Us Army Funeral Protocol
When a US Army personnel dies, a funeral protocol needs to be followed. This is quite different from conventional funerals that we see in civilian life. These protocols ensure that the deceased is honored for serving his or her country and the military. In addition, US Army funeral protocol also honors the next of kin of the deceased, especially those who died at war. |
However, not every person is accorded an Army funeral. If a personnel as been convicted for state or federal capital offense, he or she will not be given a military funeral. The same is also true for a person who was found guilty of an offense by went AWOL to avoid the punishment.
US Army funeral protocol demands that the casket of the deceased be draped with the American flag. The flag is draped in a special way on the casket. The blue portion of the flag is always laid on the casket where the person's head and left shoulder is present. Before the casket is lowered into the ground, a special flag folding ceremony is held and thereafter the flag is given to spouse, mother or the next of kin. The handing over of the flag to a family member only takes place if the person has died during active service. This folding is done by the honor guard and has one member from deceased person's branch of service. Once the casket is lowered into the ground, the Taps is played on the bugle by a member of the honor guard. A 3-rifle volley can also be given to the deceased. These shots are fired by all the honor guards over the grave and signify that the deceased person has been laid to rest.
After the burial takes place, the family can apply for the Presidential Memorial Certificate that is sign by the current US president and honors the services of the deceased person. This certificate can be applied for a veteran too.
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Between 1st and 2nd centuries AD, ancient Romans used to cremate their dead. However, later burials became the norm as Christianity became the state religion and people starting viewing afterlife differently.