Patriotic funeral traditions are a powerful way to honor a life of service and sacrifice. From the flag-draped casket to the playing of “Taps” and the rifle salute, each ritual is steeped in history and meaning. By understanding and incorporating these essential traditions, you ensure that your loved one’s legacy is celebrated with the respect and gratitude they deserve.

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Veterans Honors

If a member of your family has passed away and was in the military, they are eligible for military funeral honors. Military funeral services celebrate and honor the contributions of a serving or retired military person. As long as the service member was not dishonorably discharged or engaged in a capital offense, the service member’s rank or status on active duty is irrelevant.

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For veterans to get military honors at their burial, the family should request honors as early as possible; at least 48–72 hours’ notice is recommended. This can be coordinated through a veteran’s funeral director. 

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Any veteran’s funeral will, at the very least, include a two-person honor guard who will play “Taps” and fold and present the American flag to the veteran’s family. The Department of Defense will go out of its way to provide a real bugler, but in some cases, exceptions have to be made for a recording.

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The military honors take precedence; the Wisconsin EMS Honor Guard will provide supportive services during a full military honors funeral. We provide casket/urn guards, door guards, or escorts for the family as needed. 

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What are the military traditions influencing Civil Service and Public Safety ceremonies?

Military traditions influence police officer ceremonies by instilling a sense of discipline, respect, and formality, much as military customs do. Ceremonies often include saluting, the presentation of colors, and formal attire, reflecting the values of honor and service found in the military.

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​​An essential component of showing respect for deceased and retired military men and their families is awareness of how the American flag is utilized at funeral rituals. For a family going through one of their most challenging days, receiving these honors can mean the world.

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The American flag is a powerful symbol for police officers, representing their commitment to serve and protect their communities. It embodies civic pride and the responsibility of upholding the rights defined by the U.S. Constitution. Many officers, having served in the military, feel a deep connection to the flag, viewing it as a representation of their dedication and honor in law enforcement.

 

Here’s everything you should know about flag etiquette at military funerals.  

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Ceremonial Use of the Flag

During police funerals, the flag is often draped over the coffin of a fallen officer. This act signifies respect and mourning for the officer's sacrifice. The folded flag is presented to the family as a final tribute, holding significant emotional weight.

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Role of Taps and Rifles

 

Taps as a Tribute

Taps is a bugle call traditionally played at military and police funerals. It serves as a solemn tribute to honor the deceased, marking the end of the day and reflecting on the sacrifices made by those in service.

 

Marching Rifles

An honor guard carries rifles during ceremonial events, including funerals. This practice highlights the respect and reverence for the fallen officer. The presence of rifles signifies the seriousness of the occasion and the commitment of First Responders to uphold their duties, even in death.

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In summary, the flag, Taps, and marching rifles are integral to honoring the service and sacrifice of public safety officers, reflecting their dedication to their communities and the values they protect.

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The History of Military Funeral Flags

The American Flag represents more than just lofty liberties and ardent patriotism. It is also a significant national expression of respect, admiration, gratitude, and appreciation for all members of the American armed forces, past and present, especially those who have made significant sacrifices for the country on the battlefield or in other contexts.

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Flags play an important role in funeral ceremonies for deceased or honorably discharged warriors worldwide, and military funerals in the United States of America have traditionally included flags.

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During the Napoleonic Wars in the late 1700s, it became customary to drape an American flag over the coffin of a deceased veteran. Flags were first used to mark the dead on a battlefield, making it easier for both sides to identify them. This custom is now used to remind surviving family members and friends of the deceased’s military service rather than to connect it to battle.

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Since the Napoleonic Wars, draping the veteran’s casket has become customary before presenting it to the surviving family members. When the American flag is folded, the stars point upward to serve as a visual reminder of the country’s slogan, “In God We Trust.”

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Military funeral ceremony

The military burial flag ceremony represents the respect shown to both the living family and the deceased. The ceremony commemorates the sacrifice made by the family and the departed veteran for their country. The most prominent customs in a military burial service are as follows:

1. The military funeral flag is usually draped over the deceased’s coffin, its stars covering the side of the coffin closest to the left shoulder.

2. A horse-drawn caisson is used to transport the casket for specific members of certain ranks.

3. Three rifle volleys are fired once the casket arrives, signifying that their guns will no longer cause harm. Exactly three rounds are fired simultaneously.

4. Another custom is to play the Taps. A bugle call known as “The Taps” is usually performed around midnight.

5. The flag is removed from the coffin after the musical interlude, and a folding ceremony follows.

6. Each of the 13 folds on the military burial flag has a special significance. The flag is delivered to the military chaplain after being folded. The chaplain then goes to the relatives and offers the flag and condolences.

7. An officer will then bow down and say:

It is my great honor to give this flag to you as a representative of the U.S. service branch. Let it stand as a testament to how grateful this country is for the heroic service your loved one provided to us and our flag.

 

Etiquette for Military Funeral Flags

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Covering the casket with the flag

Serving members and veterans who have passed away have a flag of the United States draped over their coffin in recognition of their service to the nation.

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Only when used as a funeral cloth over the coffin of a veteran who has served the country honorably in uniform does the field of blue dress invert from left to right. The blue canton of the flag, with the stars standing in for the states where our soldiers served, is the part that symbolizes honor.

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Casket and flag etiquette

Standard etiquette:

• Closed casket: The union (blue field) should be at the head and over the deceased’s left shoulder when the American flag is used to drape a closed casket. One may say that the flag is embracing the departed person who served the flag in life.

•  Half couch casket: When the American flag is used to cover a half-couch coffin, it should be arranged in three layers such that the blue field is the top fold, adjacent to the open part of the coffin on the deceased’s left.

•  Full couch casket: The flag should be folded into a triangle and put in the center of the head plate of the casket cap, right over the deceased’s left shoulder, when used to drape a full-couch casket.

• In the case of cremation, the flag can be folded into the traditional triangle and placed next to the cremated remains during a service.

 

Folding the flag

To conclude the ceremony, the flag is skillfully folded into the symbolic tricorner shape after Taps is played and handed over to the deceased’s next of kin as a memorial.

The guards make 13 clean, accurate folds. Each of the 13 folds, like every other feature of our country’s most iconic image, has a specific meaning.

Although there are several stories about why the flag is folded thirteen times, the origin and date of the flag-folding method are unclear. While some accounts credit an Air Force chaplain stationed at the United States Air Force Academy, others credit the Gold Star Mothers of America. Some historians say it’s a tribute to the initial 13 colonies.

Here’s what each fold represents.

• The flag’s initial fold represents life.

• The second fold represents faith in everlasting life.

• The third fold is done in honor and memory of the veteran who is leaving the ranks and has sacrificed a part of their life to protect our nation and bring about world peace.

• The fourth fold symbolizes our weaker side; as Christians in America who put our faith in God, we look to Him for His heavenly direction both in peacetime and in times of war.

• The fifth fold pays homage to our nation. Stephen Decatur once said, “Our country may not always be correct in its dealings with other countries, but it’s still our country, whether right or wrong.”

• The sixth fold represents the location of our hearts. We firmly swear allegiance to the American flag and the republic it means: a united, indivisible nation based on the principles of liberty and justice for all.

• The seventh fold is an homage to our armed services because it is through them that we defend our nation and our flag from all foes inside and beyond our republic’s borders.

• The eighth fold honors our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day, and pays homage to the one who crossed over to the greater beyond so that we may see the light of day.

• The ninth fold is a celebration of female strength. The characteristics of the people (men and women) who have made this nation great have been shaped by their faith, love, loyalty, and commitment.

• The tenth fold is a homage to the father, who has contributed to his sons and daughters since they were born, defending the country.

• The 11th fold honors the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and represents the lower section of King David and Solomon’s seals.

• The 12th fold honors God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost by serving as an image of eternity.

• The stars are uppermost on the 13th and final fold, which serves as a visual reminder of our country’s slogan, “In God We Trust.”

 

When the flag is fully tucked in and folded, it resembles a cocked hat, constantly reminding us of the soldiers that served with Gen. George Washington as well as the sailors and Marines who served with Captain John Paul Jones, and their shipmates and comrades in the U.S. Armed Forces, and who preserved the privileges, rights, and freedoms we have today.

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Etiquette for a family presentation

The Wisconsin EMS Honor Guard will present a flag to the family. Once properly folded into a triangle, the flag is given to the deceased’s family on behalf of the communities served and the Governor of Wisconsin.

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Who receives the military funeral flag?

The flag is given to the deceased’s surviving family members at the funeral, specifically the next of kin. The family members are usually expected to preserve the flag after receiving it for indoor display in honor of the deceased. Some families donate or provide their flags for national veteran holidays, such as Memorial Day.

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Selection of the next of kin

Active duty troops designate their next of kin before deployment, so there’s often no debate over who should receive the flag.

However, in a situation when the next of kin passes away before the service member, the flag will be given to the next person in the hierarchy:

1. The Spouse

2. Children, starting with the oldest.

3. Oldest guardian or parent

4. An adopted relative with legal custody

5. Oldest grandparent

Any relative or close friend can accept the flag in line with the deceased’s domicile certificate if none of these relatives are available.

 

Does the same military etiquette apply to police officers’ and emergency responders’ funerals?

Flag protocol at police officer funerals dates back to the American Civil War, when soldiers who had served their country would join the local police department. So the flag etiquette for military funerals is commonly followed in funerals for police and Public Safety personnel.

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When it comes to these procedures, the police chief typically has the last say. Similarly, firefighters and emergency medical technicians can use similar flag rituals at funerals. However, these customs are considerably more recent and are still developing.

Frequently asked questions about military funeral flags.

What is the size of military funeral flags?

The military funeral flag is 5 feet by 9 feet, roughly twice the size of a typical home flag. The American flag is folded thirteen times into a triangle that is 24′′ (bottom) by 16-3/4′′ (diagonal) by 2-3/4′′ during the service, right after TAPS is played.

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The Veterans Administration (V.A.) provides American flags to veterans who meet service requirements, following proper procedures. Flags can be obtained through regional VA offices or US Postal Service locations. Each veteran receives one flag, while families seeking additional flags can consult local funeral homes for purchase. Wisconsin EMS personnel can request a flag through their Representative or the Assembly Chief Officer. For more information, please visit the provided link. Thank you for honoring our veterans!

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Can a flag be draped over the coffin of someone who didn’t serve in the military?

 

Any patriotic person is entitled to request and receive the same honor as military members by having a flag draped over their coffin. However, only individuals who have served in the military are given the flag at no cost. During the service, it is advisable to mention that the flag is draped over the coffin as a symbol of the deceased’s love for their country and patriotism.

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The WI EMS Honor Guard provides services for fallen EMS providers at the family's request, relayed through their chosen funeral director. We utilize replica rifles because most churches, colleges, and schools prefer not to have live firearms during ceremonies. In certain situations, we may also use honor guard sabers instead of rifles to maintain the dignity of the American Flag.

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Our services include forming a cordon of honor outside the funeral for the coach or hearse. A three-rifle volley is reserved exclusively for veterans; we do not offer this service to public safety personnel or first responders.

The presentation of folded flags to the family is typically reserved for Line of Duty Deaths (LODD) and some active-duty deaths. For definitions, please refer to our guidelines.

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