The Conservative Cave
Current Events => Politics => Topic started by: megimoo on October 25, 2011, 01:57:01 PM
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Is this True?
Got this email today. You never know what to believe on the Internet.
Quote:
This is a letter that my good friend's husband wrote today after his uncle's funeral yesterday. If Obama does not want his name associated with our military, too bad he wanted his name associated with "The President of the United States."
Alice Frankovitch
Dear Sean,
Today I was incensed at the conclusion of a traditional Serbian-Orthodox funeral for my beloved 85 year old uncle, Daniel Martich, who proudly served in the US Army during The Korean Conflict. During the committal service at a Pittsburgh cemetery the local military detachment performed their ritual, then folded and presented the American Flag to my aunt. As I'm sure you have witnessed during military funerals, a soldier bends to one knee and recites a scripted message to a surviving relative that begins 'On behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation, I wish to present you with this flag in appreciation for your husband's service ...'. However, today the dialogue was 'On behalf of the Secretary of Defense and a grateful nation ...' After the service I approached the soldier who presented the flag to my aunt to inquire about the change in language. His response was "The White House notified all military funeral service detachments to immediately remove 'the President' and insert 'the Secretary of Defense'. I couldn't believe what I heard and the soldier smiled and said "You can draw your own conclusion sir but that was the order". He, too, was ashamed of what he was required to say.
This president has taken off the gloves. My only response to this endless cesspool of Anti-American rhetoric dripping from his mouth is to borrow a phrase (with one minor change) uttered by another temporary Washington resident living in government housing: "Today for the first time in my adult life I was ASHAMED of my country". I did not serve in the military but my love of country parallels that of people like my late uncle who bled Red, White and Blue. As a second generation Serbian-American who's heritage produced many patriotic military men and women who fought for freedom both in The United States as well as in the former Yugoslavia (most recently in Kosovo against the slaughter of Serbs by Muslim extremists)
I implore you to make the American people aware of this little-known or, at least, publicly acknowledged fact.
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With all due respect to Mr. Martich and the unnamed soldier who allegedly told him so, it's not true. When I called Arlington National Cemetery to verify — and bear in mind, this is a facility that conducts as many as 30 military funeral services a day — I was told by staff members they were unaware of any such revision.
In point of fact, while there are customary wordings for the flag presentation ceremony in each military service, there's no hard-and-fast formula dictated by U.S. law or military regulations. As specified in the Army Field Manual (The Soldier's Guide: The Complete Guide to U.S. Army Traditions, Training, Duties, and Responsibilities, 2007), the recommended wording is this:
This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token of appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.
I've found precisely that wording used in the majority of instances quoted in published accounts of Army funerals. On occasion the chaplain or presenter will instead say, "On behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation," or "On behalf of a grateful nation and the President of the United States," etc., but, as far as I can tell, mentioning the President in Army funeral services is the exception, not the rule.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/military/a/Military-Funeral-Protocol.htm
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Personally, I'd rather they didn't mention Obama at my funeral....my embalming fluid pressures might spike and rupture a vein then set off by a spontaneous hot headed rage causing me to be cremated instead of buried...I'll burn soon enough thank you.