Which flag

[Drac]

Thanks all.

I put a post up in a Navy forum to see if anyone there that made shadow boxes (there were a couple) wanted to do trades so we'll see how it goes.

Jim

[EagleJCS]

Civilians can also be patriots. There is the famous quote, "They also serve, who only stand and wait." In the UK, many non-military people are buried under a Union Flag. Is that not possible in the US?

Chas,
It's been the custom in the U.S. to honor military veterans (and some long-serving civil servants/elected officials) with the national flag on their coffin. An ordinary citizen is not normally accorded such an honor and, given the tradition, many people would be confused if they knew the deceased had never served (either in the military or civil office). Even rarer is a funeral with a different flag (state, city or other organization). I have seen it done once with a church flag (white with a red cross in a blue field in the upper left) for a long-serving pastor.


Drac,
I'd use your own flag for your box. It has more relevance to your military service than your grandfather's flag. I would go along with MoR in suggesting you save his flag for your own funeral. Just make sure your family knows your wishes in that regard. Just my US$0.02.

[Drac]

My mother just is giving me the flag. She never thought about it for the retirement flag. She doesn't really know anything about the military or traditions. There is some paralells between me and my Grandfather that made me think about it -

We both enlisted in Detroit.
We both served in the Navy during a war.
We both served on supply ships.
His ship was decommisioned the same year mine was commisioned.

On the size, I have folded a couple coffen flags as a member of the Color/Honor Guard. Once its folded the case can be adjusted for the differance.

Jim

[ohiopiper]

Use your flag for your retirement box. Keep your Grandfathers flag as a seperate momento of him and his service. My grandfathers flag is in a clear plastic case folded up in my office.

[madmacs]

Excuse my ignorance... retirement box?

[Drac]

A tradition in the military that when a person retires the various "mess" put together a case that represents the member's career. A couple Navy examples -

A simple one -



A midlevel one -



A fancy one. Though they get even more so using footlockers, etc -

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Put your flag in your box.

Use your grandfather's flag to cover your coffin when it's time to ship out for that final cruise.

[Drac]

Thanks all. I am now thinking to doing a box for his stuff. I will check with the Sea Bees to see if I can get one to work with me.

I found one that gives me ideas. Maybe like this with his jumper in place of the certifacate -



Doing some research I've found an old POD from his ship during WWII while he would have been on it -



As for what to do after I'm gone, I have no kids and I only have one nephew that is going into the military. If he makes it through boot camp (he's smart, maybe a little to smart) he'll be a Marine so while the two services are close it may not mean as much to him. I am in contact with several military museums and they might be interested in it. I am also in contact with his ship's association and they maybe able to help provide me more info.

Thanks,
Jim

[TheSp8]

I'll echo the advice to use your grandfather's flag and medals to make a shadow box to honor his service. My grandfather wasn't allowed to enlist due to being in a vital occupation. He raised and lowered a flag everyday for as far back as I remember. When he died I got that flag and it now sits in it's own display box on the top shelf of our home desk. The flag I received upon retirement will go into a box with my medals, qualification badges, and any other acoutrements I think should help represent my career.

YMOS,
Tony

[dadgad]

Lyle1 hit the nail back in the beginning. A coffin flag is much larger (6x9) than what is used for the retirement box. I have my father's flag in a separate box, just a triangle box without the space for medals/ribbons and badges. I picked one up at the PX at Ft Meade. Now I proudly display both my retirement box (flag from the USS John F. Kennedy) and my father's flag.