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Times in America have changed in recent years. We have seen that we are vulnerable and not protected from the spear of the foreign swords
that are pointed in our direction. Our flag represents our past and current struggle for the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy. Our
stars and stripes will never be taken for granted.
Our men and women of the armed forces are stationed all over the world, and recent political events have changed their course of
direction. The flag that we hold so dearly as it flies above our homes and towns is sometimes used for things less joyous. They cover
the coffins of our soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in our pursuit of our liberties.
The armed forces members in full dress uniform, the sound of the long bugle playing taps, the echo of the armed salute, and the final
presentation of the flag to the family of the deceased all combine to create a very somber and sobering event. A military funeral is
something I hope no one ever has to witness.
The tradition of the burial flag was started on September 5, 1912. Asretired Major General Arthur McArthur (father of General Douglas
McArthur) stood before surviving members of his old Civil War unit to give a key note address, three words into his speech, he collapsed and
fell to the floor where he died in the presence of his comrades in arms. One of McArthur's colleagues stood, removed the flag from the
wall behind the lectern, and wrapped it around McArthur's body. This began the tradition of the military burial flag.
Each year, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs issues almost a half-million burial flags to cover the coffins of our deceased
veterans. Any honorably discharged veteran is entitled to a burial flag, which, upon internment, is folded and presented to the family as
a keepsake.
My objective with this photo was to display this concept in a way that shows the folded flag being clutched in the hands of a mourning family
member of an armed services veteran. The weathered hands of time have not forgotten the lost family member, nor will family.
The photo (winner for the Digital Photography Challenge #31 - Hands, November 2004) was taken with my Sony 707. I decided to make it the sepia tone to add a more surreal feel to the photo.
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