Have I missed something??

Goose

Well-known Member
When a lifelong bachelor cousin of my wife's passed away a month ago, as the nearest kin my wife was presented the burial flag.

I've been to military funerals before, but I can't recall the spent rounds from the gun salute being presented along with the flag. Was this unique, or is this standard practice and I just never noticed it before?
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we buried my wife's father Monday and they did not give her the spent rounds. we were glad a local vet was there to play taps. I've been to a couple of veteran's funerals in the past few years where they had to play them on a portable CD player.
 
My dad's service was 16 years ago and I was told by the honor guard Sgt. from Ft. Riley that the rules had changed and they were not supposed to give us the spent brass. He gave them to me anyway after I reminded him of the mountains of brass that goes to waste every week on their range.

Now the rules have been changed back and they, I believe, are to offer the brass to the family. Most families do not know what to do with them.
 
I think the one my aunt has for my uncle has the rounds in it. I do not think the one my Mom has for Grandpa does ? But then again someone mentioned they could be tucked in the last fold ? I don't think we ever would of pulled it out of the case to look.
 
When my brother in law past about 5 years ago one of the guys ask if we would like them and we did take them. The guy pick them up and put them in his pocket and it was a wail before we got them from him. My other brother in law ask him why did he hang on to them so long did he forget lol and he said no that there hot at frist and he don't want to burn any one.
 
I have a brass from the salute when the traveling Vietnam Memorial was in St. Cloud. Several others I know have the brass in a shadow box like that one. Jim
 
I have the spent brass from my grandpa's funeral. It resides in my china cabinet next to the obituary card and his picture. I would not have considered framing it with the flag. Not sure I like it front and center like that.
 
I think it is the normal process. The VFW who did my Dad's services gave the family choice - the cartridge cases separate in a velvet pouch or folded inside the flag. We chose to have them separate, had Dad's name, rank, and service dates engraved on each and gave them to the grandchildren.
 
At my dad's funeral I had to ask for them and the sergeant in charge had to think about it for a while before he would let me have them.
 
Our American Legion Post has a horn with a player in the horn. Switch it on and off. We have been fortunate to have a young Scout that plays taps for us. In fact he and his sister have done the Taps with an Echo for our Memorial Day service. Finding someone to play taps is difficult. gobble
 
When my father-in-law passed away about 10-12 years ago heard nothing about that. Sure they never mentioned it to my wife that was oldest of 6 kids. If anything was said it was to my wifes oldest brother that is 7 years younger than my wife and he had been in the Army while none of the rest of us were.
 
In 1967 I was in a Honor guard burial team, we buried vets in three states.
Procedure might have changed by now. Three shells, one shell per volley were placed inside folded flag. One team member was supposed to hold shells until they cooled down then placed in folded flag before presentation to love one.
Sent to Vietnam in 1968 to witness, on a daily basis, how to get in body bag. To top it off my hooch was a block away from Graves & Regulations!!!
Still haunts me every day!
Led
 
Have seen them displayed in several techniques with the flag, given to family members at the funeral, or simply cleaned up by the gun bearers. I don't think there is an "official" protocol established........yet.

By the way, you're never supposed to unfold the flag for any reason, as you'll release the spirit contained within.

Also.....after all of the death formalities and legal aspects have been completed, stashing all of the person's military records behind the flag is a good place to keep them together.
 
My dad (Korean War Veteran) died in 1986 and had an "Honor Guard" at his funeral - no gun salute at the request of my mother. He had so many grandchildren that were toddler and smaller she didn't want to scare the hell out of them and that be the only thing they remember about their grandpa...
 
Dad was the caretaker of a cemetery for a couple years around 1970. Two local guys died in Vietnam - I still have a couple of the casings around from those burials - I think the team just let them fly.

Tim
 
We attended a friends funeral in June...they had a "fake" bugle with a CD inside. The guy forgot to put it to his lips until about half way through.
 
I got them with the Flag they presented me for my Dad when he was buried,, he was in Korea as well,, they were supposed to dot he Salute with the family there but had done it before due to other duties I guess, that was almost 20 years ago now, wish they had given the nice display case with it like the one above though
 
(quoted from post at 09:17:23 08/06/20) I got them with the Flag they presented me for my Dad when he was buried,, he was in Korea as well,, they were supposed to dot he Salute with the family there but had done it before due to other duties I guess, that was almost 20 years ago now, wish they had given the nice display case with it like the one above though

I had to buy the case for my father's. Mortician sells them for a high price.
 

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