Burial flag questions

Question and opinion regarding Living History / Reenacting.
Post Reply
User avatar
D_Conrad
G-Major
G-Major
Posts: 804
Joined: Thu May 05, 2016 5:06 pm
Location: Vail, Arizona
Contact:

Burial flag questions

Post by D_Conrad » Wed Feb 23, 2022 11:54 am

Hey all,

I revieved a small lot of documents and photos from an army veteran who had passed. Along with the other items I was given his burial flag. My question is what should be done with the flag. It's not in a case but is stored in a thick plastic zip up case. Thank you!
Daniel

1943 Willys MB (slow restoration in progress)
viewtopic.php?t=273387

Buy my book! Http://www.throughtheireyesbooks.org


Chuck W.
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 5820
Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2002 11:00 am
Location:

Re: Burial flag questions

Post by Chuck W. » Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:25 pm

Perhaps donate it to your local military museum and ask that it be displayed with the veteran's name?

GUNNUT in Iowa
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 451
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:32 pm
Location: Southwest Iowa

Re: Burial flag questions

Post by GUNNUT in Iowa » Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:52 pm

What do you plan on doing with the documents, photos, and other items?

If your plan is to keep them as a remembrance of his life, the Flag represents a large - and final - portion of that life.

Keep them all together.

If you would like a wood case for the Flag, PM me. It would be number 94 that I have provided.
1968 M274 A5 Mule
1945 Willys MB

Ron D
G-Major
G-Major
Posts: 921
Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2014 9:19 am
Location: Dorchester County SC

Re: Burial flag questions

Post by Ron D » Wed Feb 23, 2022 2:53 pm

Run it up a nice flag pole and fly it proudly!

Too many are collecting dust in display cases.
Ron D
1951 M38
1951 M100

User avatar
W. Winget
LTC, U.S. Army
LTC, U.S. Army
Posts: 4445
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2002 10:37 am
Location: USA, Virginia, Carrollton
Contact:

Re: Burial flag questions

Post by W. Winget » Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:06 pm

If there are no relatives
If he wasn't famous for his accomplishments
if it's a current flag...
Fly it, best way to honor him. Or fly it on Memorial Day only if its special to you.

Sad to say (I'm getting older) there are way too many things we hang onto and associate a 'presence' with that need to move on. Old awards, medals, plaques, dust collectors. And with all the passing Veterans, flags are literally becoming a shortage due to so many passing, so either donate it to a funeral home, or fly it, then let the BSA or VFW dispose of it when it is weathered or retired for its end.

Just had this conversation with my Wife, some teacher at her school, likely had a husband that deployed to Iraq, the kids likely did a letter campaign as a 'thing' to make them feel good, they were sent a certificate and folded flag that flew over the FOB, it's been cased in the school and I'm remounting it as the frame is beat up and broken loose. No one remembers the teacher, the kids, the troops (or the War) but it will go back to the wall once I'm done.

There are 'family' history items for preservation if there are surviving family that care, there are travel collectibles (disposable) and then there are hobby collectibles (sellable) Ask yourself what you can take to an apartment in your final years? or what are your son or daughter are going to 'want' to hang on their walls about you as they pass through life.

My Grandfather built a large bulldozer plow that removes trees with trunk and stump in three passes of a D6-D8 sized dozer, I found one surviving in Ohio and bought it for family history preservation. I can only 'care' for it until I pass.... Pop was a soldier for 32 years...what promotion certificates, awards, etc. do we 'keep' or scan in for easiest preservation? I had 32 years as well, but I will cull my history down before leaving it for my son to worry about.

Can't keep it all and museums don't truly care about individuality unless there's a name of someone that did something 'famous' or received recognition like MOH for things. They will gladly accept items, then auction them off for funds in deaccessions, or go bust and auction for whatever funds, etc.

So IMHO, fly it.
V/R W. Winget
Looking for 1918 Standard B 'Liberty' truck parts

GPW1263
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 7:18 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas

Re: Burial flag questions

Post by GPW1263 » Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:21 pm

Flags are meant to show the colors. Fly it.

User avatar
D_Conrad
G-Major
G-Major
Posts: 804
Joined: Thu May 05, 2016 5:06 pm
Location: Vail, Arizona
Contact:

Re: Burial flag questions

Post by D_Conrad » Wed Feb 23, 2022 6:11 pm

Tha k you all for your response! My initial thought was to fly it, however being a burial flag I wasn't sure if that was disrespectful or not. It's a heavy duty cloth flag that should last for a while.
Daniel

1943 Willys MB (slow restoration in progress)
viewtopic.php?t=273387

Buy my book! Http://www.throughtheireyesbooks.org


Post Reply

Return to “Living History / Reenacting Knowledge Base”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests