Presentation of the Flag
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The Presentation of the Flag is a traditional practice of the rites of military funerals in the United States and several other countries.
Origin
The flag which is to be presented is draped over the casket of the soldier or sailor being laid to rest, a practice dating back to the Napoleonic Wars when the dead were carried off the battlefield in flags. It is not exactly certain when the practice of presenting the flag came about but is believed to have regularly begun in the early 20th century.[1]
The rite
Before the casket is buried, the pall bearers perform the ritualistic folding of the flag, a solemn procedure which involves precise and crisp movements to fold the flag into the standard triangular fold for safe keeping. Once the fold is complete, the flag bearer hands the flag usually to the military chaplain. Not wavering from ritual, the chaplain walks to the service member's next-of-kin, and presents the folded flag to this person, usually accompanying the action with words of condolence. The chaplain then performs a facing movement and returns to his position in the funeral. The ritual is done.[2]
In paramilitary and other organizations
The same ritual or variations of it can also be seen performed at funerals for police officers and firefighters.[citation needed]
The service member who holds the flag at the end of folding hands it to the loved one of the deceased and repeats the "On behalf of a grateful nation"
