The Casket Flag

I have received numerous inquiries about casket flags for law enforcement funerals. They have included such questions as:

* Can a casket flag be used for an officer who has committed suicide?

* Does an officer have to be a veteran to have a casket flag?

* Can a casket flag be used for retirees?

* Can there be more than one casket flag folded and presented?

* Can a casket flag be used for a canine?

These questions were related to a variety of circumstances. Some were the result of an officer’s death from illness or accident or suicide and others from line-of-duty deaths. I will answer these questions again, in this format, and add some additional thoughts about casket flags.

Whenever an active or retired officer’s death is the result of criminal activity or the officer is being investigated for a criminal offense then the agency should not provide an honors ceremony at the funeral. This includes having a casket flag, the folding, and presentation. Or any other honors ceremonies.

I use this criminal activity introduction to describe casket flags for suicides. Officers who commit suicide do not commit a crime. Therefore,there is no protocol, guideline or code to restrict the use of a casket flag. Nor is there any protocol, guideline or code recommending it. It is typically the chief’s decision. In 1992 when I began managing funerals it was a common practice for agencies to deny an honors ceremony for officers who committed suicide.

The reasoning was that they had tarnished the badge and embarrassed the agency and they were not going to receive police honors for the way they died. Then things began to change and agencies began to realize that when any active duty officer dies they should be honoring the officer’s career and not dwell on the way they died. This same reasoning should be applied to retirees also.

I have participated in many meetings about having honors for officers who committed suicide. Some people have some very strong opinions about both sides of the issue. Some believe honors should be denied because providing honors encourages those contemplating suicide to follow through because their family and peers will feel good because of the honors ceremony.

Others feel we should honor the officer’s life and career and not dwell on the way they died. My belief now is that agencies should provide honors ceremonies for officers who commit suicide and that the casket flag is an integral part of those ceremonies.

Since the draping of the casket with the National flag is a military tradition that began during the Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815) and is a common sight in our military funerals many people think that it is only for veterans. I have received numerous calls about the appropriateness of having a casket flag for a non-veteran active duty or retired officer. I even had one about a line-of-duty death. A casket flag is appropriate for all active duty, especially line-of-duty deaths, and honorably retired officers.

I emphasize honorably retired officers because I know about agencies where officers retired in lieu of being terminated because of serious misconduct issues within the agency, regardless of any criminal allegations or prosecutions. The agency chief should know about the circumstances of an officer’s retirement and should be able to make an appropriate decision based on the known facts that will protect the integrity and reputation of the agency.

Can a casket flag be used for retirees? Yes! Retirees are often overlooked by their agency when they die. For many agencies it doesn’t occur very often and they have no protocol. If the services are local they often publish a notice for anyone who might want to attend. Often the deceased has been retired so long there is no one on the department that remembers them.

However, regardless of the officer’s age or length of retirement an agency should try to provide an honors ceremony. The deceased officer deserves it because they were an officer. The officer’s family deserves it. If a complete honors ceremony cannot be provided a least a two officer flag detail can fold the casket flag and make a presentation. If the services aren’t local and the officer’s agency cannot provide the honors then the agency should contact the agency where the services will be conducted and ask thereto at least provide a flag fold detail.

I spoke with a man whose grandfather was an officer and who died after being retired for more than 45 years. His grandfather had out lived his friends and the family members in attendance numbered about a dozen. The agency sent two officers in uniform who folded the casket flag. The family was so appreciative because the deceased officer’s best memories were of his career and the people he worked with.

There is only one casket flag per casket and therefore only one flag to be folded and presented to the surviving family. Additional national flags can be presented to various family members if necessary. These flags should be pre-folded.

The United States Flag Code is a guideline, not a law. There are few, if any, absolutes. Funeral coordinators should try to adhere to the code but there may be times when a modification may need to be made. Dignity and respect are the key issues. I talked with a funeral coordinator who had a surviving family that wanted the casket covered with two casket flags, one then another, and have two folding and presentation ceremonies at the same service.

They became so adamant about this happening that the coordinator finally agreed. He had the first flag removed, folded, and presented. Then the casket was covered again, the flag removed, folded and presented.

The flag code says that flags should not be carried horizontally. I was having a service and honors ceremony inside a church and there was no casket, the officer was cremated. The honor guard, made up of his co-workers, wanted to carry the flag down the center aisle horizontally and then proceed to fold it and present it. The ceremony was done with dignity and respect and went very well.

A casket flag is a special flag. It is 5x9 1/2 feet, cotton, with embroidered stars. It is not silk screened.

A controversial flag issue I get inquiries about is the appropriateness of having a casket flag cover the casket of a canine, especially one killed-in-the line of duty. I am not aware of any protocol that recommends it or discourages the use of a national flag as a canine casket flag. The U.S. Flag Code refers to U.S. citizens, veterans, highly regarded State and national figures but makes no mention of canines.

I know of line-of-duty memorial services for canines that had a casket and a casket flag, folding and presentation and some that didn’t. Since many canines are cremated and there is no casket at the memorial services, usually an urn, I know of services that had a national flag folding and presentation and some that did not. I believe that there should not be a casket flag for a canine.

That there should be a clear demarcation maintained between police dogs and the human beings they serve. That the National flag be reserved for the officer’s who took an oath to protect the Constitution of the United States and accept the responsibilities associated with that oath and who sacrificed their lives to fulfill that oath and those responsibilities. I am aware of strong opinions on both sides of this issue. Once again, it is usually a chief’s decision.

John Cooley

PoliceFunerals.Com

Comments

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Interesting post.. Thanks!