins of Flag Day .............................................................................................................................17

The American Bald Eagle ..........................................................................................................................18

Gun Salutes ...............................................................................................................................................19

The Flower of Remembrance.....................................................................................................................20

Activities for Veterans Day .........................................................................................................................21

Correct Method of Folding the United States Flag .....................................................................................23

Military Songs Inspire Troops, Preserve Tradition......................................................................................24

The Seal of the Department of Veterans Affairs .........................................................................................26

Celebrating America’s Freedoms is a collection of stories

describing the origin and history of America’s most beloved

customs and national symbols. From the story of the Pledge of

Allegiance to the correct method for folding the American flag,

educators will find this packet both informative and helpful in

planning activities to celebrate national observances such as

Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Flag Day.
CELEBRATING

AMERICA’S

FREEDOMS

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

2

The United States Flag

The flag of the United States is one of the

oldest national standards in the world. General

George Washington first raised the Continental

Army flag in 1776, a red-and-white striped flag with

the British Union Jack where we now have stars.

Several flag designs with 13 stripes were used

in 1776 and 1777, until Congress established an

official design on June 14, 1777 — now observed as

Flag Day. The act stated, “That the Flag of the

thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate

red and white, that the union be thirteen stars, white

in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

Washington explained it this way: “We take the stars

from heaven, the red from our mother country,

separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we

have separated from her, and the white stripes shall

go down to posterity representing liberty.”

The First Flag

No records confirm who designed the original

Stars and Stripes, but historians believe Francis

Hopkinson, one of the signers of the Declaration of

Independence, probably modified the unofficial

Continental flag into the design we now have.

The State Navy Board of Pennsylvania, on

May 29, 1777, commissioned Betsy Ross to sew

flags for Navy vessels. Legend credits Ross with

having sewn the first flag to meet the specifications

outlined by Congress, while changing the stars from

six points to five to speed her work.

The flag was first carried in battle at

Brandywine, Pa., in September 1777. It first flew

over foreign territory in early 1778, at Nassau,

Bahama Islands, where Americans captured a fort

from the British.

After Vermont and Kentucky became states in

the 1790s, Congress approved adding two more stars

and two more stripes to the group that represented

the original 13 colonies, now states. This was the Star

Spangled Banner” of which Francis Scott Key wrote in

1814.

1818 Law Sets Final Form

As other states entered the Union, it became

obvious that stripes could not be added continually, so

in 1818 Congress reestablished the 13-stripe flag for

the original 13 colonies and allowed for additional

stars for new states.

The law specified that stripes should be horizontal, alternately red and white, and the union, or canton,

should display 20 stars for the states then in the union.

But it did not specify color shades or arrangement of

the stars, and wide variation persisted. During the

Civil War, gold stars were more common than white

and the stars sometimes appeared in a circle.

The first time the Stars and Stripes flew in a Flag

Day celebration was in Hartford, Conn., 1861, the first

summer of the Civil War. In the late 1800s, schools

held Flag Day programs to contribute to the Americanization of immigrant children, and the observance

caught on with individual communities. As a patriotic

custom, the Stars and Stripes still flies in front of

schools when classes are in session.

In 1916, the president proclaimed a nationwide

observance of Flag Day, but it was not until 1949 that

Congress voted for Flag Day to be a permanent holiday. When the 49th and 50th stars were added in 1959

and 1960, the standards of design became even more

precise. The regulated design calls for seven red and

six white stripes, with the red stripes at top and bottom.

The union of navy blue fills the upper left quarter from

the top to the lower edge of the fourth red stripe. The

stars have one point up and are in nine horizontal rows.

The odd-numbered rows have six stars. The evennumbered rows have five stars, centered diagonally

between the stars in the longer rows.
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

3

The name “Old Glory” was first applied to the U.S. flag by a young sea captain who

lived in Salem, Mass. On his twenty-first birthday, March 17, 1824, Capt. William Driver was

presented a beautiful flag by his mother and a group of local young ladies. Driver was delighted with the gift. He exclaimed, “I name her ‘Old Glory.’” Then Old Glory accompanied

the captain on his many voyages.

Captain Driver quit the sea in 1837 and settled in Nashville, Tenn. On patriotic days, he

displayed Old Glory proudly from a rope extending from his house to a tree across the street.

After Tennessee seceded from the Union in 1861, Captain Driver hid Old Glory by sewing the

flag inside a comforter. When Union soldiers entered Nashville on February 25, 1862, Driver

removed Old Glory from its hiding place, carried the flag to the state capitol building, and

proudly raised it for all to see.

Shortly before his death, the old sea captain placed a small bundle into the arms of his

daughter. He said to her, “Mary Jane, this is my ship flag, Old Glory. It has been my constant

companion. I love it as a mother loves her child. Cherish it as I have cherished it.”

The flag remained as a precious heirloom in the Driver family until 1922. Then it was

sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it is carefully preserved under

glass today.

“Old Glory”
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

4

The Pledge of Allegiance

Thirty-one words which affirm the values and

freedom that the American flag represents are recited

while facing the flag as a pledge of Americans’

loyalty to their country. The Pledge of Allegiance

was written for the 400th anniversary, in 1892, of the

discovery of America. A national committee of

educators and civic leaders planned a public-school

celebration of Columbus Day to center around the

flag. Included with the script for ceremonies that

would culminate in raising of the flag was the pledge.

So it was in October 1892 Columbus Day programs

that school children across the country first recited

the Pledge of Allegiance this way:

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and

to the Republic for which it stands:

 one Nation indivisible, with Liberty

and Justice for all.

Controversy continues over whether the author

was the chairman of the committee, Francis Bellamy

— who worked on a magazine for young people that

published the pledge — or James Upham, who

worked for the publishing firm that produced the

magazine. The pledge was published anonymously

in the magazine and was not copyrighted.

According to some accounts of Bellamy as

author, he decided to write a pledge of allegiance,

rather than a salute, because it was a stronger expression of loyalty — something particularly significant

even 27 years after the Civil War ended. “One

Nation indivisible” referred to the outcome of the

Civil War, and “Liberty and Justice for all” expressed

the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

The words “my flag” were replaced by “the flag

of the United States” in 1923, because some foreignborn people might have in mind the flag of the

country of their birth, instead of the U.S. flag. A year

later, “of America” was added after “United States.”

No form of the pledge received official recognition by

Congress until June 22, 1942, when it was formally

included in the U.S. Flag Code. The official name of

The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in 1945. The

last change in language came on Flag Day 1954,

when Congress passed a law which added the words

“under God” after “one nation.”

Originally, the pledge was said with the hand in

the so-called “Bellamy Salute,” with the hand resting

first outward from the chest, then the arm extending

out from the body. Once Hitler came to power in

Europe, some Americans were concerned that this

position of the arm and hand resembled the salute

rendered by the Nazi military. In 1942, Congress

established the current practice of rendering the

pledge with the right hand placed flat over the heart.

Section 7 of the Federal Flag Code states that

when not in military uniform, men should remove any

headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left

shoulder, thereby resting the hand over the heart.

People in military uniform should remain silent, face

the flag and render the military salute.

The Flag Code specifies that any future changes

to the pledge would have to be with the consent of the

president.

The Pledge of Allegiance now reads:

I 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.
CELEBRATING

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

5

Guidelines for Display of the Flag

Public Law 94-344, known as the Federal Flag

Code, contains rules for handling and displaying the

U.S. flag. While the federal code contains no penalties for misusing the flag, states have their own flag

codes and may impose penalties. The language of the

federal code makes clear that the flag is a living

symbol.

In response to a Supreme Court decision which

held that a state law prohibiting flag burning was

unconstitutional, Congress enacted the Flag Protection Act in 1989. It provides that anyone who

knowingly desecrates the flag may be fined and/or

imprisoned for up to one year. However, this law

was challenged by the Supreme Court in a 1990

decision that the Flag Protection Act violates the First

Amendment free speech protections.

Important Things to Remember

Traditional guidelines call for displaying the

flag in public only from sunrise to sunset. However,

the flag may be displayed at all times if it’s illuminated during darkness. The flag should not be subject

to weather damage, so it should not be displayed

during rain, snow and wind storms unless it is an allweather flag.

It should be displayed often, but especially on

national and state holidays and special occasions.

The flag should be displayed on or near the

main building of public institutions, schools during

school days, and polling places on election days. It

should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

When carried in procession with other flags, the

U.S. flag should be either on the marching right (the

flag’s right) or to the front and center of the flag line.

When displayed on a float in a parade, the flag should

be hung from a staff or suspended so it falls free. It

should not be draped over a vehicle.

When displayed with another flag against a wall

from crossed staffs, the U.S. flag should be on its own

right (left to a person facing the wall) and its staff

should be in front of the other flag’s staff. In a group

of flags displayed from staffs, the U.S. flag should be

at the center and the highest point.

When flags of states, cities or organizations are

flown on the same staff, the U.S. flag must be at the

top (except during church services conducted at sea by

Navy chaplains). When other flags are flown from

adjacent staffs, the U.S. flag should be hoisted first

and lowered last. It must be on the right of other flags

and no other flag should stand higher than it. Flags of

other nations should be flown from separate staffs.

International custom dictates that flags of different

nations be displayed at the same height in peacetime

and be approximately the same size.
When displayed flat against the wall on a

speaker’s platform, the flag should be above and

behind the speaker with the union on the left side as

the audience looks at it (again, the flag’s right).

When the flag hangs from a staff in a church or

public place, it should appear to the audience on the

left, the speaker’s right. Any other flags displayed

should be placed on the opposite side of the speaker.

The flag may cover a casket, but should not

cover a statue or monument for unveiling. It should

never be draped or drawn back in folds. Draped red,

white and blue bunting should be used for decoration,

with the blue at the top and red at the bottom.

On a casket, the union (blue field) should be at

the deceased person’s head and heart, over the left

shoulder. But the flag should be removed before the

casket is lowered into the grave and should never

touch the ground.

The flag may be flown at half-staff to honor a

newly deceased federal or state government official by

order of the president or the governor, respectively.

On Memorial Day, the flag should be displayed at

half-staff until noon. Whenever the flag is displayed

at half-staff, it should be first raised to the top. Lowering from half-staff is preceded by first raising it

momentarily to the top.

Other Things Not to Do with the Flag

Out of respect for the U.S. flag, never:

• dip it for any person or thing, even though

state flags, regimental colors and other flags may be

dipped as a mark of honor.

• display it with the union down, except as a

signal of distress.

• let the flag touch anything beneath it:

ground, floor, water, merchandise.

• carry it horizontally, but always aloft.

• fasten or display it in a way that will permit

it to be damaged or soiled.

• place anything on the flag, including letters,

insignia, or designs of any kind.

• use it for holding anything.

• use it as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery. It should not be used on a costume or athletic

uniform. However, a flag patch may be attached to

the uniform of patriotic organizations, military personnel, police officers and firefighters.

• use the flag for advertising or promotion

purposes or print it on paper napkins, boxes or anything else intended for temporary use and discard.

During the hoisting or lowering of the flag or

when it passes in parade or review, Americans should

stand at attention facing the flag and place their right

hand over the heart. Uniformed military members

render the military salute. Men not in uniform should

remove any headdress and hold it with their right hand

at their left shoulder, the hand resting over the heart.

Those who are not U.S. citizens should stand at

attention.

When the flag is worn out or otherwise no longer

a fitting emblem for display, it should be destroyed in

a dignified way, preferably by burning.

6
CELEBRATING

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

The 24-note melancholy bugle call known as

“taps” is thought to be a revision of a French bugle

signal, called “tattoo,” that notified soldiers to cease

an evening’s drinking and return to their garrisons.

It was sounded an hour before the final bugle call to

end the day by extinguishing fires and lights. The

last five measures of the tattoo resemble taps.

The word “taps” is an alteration of the obsolete

word “taptoo,” derived from the Dutch “taptoe.”

Taptoe was the command — “Tap toe!” — to shut

(“toe to”) the “tap” of a keg.

The revision that gave us present-day taps was

made during America’s Civil War by Union Gen.

Daniel Adams Butterfield, heading a brigade camped

at Harrison Landing, Va., near Richmond. Up to that

time, the U.S. Army’s infantry call to end the day

was the French final call, “L’Extinction des feux.”

Gen. Butterfield decided the “lights out” music was

too formal to signal the day’s end. One day in July

1862, he recalled the tattoo music and hummed a

version of it to an aide, who wrote it down in music.

Butterfield then asked the brigade bugler, Oliver W.

Norton, to play the notes and, after listening, lengthened and shortened them while keeping his original

melody.

He ordered Norton to play this new call at the

end of each day thereafter, instead of the regulation

call. The music was heard and appreciated by other

brigades, who asked for copies and adopted this

bugle call. It was even adopted by Confederate

buglers.

This music was made the official Army bugle

call after the war, but not given the name “taps” until

1874.

The first time taps was played at a military

funeral may also have been in Virginia soon after

Butterfield composed it. Union Capt. John Tidball,

head of an artillery battery, ordered it played for the

burial of a cannoneer killed in action. Not wanting to

reveal the battery’s position in the woods to the

enemy nearby, Tidball substituted taps for the

traditional three rifle volleys fired over the grave.

Taps was played at the funeral of Confederate Gen.

Stonewall Jackson 10 months after it was composed.

Army infantry regulations by 1891 required taps to

be played at military funeral ceremonies.

Taps now is played by the military at burial and

memorial services and to signal the “lights out”

command at day’s end.

The Story of Taps

7
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

8

“The Star-Spangled Banner”

This patriotic song, whose words were written by

Francis Scott Key on Sept. 14, 1814, during the War

of 1812 with Great Britain, was adopted by Congress

as the U.S. national anthem in 1931. For many years

before Congress made this choice, the song was

popular and regulations for military bands required

that it be played for ceremonies.

Though Key wrote the words during the British

bombardment of Fort McHenry at Baltimore, the

melody was an English tune well known in America

by the 1790s. It was the music for a poem, “To

Anacreon in Heaven,” written about 1780 as the

official song of a British social and musical organization, the Anacreontic Society. In fact, Key had used

the music in 1805 to accompany another poem he

wrote to honor Commodore Stephen Decatur.

Key Detained While Negotiating

Key was a well known 34-year-old Washington,

D.C., lawyer-poet. The British had captured Washington and taken William Beanes, a physician,

prisoner. They were holding him aboard ship in their

fleet off the Baltimore shore. Friends of Beanes

persuaded Key to negotiate his release. Key went out

to the British fleet and succeeded in gaining Beanes’

release but, because the British planned to attack

Baltimore at that time, both were detained.

During the night of Sept. 13-14, Key watched the

bombardment of Baltimore from the deck of a British

ship. Although rain obscured the fort during the

night, at daybreak he could see the American flag still

flying from Fort McHenry. The fort still stood after

the British had fired some 1,800 bombs, rockets and

shells at it, about 400 of them landing inside. Four

defenders were killed and 24 wounded. Key drafted

the words of a poem on an envelope. The American

detainees were sent ashore, the British fleet withdrew,

and Key finished the poem and made a good copy of

it in a Baltimore hotel the next day.

Poem an Instant Hit in Baltimore

According to some accounts, Key showed the

poem to relatives of his wife in Baltimore who had it

printed immediately and distributed throughout the

city on a handbill, entitled “The Defense of Fort

McHenry.” Within a couple of weeks, Baltimore

newspapers published the poem. It gained instant

popularity and was renamed “The Star-Spangled

Banner.” An actor sang it to the popular British tune

at a public performance in Baltimore.

Only with the start of the Civil War did “The

Star-Spangled Banner” become a nationally popular

song. During World War I, a drive began in Congress

to make it the official anthem of America’s armed

forces. There were other contenders for the title,

including “America the Beautiful” and “Yankee

Doodle.” Maryland legislators and citizens were

among the most active groups and individuals who

pressed to get Francis Scott Key’s words and accompanying English tune ratified into law as the country’s

first national anthem. That finally happened when

President Herbert Hoover signed legislation on March

3, 1931.

The anthem has four verses, each ending with the

line, “O’er the land of the free and the home of the

brave.”
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

9

National cemeteries in the United States for

military veterans and service members began during

the Civil War, near the battlefields, military hospitals

and campgrounds of the war. On July 17, 1862,

President Lincoln signed legislation authorizing the

federal government to purchase ground for use as

national cemeteries “for soldiers who shall have died

in the service of the country.” Up to then, the dead

were hastily buried in fields, churchyards, or close to

hospitals or prison camps where they died.

After the war, Army crews searched the countryside to find and rebury the Union dead in the original

14 national cemeteries. The remains of Confederate

prisoners of war were included, although it was not

until 1906 that legislation approved marking their

graves with headstones. The reinterment process took

five years and resulted in establishing 50 more cemeteries to hold a quarter-million remains. They were

reburied with honor. The new cemeteries were

enclosed by brick walls and entered through ornate

gates. However, the identities of nearly half of the

Union dead who are buried in national cemeteries are

unknown. A few of the national cemeteries developed

around Union prisoner of war camps, where a large

numbers of Confederate soldiers died.

Eight years after the war ended, Congress opened

national cemeteries to all honorably discharged

veterans of the Union forces. Legislation after World

War I opened them to American veterans of all

wartime service. Finally, after World War II, Congress expanded eligibility for burial to all veterans of

U.S. armed forces, American war veterans of allied

armed forces and veterans’ spouses and dependent

children.

From their founding until 1973, national cemeteries were operated by the Department of the Army.

Today, the National Cemetery Administration is part

of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA

operates national cemeteries throughout the United

States and Puerto Rico. The Department of the

Interior and the Department of the Army also administer several national cemeteries, including Arlington

National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Veterans of every conflict in which the U.S.

participated — from the Revolutionary War to the

Gulf — are buried in VA’s national cemeteries. In

addition to providing a gravesite, VA provides a

headstone or marker, and perpetually cares for the

grave at no cost to the veteran’s family or heirs.

HISTORICAL FIGURES BURIED IN VA

NATIONAL CEMETERIES

President Zachary Taylor, at the cemetery named for

him near Louisville, Ky.

The Union’s “Andrews’ Raiders” who seized a

Confederate train and were later caught by Confederates and executed, at Chattanooga, Tenn., National

Cemetery.

Florena Budwin, wife of a Pennsylvania soldier of the

Civil War, who disguised herself as a man and enlisted in the Union Army. She was captured and

imprisoned at Florence, S.C., where her identity was

revealed. She remained at the prison to care for Union

soldiers, finally dying of illness in 1865. Buried at

Florence, South Carolina National Cemetery.

Admiral Chester Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the

Pacific Fleet in World War II, at Golden Gate National

Cemetery, San Bruno, Calif.

Ernie Pyle, veteran of World War I, famed World War

II correspondent, at National Memorial Cemetery of

the Pacific, Honolulu, along with all 848 unknowns

from the Korean War (except one at Tomb of the

Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery).

The National Cemetery Administration
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The Origins of Memorial Day

Three years after the Civil War ended, on

May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of

Union veterans — the Grand Army of the

Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day

as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of

the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A.

Logan declared it should be May 30. It is

believed the date was chosen because flowers

would be in bloom all over the country. The

first large observance was held that year at

Arlington National Cemetery, across the

Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion,

once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various

Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs.

Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies.

After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and

Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR

made their way through the cemetery, strewing

flowers on both Union and Confederate graves,

reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Local Observances Claim To Be First

Local springtime tributes to the Civil War

dead already had been held in various places.

One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss.,

April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited

a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate

soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh.

Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers,

neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women

placed some of their flowers on those graves, as

well.

Today, cities in the North and the South

claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in

1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim

the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village

of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began there two

years earlier. A stone in a Carbondale, Ill.,

cemetery carries the statement that the first

Decoration Day ceremony took place there on

April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime

home of Gen. Logan. Approximately 25 places

have been named in connection with the origin

of Memorial Day, many of them in the South

where most of the war dead were buried.

Official Birthplace Declared

In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon

Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on

May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had

fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and

residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of

Waterloo’s claim say earlier observances in

other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.

By the end of the 19th century, Memorial

Day ceremonies were being held on May 30

throughout the nation. State legislatures passed

proclamations designating the day, and the

Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper

observance at their facilities.

 It was not until after World War I, however,

that the day was expanded to honor those who

have died in all American wars. In 1971,

Memorial Day was declared a national holiday

by an act of Congress, though it is still often

called Decoration Day. It was then also placed

on the last Monday in May, as were some other

federal holidays.

10
Some States Have Confederate Observances

Many Southern states also have their own

days for honoring the Confederate dead. Mississippi celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on

the last Monday of April, Alabama on the fourth

Monday of April, and Georgia on April 26.

North and South Carolina observe it on May 10,

Louisiana on June 3 and Tennessee calls that date

Confederate Decoration Day. Texas celebrates

Confederate Heroes Day January 19 and Virginia

calls the last Monday in May Confederate Memorial Day.

Gen. Logan’s order for his posts to decorate

graves in 1868 “with the choicest flowers of

springtime” urged: “We should guard their

graves with sacred vigilance. ... Let pleasant

paths invite the coming and going of reverent

visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no

ravages of time, testify to the present or to the

coming generations that we have forgotten as a

people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”

The crowd attending the first Memorial Day

ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery was

approximately the same size as those that attend

today’s observance, about 5,000 people. Then,

as now, small American flags were placed on

each grave — a tradition followed at many

national cemeteries today. In recent years, the

custom has grown in many families to decorate

the graves of all departed loved ones.

The origins of special services to honor those

who die in war can be found in antiquity. The

Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the

fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24

centuries ago that could be applied today to the

1.1 million Americans who have died in the

nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there

dwells also an unwritten memorial of them,

graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”

To ensure the sacrifices of America’s fallen

heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000,

the U.S. Congress passed and the president

signed into law “The National Moment of

Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the

White House Commission on the National

Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s

charter is to “encourage the people of the United

States to give something back to their country,

which provides them so much freedom and

opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating

commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance

encourages all Americans to pause wherever

they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day

for a minute of silence to remember and honor

those who have died in service to the nation. As

Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella

LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put

the memorial back in Memorial Day.”

11
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

12

In 1921, an unknown World War I American

soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River

and the city of Washington, D.C., became the focal

point of reverence for America’s veterans.

Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England

and France, where an unknown soldier was buried in

each nation’s highest place of honor (in England,

Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe).

These memorial gestures all took place on November

11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated

ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., November

11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th

month). The day became known as “Armistice Day.”

Armistice Day officially received its name in

America in 1926 through a Congressional resolution.

It became a national holiday 12 years later by similar

Congressional action. If the idealistic hope had been

realized that World War I was “the War to end all

wars,” November 11 might still be called Armistice

Day. But only a few years after the holiday was

proclaimed, war broke out in Europe. Sixteen and

one-half million Americans took part. Four hundred

seven thousand of them died in service, more than

292,000 in battle.

Armistice Day Changed To Honor All Veterans

The first celebration using the term Veterans Day

occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947. Raymond

Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized "National

Veterans Day," which included a parade and other

festivities, to honor all veterans. The event was held on

November 11, then designated Armistice Day. Later,

U.S. Representative Edward Rees of Kansas proposed

a bill that would change Armistice Day to Veterans

Day. In 1954, Congress passed the bill that President

Eisenhower signed proclaiming November 11 as

Veterans Day. Raymond Weeks received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan in November 1982. Weeks' local parade and ceremonies are

now an annual event celebrated nationwide.

On Memorial Day 1958, two more unidentified

American war dead were brought from overseas and

interred in the plaza beside the unknown soldier of

World War I. One was killed in World War II, the

other in the Korean War. In 1984, an unknown

serviceman from the Vietnam War was placed

alongside the others. The remains from Vietnam

were exhumed May 14, 1998, identified as Air Force

1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, and removed for

burial. To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor

guard, the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps

day and night vigil.

A law passed in 1968 changed the national

commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth

Monday in October. It soon became apparent,

however, that November 11 was a date of historic

significance to many Americans. Therefore, in 1978

Congress returned the observance to its traditional

date.

National Ceremonies Held at Arlington

The focal point for official, national ceremonies

for Veterans Day continues to be the memorial

amphitheater built around the Tomb of the Unknowns. At 11 a.m. on November 11, a combined

color guard representing all military services executes “Present Arms” at the tomb. The nation’s

tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying of

a presidential wreath. The bugler plays “taps.” The

rest of the ceremony takes place in the amphitheater.

Veterans Day ceremonies at Arlington and

elsewhere are coordinated by the President’s Veterans Day National Committee. Chaired by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the committee represents

national veterans organizations.

Governors of states and U.S. territories appoint

Veterans Day chairpersons who, in cooperation with

the National Committee and the Department of

Defense, arrange and promote local ceremonies.

The Origins of Veterans Day
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Arlington National Cemetery

Almost four million people a year visit the national cemetery across the Potomac River from

Washington, D.C., where a constant vigil is maintained at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Arlington

National Cemetery is the site of the changing of a

military guard around the clock daily. A stone coffin

bearing the body of an unidentified soldier of World

War I — entombed on Veterans Day 1921 — is the

visible part of the tomb, while crypts next to it under

the terrace bear the unknown American service

members of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars (the remains from Vietnam were exhumed

May 14, 1998, identified as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael

Joseph Blassie, and removed for burial). Each

Memorial Day and Veterans Day, a presidential

wreath is laid at the tomb.

This may explain why Arlington is America’s

most well-known national cemetery, even though it is

not the largest or the oldest. Some 230,000 veterans

and dependents are buried on the cemetery’s 612

acres. From Pierre L’Enfant, George Washington’s

aide during the American Revolution, to American

service members killed during Operation Desert

Storm, Arlington holds the remains of veterans representing every military action the United States has

fought.

Union Seized Lee’s Property

The cemetery’s origins go back to just before the

Civil War. George Washington Parke Custis, adopted

son of the first president, owned a 1,100-acre plantation and constructed on it a memorial to Washington

named Arlington House, which held the world’s

largest collection of memorabilia related to the president. Ownership of his estate passed to Custis’

daughter, who had married Robert E. Lee, and they

lived in Arlington House for more than 30 years. The

Lee family fled when the Civil War was imminent.

The Union seized the property because of its strategic

location overlooking Washington. Because of the

bitter grudge against the South that Union Brig. Gen.

Montgomery Meigs bore, and the need for burial space

for the Union dead, this commander of forces at

Arlington urged the federal government to convert 200

acres of Lee’s property to a cemetery. Meigs ordered

burials near the house to make the grounds uninhabitable after the war.

The first soldier was buried in Arlington in May

1864. By war’s end, 16,000 graves filled the spaces

close to Arlington House. Though the Supreme Court

ruled finally in favor of the heir to the property, the

eldest Lee son ceded title to the government for

$150,000 and renounced any thought of living in

Arlington House. From the portico of the mansion, the

first official Memorial Day was proclaimed in 1868.

Burials Restricted

Whereas after the Civil War, only the poor or

unidentified were entombed at Arlington, now it is a

burial site particularly coveted by veterans and their

families. Space for in-ground burials is restricted to

those who die on active duty, have had 20 years of

service, or earned certain military decorations, and

their spouses and dependents. Any honorably discharged veterans and dependents may have their

cremated remains inurned in Arlington’s

columbarium. Honors are rendered daily by military

units bearing a flag-draped coffin, firing a rifle volley

and performing taps.

Numerous veterans and civic groups hold memorial services in the cemetery’s marble amphitheater.

Monuments have been erected from time to time to

memorialize specific groups of military members or

veterans buried there.

Prominent Americans buried at Arlington include:

Presidents John F. Kennedy and William H. Taft;

World War I General of the Armies John J. Pershing;

Generals Omar Bradley and George C. Marshall of

World War II; and Generals Daniel “Chappie” James

and Maxwell Taylor of the Vietnam War.
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The POW/MIA Flag

In 1971, Mrs. Michael Hoff, the wife of a U.S.

military officer listed as missing in action during the

Vietnam War, developed the idea for a national flag to

remind every American of the U.S. servicemembers

whose fates were never accounted for during the war.

The black and white image of a gaunt silhouette,

a strand of barbed wire and an ominous watchtower

was designed by Newt Heisley, a former World War II

pilot. Some claim the silhouette is a profile of

Heisley’s son, who contracted hepatitis while training

to go to Vietnam. The virus ravaged his body, leaving

his features hallow and emaciated. They suggest that

while staring at his son’s sunken features, Heisley saw

the stark image of American servicemembers held

captive under harsh conditions. Using a pencil, he

sketched his son’s profile, creating the basis for a

symbol that would come to have a powerful impact on

the national conscience.

By the end of the Vietnam War, more than 2,500

servicemembers were listed by the Department of

Defense as Prisoner of War (POW) or Missing in

Action (MIA). In 1979, as families of the missing

pressed for full accountability, Congress and the

president proclaimed the first National POW/MIA

Recognition Day to acknowledge the families’ concerns and symbolize the steadfast resolve of the

American people to never forget the men and women

who gave up their freedom protecting ours. Three

years later, in 1982, the POW/MIA flag became the

only flag other than the Stars and Stripes to fly over

the White House in Washington, D.C.

On August 10, 1990, Congress passed U.S. Public

Law 101-355, designating the POW/MIA flag:

“The symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment

to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans

still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia.”

Displaying the POW/MIA Flag

Congress designated the third Friday of September as National POW/MIA Recognition Day and

ordered prominent display of the POW/MIA flag on

this day and several other national observances,

including Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag

Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. The 1998

Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 105-85) mandates

that on these national observances, the POW/MIA flag

is to be flown over the White House, the U.S. Capitol,

the Korean and Vietnam Veterans War Memorials, the

offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, offices of the Director of the Selective

Service System, every major military installation (as

directed by the Secretary of Defense), every post office

and all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical

centers and national cemeteries. The act also directs

VA medical centers to fly the POW/MIA flag on any

day on which the flag of the United States is displayed.

When displayed from a single flag pole, the

POW/MIA flag should fly directly below, and be no

larger than, the United States flag. If on separate

poles, the U.S. flag should always be placed to the

right of other flags. On the six national observances

for which Congress has ordered display of the POW/

MIA flag, it is generally flown immediately below or

adjacent to the United States flag as second in order of

precedence.
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The Origin of the VA Motto

Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address

As the nation braced itself for the final throes of

the Civil War, thousands of spectators gathered on a

muddy Pennsylvania Avenue near the U.S. Capitol to

hear President Lincoln’s second inaugural address. It

was March 4, 1865, a time of great uneasiness. In just

over one month, the war would end and the president

would be assassinated.

President Lincoln framed his speech on the

moral and religious implications of the war; rhetorically questioning how a just God could unleash such a

terrible war upon the nation. “If we shall suppose that

American slavery is one of those offenses in the

providence of God, ... and that He gives to both North

and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by

whom the offenses came.”

With its deep philosophical insights, critics have

hailed the speech as one of Lincoln’s best.

As the speech progressed, President Lincoln

turned from the divisive bitterness at the war’s roots

to the unifying task of reconciliation and reconstruction. In the speech’s final paragraph, the president

delivered his prescription for the nation’s recovery.

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with

firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right,

let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up

the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have

borne the battle and for his widow and orphan, to do

all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting

peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

With the words, “To care for him who shall

have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan,”

President Lincoln affirmed the government’s obligation to care for those injured during the war and to

provide for the families of those who perished on the

battlefield.

Today, a pair or metal plaques bearing those

words flank the entrance to the Washington, D.C.

headquarters of the Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA). VA is the federal agency responsible for

serving the needs of veterans by providing health care,

disability compensation and rehabilitation, education

assistance, home loans, burial in a national cemetery,

and other benefits and services.

Lincoln’s immortal words became the VA motto

in 1959, when the plaques were installed, and can be

traced to Sumner G. Whittier, administrator of what

was then called the Veterans Administration. A

document on VA medical history prepared for the

congressional Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and

titled, “To care for him who shall have borne the

battle,” details how the words became VA’s motto.

“He (Whittier) worked no employee longer or harder

than himself to make his personal credo the mission of

the agency. What was that credo? Simply the words

of Abraham Lincoln, to care for him who shall have

borne the battle and for his widow and orphan. To

indicate the mission of his agency’s employees, Mr.

Whittier had plaques installed on either side of the

main entrance.”

President Lincoln’s words have stood the test of

time, and stand today as a solemn reminder of VA’s

commitment to care for those injured in our nation’s

defense and the families of those killed in its service.
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Flying the American Flag at Half Staff

When should the flag be flown at half-staff?

An easy way to remember when to fly the

United States flag at half-staff is to consider when the

whole nation is in mourning. These periods of

mourning are proclaimed either by the president of

the United States, for national remembrance, or the

governor of a state or territory, for local remembrance, in the event of a death of a member or former

member of the federal, state or territorial government

or judiciary. The heads of departments and agencies

of the federal government may also order that the flag

be flown at half-staff on buildings, grounds and naval

vessels under their jurisdiction.

On Memorial Day the flag should be flown at

half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised

briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of

the nation’s battle heroes.

In the early days of our country, no regulations existed for flying the flag at half-staff and, as a

result, there were many conflicting policies. But on

March 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower issued

a proclamation on the proper times.

The flag should fly at half-staff for 30 days at

all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels

throughout the United States and its territories and

possessions after the death of the president or a

former president. It is to fly 10 days at half-staff

after the death of the vice president, the chief justice

or a retired chief justice of the United States Supreme

Court, or the speaker of the House of Representatives. For an associate justice of the Supreme Court,

a member of the Cabinet, a former vice president, the

president pro tempore of the Senate, the majority

leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the

Senate, the majority leader of the House of Representatives, or the minority leader of the House of Representatives the flag is to be displayed at half-staff from

the day of death until interment.

The flag is to be flown at half-staff at all

federal buildings, grounds

and naval

vessels in the

Washington,

D.C., area on

the day and

day after the

death of a

United States

senator,

representative,

territorial

delegate, or the

resident

commissioner

from the

Commonwealth of

Puerto Rico. It

should also be

flown at halfstaff on all

federal facilities in the state, congressional district,

territory, or commonwealth of these officials.

Upon the death of the governor of a state,

territory or possession, the flag should be flown at

half-staff on all federal facilities in that governor’s

state, territory or possession from the day of death

until interment.

The president may order the flag to be flown

at half-staff to mark the death of other officials,

former officials, or foreign dignitaries. In addition to

these occasions, the president may order half-staff

display of the flag after other tragic events.

The flag should be briskly run up to the top of

the staff before being lowered slowly to the half-staff

position.
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The Origins of Flag Day

of New York ordered the displaying of the flag over all

public buildings in the state, an observance considered

by some to be the first official recognition of the

anniversary of the adoption of the flag outside of

schools.

Another claim comes from Philadelphia. In

1893, the Society of Colonial Dames succeeded in

getting a resolution passed to have the flag displayed

on all of the city’s public buildings. Elizabeth Duane

Gillespie, a direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin

and the president of the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania, that same year tried to get the city to call June 14

Flag Day. Resolutions by women were not granted

much notice, however, and it was not until May 7,

1937, that Pennsylvania became the first state to

establish the June 14 Flag Day as a legal holiday. Flag

Day is a nationwide observance today, but Pennsylvania is the only state that recognizes it as a legal holiday.

Bernard J. Cigrand, a school teacher in

Waubeka, Wisconsin, reportedly spent years trying to

get Congress to declare June 14 as a national holiday.

Although his attempts failed, the day was widely

observed. “Father of Flag Day” honors have been

given to William T. Kerr, who was credited with

founding the American Flag Day Association in 1888

while still a schoolboy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Both President Wilson, in 1916, and President

Coolidge, in 1927, issued proclamations asking for

June 14 to be observed as the National Flag Day. But

it wasn’t until August 3, 1949, that Congress approved

the national observance, and President Harry Truman

signed it into law.

That the flag of the United States shall be of

 thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a

union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field,

representing the new constellation.

This was the resolution adopted by the

Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The resolution was made following the report of a special

committee which had been assigned to suggest the

flag’s design.

A flag of this design was first carried into

battle on September 11, 1777, in the Battle of the

Brandywine. The American flag was first saluted by

foreign naval vessels on February 14, 1778, when the

Ranger, bearing the Stars and Stripes and under the

command of Captain Paul Jones, arrived in a French

port. The flag first flew over a foreign territory in

early 1778 at Nassau, Bahama Islands, where Americans captured a British fort.

Observance of the adoption of the flag was

not soon in coming, however. Although there are

many claims to the first official observance of Flag

Day, all but one took place more than an entire

century after the flag’s adoption in 1777.

The first claim was from a Hartford, Conn.,

celebration during the first summer of 1861. In the late

1800s, schools all over the United States held Flag

Day programs to contribute to the Americanization of

immigrant children, and the observance caught on

with individual communities.

The most recognized claim, however, comes

from New York. On June 14, 1889, Professor George

Bolch, principal of a free kindergarten for the poor of

New York City, had his school hold patriotic ceremonies to observe the anniversary of the Flag Day

resolution. This initiative attracted attention from the

State Department of Education, which arranged to

have the day observed in all public schools thereafter.

Soon the state legislature passed a law making

it the responsibility of the state superintendent of

public schools to ensure that schools hold observances

for Lincoln’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday,

Memorial Day and Flag Day. In 1897, the governor
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The bald eagle has been the national bird of

the United States since 1782, when it was placed

with outspread wings on the Great Seal of our

country. It appears in many government institutions

and on official documents, making it the most

pictured bird in all of America. The eagle appears on

the president’s flag, the mace of the House of Representatives, military insignia, and billions of onedollar bills.

The bald eagle first appeared as an American

symbol on a Massachusetts copper cent coined in

1776. Since then it has appeared on the reverse side

of many U.S. coins, notably the silver dollar, halfdollar and quarter, as well as the gold coins which

were christened the eagle, half eagle, quarter eagle,

and double eagle.

For six years, the members of Congress held

a bitter dispute over what the national emblem

should be. It wasn’t until 1789 that the bald eagle

was finally chosen to represent the new nation.

One of the most prominent opponents to the

bald eagle’s status was Benjamin Franklin. In a

letter to a friend, Franklin wrote:

I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as

the representative of our country; he is a bird of

bad moral character; like those among men who live

by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor, and

often very lousy.

The turkey is a much more respectable bird

and withal a true, original native of America.

But not all of Congress shared Franklin’s

sentiments. Bald eagles, like other eagles worldwide, had been seen by many as symbols of strength,

courage, freedom and immortality for generations.

And, unlike other eagles, the bald eagle was indigenous only to North America.

Some eagles have become notable in American history. “Old Abe,” the mascot of a Wisconsin

regiment during the Civil War, was a constant target of

enemy riflemen, but survived 42 battle engagements

relatively unscathed.

Today, the American bald eagle is protected

under the National Emblem Act of 1940. Although

once plentiful throughout the continental United

States, the bald eagle population has greatly declined

in recent times. Farmers and fishermen have killed

many eagles for getting too close to their poultry or

fishing nets; game keepers have captured them for

falconry; and pesticides have killed many eagles.

Most of the bald eagle population can now be found in

northern regions of North America and Florida breeding sanctuaries.

President John F. Kennedy wrote to the

Audubon Society:

The Founding Fathers made an appropriate

choice when they selected the bald eagle as the

emblem of the nation. The fierce beauty and proud

independence of this great bird aptly symbolizes the

strength and freedom of America. But as latter-day

citizens we shall fail our trust if we permit the eagle to

disappear.

The American Bald Eagle
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Gun Salutes

Today, the firing of guns is seen as a great

honor bestowed upon both military and political

officials. Firing guns at the approach of a party

demonstrates not only welcome but also respect and

trust. In former times, however, firing all guns could

leave a ship, fort or battery virtually defenseless, for

the reloading took a great deal of time. For this

reason, gun salutes were seen as a great honor.

The practice of firing gun salutes was well

established by the sixteenth century, although gun

salutes had existed for centuries. Later, the number of

guns to fire was designated for various ceremonies,

honors and officials — in relation to their importance

and position.

The firing of three rifle volleys (rounds) over

the graves of fallen armed forces members and

political leaders can be traced to the European dynastic wars, when fighting was halted to remove the dead

and wounded. Once an area was cleared of casualties,

three volleys were sent into the air as a signal to

resume fighting.

By about 1730, the British navy was prescribing 21 guns for certain anniversary dates as a personal

salute to members of the royal family. This was not

mandatory, however. The 21-gun salute was adopted

as the standard salute for royalty in 1808.

The United States fired a “national salute,” on

special occasions and during times of mourning, of

one gun for each state in the union until 1841, when

the salute was standardized at 21 guns. It was customary at that time, when naval vessels were visiting

foreign ports, to salute the flag of that nation with the

number of guns present in the foreign country’s

national salute. It would have been difficult, if not

impossible, for vessels visiting the United States to

fire a salute that, in 1841, doubled the number of guns

prescribed by most other nations (42 as compared to

21). Also, it would have been internationally discourteous to offer a salute to a foreign port with fewer guns

then prescribed by our own national salute.

The British proposed that the two nations

exchange salutes gun for gun when their vessels visited

American ports in the nineteenth century. In 1875, the

British minister at Washington, D.C., and the U.S.

secretary of state decided to work towards an agreement on salutes. On August 18, 1875, the United States

formally adopted the 21-gun salute, the number prescribed by Britain, France and other nations.

No one can explain why the number 21 was

chosen for national salutes. In ancient cultures, numerology, the study of numbers, developed symbolism

behind most numbers. These cultures believed the

number seven to be sacred and, therefore, it is believed,

multiples of seven would be looked upon favorably

(hence 21). Other gun salutes vary from five guns (the

lowest) to 21 guns (the highest) by increments of two,

and are prescribed in accordance with occasion and

level of importance of those honored.

It is generally believed that gun salutes are set

off in odd numbers because of an old naval superstition

that even numbers are unlucky.
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The Flower of Remembrance

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly.

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

This was the poem written by World War I

Colonel John McCrae, a surgeon with Canada's First

Brigade Artillery. It expressed McCrae's grief over

the "row on row" of graves of soldiers who had died

on Flanders' battlefields, located in a region of western

Belgium and northern France. The poem presented a

striking image of the bright red flowers blooming

among the rows of white crosses and became a

rallying cry to all who fought in the First World War.

The first printed version of it reportedly was in

December 1915, in the British magazine Punch.

McCrae's poem had a huge impact on two

women, Anna E. Guerin of France and Georgia native

Moina Michael. Both worked hard to initiate the sale

of artificial poppies to help orphans and others left

destitute by the war. By the time Guerin established

the first sale in the U.S., in 1920 with the help of the

American Legion, the poppy was well known in the

allied countries — America, Britain, France, Canada,

Australia and New Zealand — as the "Flower of

Remembrance." Proceeds from that first sale went to

the American and French Children's League.

Guerin had troubles with the distribution of the

poppies in early 1922 and sought out Michael for help.

Michael had started a smaller-scaled Poppy Day during

a YMCA conference she was attending in New York

and wanted to use the poppies as a symbol of remembrance of the war. Guerin, called the "Poppy Lady of

France" in her homeland, and Michael, later dubbed

"The Poppy Princess" by the Georgia legislature, went

to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for help.

The poppy was adopted as the official memorial

flower of the VFW at its national convention in

Seattle, Wash., in August 1922, following the first

nationwide distribution of poppies ever conducted by

any veterans organization.

In 1923, faced by a shortage of poppies from

French manufacturers, the VFW relied on New York

florists to make up the difference. This was a huge

setback, however, and led to the idea by VFW officials

to use unemployed and disabled veterans to produce

the artificial flower. This concept was approved in late

1923 and the first poppy factory was built in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1924. This provided a practical means

of assistance to veterans and also ensured a steady,

reliable source of poppies. Veterans at Department of

Veterans Affairs medical facilities and veterans homes

help assemble the poppies, and each year the VFW

distributes roughly 14 million worldwide.

It was around the same time the first poppy

factory was built that the VFW registered the name

"Buddy Poppy" with the U.S. Patent Office. The term

"Buddy" was coined by the poppy makers as a tribute

to their comrades who did not come home from the

war or who were scarred and crippled for life.

The VFW celebrated the 75th anniversary of the

Buddy Poppy as its official flower in 1997. While

profits from its sales have helped countless veterans

and their widows, widowers and orphans over the

years, the poppy itself survives as a perpetual tribute to

those who have given their lives for the nation's

freedom.
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Veterans Day is an excellent occasion for schools

and local communities to produce a variety of

meaningful cooperative programs. Participation by

veterans organizations and other patriotic groups can

enhance many of the activities suggested in this guide.

1. Veterans Day Ceremony

Depending on the facilities available, an indoor

assembly program can provide a most meaningful

tribute to Veterans Day. The scope of such a program

may be large enough to permit invitations to the

community at large. This ceremony outline represents

a typical one-hour program.

Prelude and Posting of Colors — As the audience

enters to be seated, a school or community musical

organization may offer several appropriate selections.

A procession and posting of the Nation's colors (the

American Flag) is always a stirring event. Local

veterans service organizations often participate in such

programs with their impressive array of military

banners and American flags.

Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and Singing of

the National Anthem — The program chairperson,

school principal or student body president should

invite the audience to stand and join in the Pledge of

Allegiance and singing of the National Anthem.

Introductory Remarks — Brief introductory

remarks set the tone for the program. The following

remarks may be used or, if desired, the President’s

Veterans Day Proclamation, which the White House

posts on the Internet shortly before Veterans Day at

http://www.whitehouse.gov, may be read.

When Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star

Spangled Banner” almost 200 years ago, he called

America, “the land of the free and the home of the

brave.” Those words are as true today as they were

then.

Activities for Veterans Day

Throughout this Nation’s history, America’s soldiers,

sailors, airmen, Marines and coastguardsmen have

bravely answered the call to defend our freedom, to

aid our friends and allies, and to turn back

aggressors.

We can never fully repay our debt of gratitude to the

more than 650,000 American servicemembers who

died in battle or the 1.4 million who were wounded.

We can, however, recognize and thank the more than

25 million veterans still living today.

These words are inscribed on the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C.:

“Our nation honors her sons and daughters who

answered the call to defend a country they never knew

and a people they never met.”

Those words apply equally to many of our World War

I, World War II, Vietnam War and Gulf War veterans

as well. They apply to today’s active duty

servicemembers — tomorrow’s veterans — who are

helping to maintain peace throughout the world.

Today, it is our privilege to say “thank you” to all of

America’s veterans, to let them know that we appreciate them for their service and honor them for their

sacrifices.

The price of freedom is high. We cannot afford to

forget those willing to pay it.

Today, we celebrate America’s veterans for keeping

this Nation “the land of the free and the home of the

brave.”

Special Musical Selection — A band or choral

group should offer one of the more impressive

patriotic selections available.
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Introduction of Guests — Dignitaries selected as

special guests may include local government officials,

school alumni with distinguished military service,

veterans from the community who represent different

periods of service, and faculty members who are

veterans.

Principal Speaker — Your principal speaker

should be invited far enough in advance to allow

adequate preparation for your program.

Student Essay or Reading — In school programs,

student body participation may be increased by

including in the program various presentations by

individual pupils. Selected essays from school-wide

competition may be offered by the student author. A

reading of a well-known patriotic address by an

American president or famous military hero by a

talented student can be effective. There are a number

of published musicals/narratives which could add

greatly to your program.

Moment of Silence, Taps — While Veterans Day

is primarily a tribute to America’s living veterans, and

should be observed more as a celebration than as a

somber remembrance, it is always appropriate to

include a moment of respect for those who gave their

lives for their country. The signing of the World War

I Armistice took place in a railway coach near the

battle zone in France. The bugles sounded “cease

firing” and the hostilities ended, marking a most

significant moment in world history. Although 11

a.m. remains a traditional hour for this type of tribute,

a moment of silence is appropriate at any point in the

program. This may be followed by a rendition of

“Taps.”

Closing — The Master of Ceremonies announces

"Retire the Colors." Accompanied by appropriate

music, such as a John Philip Sousa march, the colors

are paraded out of the assembly area, concluding the

ceremony.

2. Flag-Raising Ceremony

Weather permitting, outdoor flag-raising

ceremonies permit group participation in an event that

is often performed without notice. Such a ceremony,

although brief, should include the Pledge of Allegiance

and the singing of the National Anthem. A special

guest may be invited to participate.

3. Musical Programs

Veterans Day offers an excellent opportunity for

school or community musical organizations to display

their talents. A midday concert at the school or at a

central location in the community may be especially

dedicated to Veterans Day. An innovative program

might include selections known to have been popular

during America’s wars.

4. Poster Contest

The creative talents of students can be encouraged

through participation in a school-wide Veterans Day

poster contest. Winners should be appropriately

recognized and awarded certificates. Local

newspapers should be invited to photograph the

winning entries.

5. School Newspaper Activities

Veterans Day stories can be featured in school

publications. Publish a roster of faculty members who

are veterans. Describe Veterans Day activities being

held in classrooms throughout the school.

6. Library Activities

School or community libraries can prepare lists of

recommended reading material suitable for Veterans

Day. An appropriate display of book jackets or a

special shelf containing selected publications can be

used to call attention to the project.

7. Patriotic Groups

Local veterans, historical or other patriotic

organizations may enliven Veterans Day programs by

Activities for Veterans Day

(Cont.)
CELEBRATING

AMERICA’S

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

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Correct Method of Folding the

United States Flag

1. Fold the lower striped

section of the flag over the

blue field.

2. Folded edge is then folded

over to meet the open edge.

3. A triangular fold is then

started by bringing the striped

corner of the folded edge to

the open edge.

4. Outer point is then turned

inward parallel with the open

edge to form a second

triangle.

5. Triangular folding is

continued until the entire

length of the flag is folded in

the triangular shape with

only the blue field visible.

Activities for Veterans Day

(Cont.)

8. The Department of Veterans Affairs

Local VA facilities — medical centers, regional

benefits offices and national cemeteries — can serve

as sources of information and speakers for Veterans

Day programs. They can also provide contact with

local veterans service organizations and arrange

visits, tours and other special programs for students.

To contact your local VA facilities, look under

Department of Veterans Affairs in the Federal

Government listings in the local telephone directory.

9. Classroom Activities

Veterans Day themes can be included in writing

assignments. First-person accounts of military

service of a relative or friend can help develop

narrative skills. Assign students to investigate the

various benefits offered to veterans by government

agencies. Write about veterans who are receiving

educational benefits from the Department of Veterans

Affairs. Describe various veterans memorials which

may be located nearby.

The colorful and varied uniforms worn by

members of the armed forces throughout our history

offer students of all ages ideal subjects to draw and

paint. Elementary-school children enjoy

opportunities to create and exhibit costume items.

Making colored construction paper hats representing

various military eras is a modest and effective way of

interesting pupils in Veterans Day subjects. Ask

students to research and list all their known relatives

who served in the Armed Forces. Since nearly 30

percent of the United States population are veterans,

their dependents and survivors, most students should

be able to contribute something.

providing period-uniformed flag bearers, fife and

drum corps, and other marching and musical units.

These organizations may also provide speakers with

unique military experiences to share.

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Each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces maintains

its own military marching band to insipre troops and

preserve tradition. Though they now serve ceremonial functions, these bands were once an integral

element on the battlefield. To increase the morale

and courage of the men, bands would march in front

of formations as they entered battle. Yet, as the

number of musicians dwindled, commanders delegated marching bands to the rear of the formation,

behind the combat-ready troops. Today, bands are

no longer involved in armed conflict, but continue to

inspire troops through song or hymn that represent

the individual histories and traditions of America’s

Armed Forces.

 “The Army Goes Rolling Along”

Before “The Caisson Song”

was adopted as the official

tune of the U.S. Army, it was

the proud anthem of the U.S.

Field Artillery Corps. During

a long march in the Philippines, Lieutenant Edmund L.

“Snitz” Gruber overheard an

officer roar “Come on! Keep ‘em Rolling!” Gruber,

whose relative, Franz, composed the Christmas Song

“Silent Night,” was suddenly inspired and that night

wrote the now-famous melody. Fellow soldiers

helped with the lyrics and in almost no time, all six

regiments of the U.S. Field Artillery had adopted

“The Caisson Song” as a popular marching tune.

During the last days of World War I, senior artillery

leaders wanted to make “The Caisson Song” official,

and mistaking the piece as composed during the

Civil War, allowed bandmaster John Phillip Sousa to

incorporate most of the song into his own composition “The U.S. Field Artillery March.” The song

became a chart-topper during World War I, selling

750,000 copies. Discovering Gruber actually wrote the

melody, an embarrassed but innocent Sousa made

certain Gruber received his royalties. In 1948, the

Army held a nationwide contest to find an official

song. After four years of unsuccessful results and

nearly 800 submitted scores, the Adjunct General’s

office decided to recycle “The Caisson Song.” H.W.

Arberg arranged the U.S. Army song, naming it “The

Army Goes Rolling Along.” The Army copyrighted the

song in 1956.

The “Marines’ Hymn”

An unlikely venue hosted the

debut of a tune many now associate with the Marines’ Hymn. In

the city of Paris, France, Jacques

Offenbach (1819-1880) wrote and

conducted opera and opera-bouffe

(comic and farcical opera). Most

believe the melody of the Marines’ Hymn was, in fact, taken from an aria in

“Genevieve de Brabant” composed by Offenbach. This

tune was morphed to fit the now famous lines “From

the Halls of Montezuma, To the Shores of Tripoli.”

According to tradition, an officer wrote the first verse

of the Hymn on duty in the Mexican War (1846-1848).

Meant to highlight the various campaigns of the

Marines, the unknown author edited the words from the

Marines’ colors and added them to Offenbach’s

melody. Continuing the custom, every campaign the

Marines participate in gives birth to a new, unofficial

verse. Copyright ownership of the Marines’ Hymn was

vested to the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991, although its

first use as the Marines’ official anthem was in 1929.

Military Songs Inspire Troops,

Preserve Tradition
CELEBRATING

AMERICA’S

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

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U.S. Navy “Anchors Aweigh”

In an attempt to write a

catchy tune to rally the Naval

Academy’s football team,

“Anchors Aweigh” was born.

Lieutenant Charles A.

Zimmerman, the U.S. Navy

bandmaster from 1887 to 1916,

started the practice of composing a march for each graduating class. However,

none of these tunes really caught on. In 1906,

Zimmerman was approached by Midshipman Alfred

Hart Miles to write a “piece of music that would be

inspiring, one with swing to it so it could be used as

a football marching song, and one that would live

forever.” Together they composed the tune and

lyrics that became “Anchors Aweigh,” dedicated to

the class of 1907. The new fight song indeed

propelled Navy to a win that year over Army. The

march was subsequently adopted as the official Navy

song and continues to inspire classes of Naval

Academy Midshipmen.

“The U.S. Air Force”

In 1938, the Army Air

Corps decided they needed an

official song. Liberty Magazine

sponsored the contest whereby

757 scores were submitted. Of

those, one written by Robert

Crawford was selected by a

committee of Air Corps wives and officially introduced at the Cleveland Air Races in 1939. Crawford

himself sang it in its first public performance. When

the Army Air Corps became a separate branch of the

military in 1947, Crawford’s march changed names

from “The Army Air Corps” to the “U.S. Air Force.”

Since that time, the first line of “Nothing’ll Stop the U.S.

Air Force” became a motto and tradition. On July 30,

1971, the original first page submitted by Robert

Crawford in 1939 was carried into space in the Apollo

15 “Falcon” and broadcast to the world by Major

Alfred W. Worden, who had a tape recorder aboard the

“Endeavor” command module. The “All-Air Force”

crew arranged to take the sheet music with them as a

tribute to Crawford and the U.S. Air Force.

The U.S. Coast Guard and “Semper Paratus”

The Coast Guard’s motto of

Semper Paratus or “always ready”

was officially recognized in 1910,

and thenceforth appeared on the

ensign. However, no one really

knows how Semper Paratus was

chosen as the Coast Guard’s

“phrase” and watchword prior to

its formal acceptance. Whatever the case, in 1922,

Captain Francis S. Van Boskerck was inspired to write

an official U.S. Coast Guard song that would rival

“Anchor’s Aweigh” or “The Caisson Song.” While in

the cabin of his cutter Yamacraw, which was stationed

in Savannah, Ga., Boskerck put pen to paper and the

lyrics for “Semper Paratus” were born. Five years

later, while stationed in the Aleutian Islands, Boskerck

composed the accompanying music on a dilapidated

old piano in Unalaska, Alaska. The geographically

diverse origins of this piece are fittingly illustrated in

the song’s first line “From Aztec shore to Arctic Zone,

To Europe and Far East...” Semper Paratus remains

the proud standard and song of the United States Coast

Guard.

Military Songs (Cont.)
CELEBRATING

AMERICA’S

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

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The Seal of the Department of

Veterans Affairs

The Nike swoosh, McDonalds’ golden arches — corporate America calls them logos –

symbols that automatically identify a business in the public mind. They are closely guarded and

protected. They are worth millions. Symbols are just as important to government agencies. A federal

agency’s official seal, for example, carries the full weight and impact of the laws, resources and

responsibilities vested in it by the American people.

VA’s current seal dates back to 1989 when the then-Veterans Administration, an independent

agency of the federal government, was made the Department of Veterans Affairs – a Cabinet member

agency – by Congress. This

brought many changes to

VA, including a new VA

seal.

The reproduction and

use of the VA seal is specified by law (38 CFR 1.9). It

is reserved for limited use as

the symbol of governmental

authority invested by the

Department. The seal identifies all official documents,

certifications, awards, publications, regulations and

reports. Variation and modifications of the seal are prohibited. It is VA’s legally sanctioned official signature.

VA turned to its

employees in its search for a

new seal representing the

newest Cabinet member.

The five stars represent Army,

Navy, Air Force, Marines,

Coast Guard.

The golden cord symbolizes

those who have fallen in

defense of this country.

The flags represent the

span of America’s history

from 13 colonies to present

50 states.

The eagle holds the cord to

perpetuate the memory of

all slain Americans and

their sacrifices.
CELEBRATING

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C. 20420

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VA Seal (Cont.)

A contest was held among more than 225,000 VA employees to design the new seal.

 A design submitted by David Gregory, a medical media production specialist working at

the Indianapolis VA Medical Center won. He focused on traditional American symbols and his own

innovative symbolism to visually convey VA’s special mission.

The VA seal features five key elements. The primary element is the bald eagle, the official

symbol of the United States since 1789. The mature eagle is a powerful representation of the United

States symbolizing both the American people and the freedoms they enjoy. The circle of five stars

above the eagle represent the five branches of the U.S. military; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine

Corps and Coast Guard, which produce the veterans VA serves.

The two flags in the eagle’s talons symbolize America’s history from the thirteen colonies to

the present fifty states. A golden cord symbolic of those Americans who have fallen in service to

their country binds the flags. The cord is also held by the eagle to perpetuate the memory of those

veterans who have sacrificed for the nation. The seal’s colors are derived from the American flag

and the natural colors of the earth, representing the Nation’s commitment to its veterans.

In order to maintain the appreciation and respect of the Seal, VA has specific guidelines for

use of the Seal. The Seal may only be used in an official capacity. You will never see the official

Seal on souvenir or novelty items, toys, gifts, matchbook covers or calendars. These unauthorized

uses of the Seal may result in criminal prosecution.

 Just as the swoosh is synonymous with Nike, the Seal is synonymous with Veterans Affairs. Any time you see the Seal, you can bet VA is close by.