ChristianPost.com - ACLJ Calls on VA to Rescind Ban on Religious References at Military Flag-Folding Ceremonies

Nov. 03, 2007
by Katherine T. Phan, Christian Post Reporter

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has issued a clarification of a policy limiting religious recitation at flag-folding ceremonies but some groups say they wont settle for anything less than a rescission.

In response to national outcry, the VA explained this past week that families of fallen veterans may still request for a 13-fold flag recitation to be read at military funeral ceremonies despite a memo distributed last month banning the posting of handouts on "The Meaning of Each Fold of an Honor Guard Funeral Flag."

A family may request the recitation of words to accompany the meaningful presentation of the American flag as we honor the dedication and sacrifice of their loved ones, said William F. Tuerk, the VAs undersecretary for Memorial Affairs, in a statement Tuesday.

The clarification authorizes volunteer honor guards to read recitations at the flag-folding ceremony and requires that families not only request the recitation but also provide the material to be read.

But VAs revised statement did not sit well with the conservative American Center for Law and Justice, which argues that the clarification still does not address the fundamental problems contained in the Sept. 27 policy.

ACLJ representatives pointed out during a Thursday broadcast that the policy does not allow anyone other than a volunteer honor guard, such as a military chaplain, to read the recitation. Furthermore, families would no longer be able to receive the flyer informing them of such an option.

The D.C.-based Christian legal group is urging supporters to sign a petition demanding a rescission of the directive, which many have likened to a ban on the flag-folding ceremony.

If you served in the military or if you are an American citizen you should be outraged, ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow told listeners Thursday on his radio show, Jay Sekulow Live!

During a military funeral, an American flag is folded 13 times into a triangular shape at the veterans graveside. At each fold, different concepts including life, country, heart, and God are invoked.

It was the 11th fold, which when honoring Jewish veterans, makes a reference to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that provoked one person witnessing a ceremony at Riverside National Cemetery in Southern California this summer to issue a complaint with the president of Veteran Affairs. The complaint prompted the memorandum in question.

The VA policy had sparked a national outrage. Vice President Dick Cheney assured the American Legion Thursday that the flag-folding recitation will be allowed to continue.