When it comes time to lay a veteran to rest, we work hard to make sure their family knows about all of the honor and benefits they deserve. Military funeral honors not only recognize the contributions of our heroes but also provide a sense of closure for the family. If you have the honor of attending a military funeral, you may find it takes on a new sense of meaning when you understand the history behind the honors bestowed.

 

The Playing of Taps

It’s hard not to become emotional when you hear this song played. Its roots can be traced back to the Civil War, when “Lights Out” was played on a bugle at the end of the day. In July of 1862, Union General Daniel Adams Butterfield called the bugler to his tent. They were coming off the bloody Seven Days Battle and had lost 600 men. Explaining that “Lights Out” seemed too formal to capture the gravity of the moment, he scratched some notes on the back of an envelope and handed it to the bugler. What we know as “Taps” was born that night and was quickly picked up throughout the army. It began to be played at military funerals in 1891 and is still played today. What a beautiful and meaningful connection to the past.

 

Three-Volley Salute

If you attend a military funeral at Egizi Funeral Home, chances are, this is an honor you will experience. It is often confused with the 21-gun salute, which is the nation’s highest funeral honor. Three volleys are fired each by seven service members. It evolved from an old battlefield custom where two warring sides would cease-fire so they could tend to their dead. When it was completed, three volleys would be fired, and the battle would resume.

 

Flag Presentation and Folding

This ceremony is highly symbolic. A U.S. flag is draped over the closed casket, and after Taps is played, the flag is folded into the shape of a triangle. If done correctly, the flag will fold 13 times on the triangles, representing the original 13 colonies. It is then presented to the family as a keepsake. In 2012, the Department of Defense standardized the verbiage for all flag presentations:

“On behalf of the President of the United States, (the appropriate branch of service), and a grateful Nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.”

 

These are just a few of the military honors and benefits that the veterans of Turnersville may receive at Egizi Funeral Home.

Have you loved or lost a U.S. veteran? Tell us their story in the comments below.