Welcome to today's
Beacon of Honor - Awakens Our Flag Ceremony
for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

​READ THE CEREMONY SCRIPT IN BIG BOLD BELOW
[Note:  You're welcome to play 'Taps' in the background to enhance today's fallen combatant ceremony experience]

Beacon of Honor - Awakens Our Flag ... to Inform and Inspire Citizens
Picture
The Purple Heart Honor Guard conducts the flag ceremony at the US Navy SEAL Danny Dietz 6-28-05 Memorial Challenge
 
TODAY'S FLAG STATUS:
The Beacon of Honor tells us that, across the USA, Our Flag flies at full staff, except in Montana, Wisconsin, and Maryland.  
In MT, the half-staff honors former Justice of the Montana Supreme Court John Sheehy.  The Governor of MT said this about Justice Sheehy.  "Justice John Sheehy was a fearless champion of Montanans' rights and fought to protect our Montana values throughout his entire life. Born and raised in Butte, he learned the values of hard work, respect, and keeping your word. John Sheehy was elected in 1959 to the Montana Legislature and then served three terms on the Montana Supreme Court before his retirement in 1991. His life was dedicated to serving the people of our state and his values of service carry on with his eleven children." 
WI's half-staff is in honor of State Trooper Anthony Borostowski - who died in the line of duty on April 11th.  
​In MD, the half-staff honors firefighter Charles "Rick" Gentilcore - who died in the line of duty on April 7th. 
Click here to verify Our Flag's (the U.S. Flag's) current status across the USA  


FALLEN COMBATANTS:
Do we have any new fallen combatants to honor?
Picture
US Army Green Beret Staff Sergeant Mark De Alencar - KIA on April 8th

Unfortunately, yes, we have a new fallen combatant from the GWOT (Global War on Terrorism).  U.S. Army Special Forces soldier, Staff Sergeant Mark De Alencar, from Joppatowne, Maryland, was killed in action, while fighting in Afghanistan, on Saturday, April 8th.  His unit, from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, was fighting ISIS terrorists in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan when gunfire killed De Alencar.   
[To find out more about US Army Green Beret SSG (Staff Sergeant) Mark De Alencar, click here.]​

​
​​
TODAY'S REMINDER FROM OUR FLAG:
... written by 5th grader Natalie Essig ...

Our first grade patriotic program countdown continues and asks…
What American Symbol Am I?
Raise your hand when you know what American symbol I am?
-I have 13 of these.  They stand for our original 13 colonies.  My red ones represent bravery.  And, white ones stand for peace.

-I have 50 of these shapes.  Each one stands for one of our United States.
​

​
-I hang on a pole outside of every school and many homes across the USA.  I'm also in every classroom of Heritage Elementary.

Do you know what American symbol I am?  Here’s one last hint.

-I was created by Betsy Ross at the request of George Washington to be a guide for his army in battle and give our country a symbol to love.

​
Picture
An American Flag retirement ceremony at Bradford Heights Elementary School in Pennsylvania.

​​Yes, I’m called our Stars and Stripes.  I also go by the name Old Glory, the Star-Spangled Banner, the American Flag, and Our Flag.
 Please, don't burn me at protests, but you may burn me during a proper flag retirement ceremony when I'm too tattered to keep flying.  
I have a National Day named after me, called Flag Day on June 14th.  On that day, citizens celebrate the inspiring stories, which include stories about you and your patriotic family, woven into my red, white, and blue fabric.
I am special to America and its citizens because I stand for "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness," as our Declaration of Independence states.


Now, please, stand, place your hand upon your heart,
and make this Pledge of Allegiance (or National Anthem or flag-raising) more meaningful
by honoring Our Flag and all the inspiring stories it tells.​

Picture
[No copyright: Image found on ThingLink.com]
Picture
Lyrics by Francis Scott Key [Image: No copyright. Found on http://www.wadeburleson.org]

################
END OF CEREMONY
################
Now, go be a good citizen!!!​
... more music selections to use with your flag ceremony ...
Picture
[Cover of U.S. Government Publication]


The U.S. Flag Code:
  provides Our Flag's Rules and Regulations

[HIGHLIGHTS OF: The U.S. Flag Code stating how citizens should conduct themselves during this ceremony is below.]

Title 36, Chapter 10 PATRIOTIC CUSTOMS
National anthem; Star-Spangled Banner, conduct during playing:
During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should render the military salute at the first note of the anthem and retain this position until the last note. When the flag is not displayed, those present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there.
Note: A new law was passed on October 30, 2008 that authorizes veterans and active-duty military not in uniform can now render the military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem. This publication is currently being updated to reflect the new law.

Pledge of Allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery:
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.", should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.
The U.S. Flag Code:Provides Our Flag's Rules and Regulations
[HIGHLIGHTS OF: The U.S. Flag Code stating how citizens should conduct themselves during this ceremony is below.]

Title 36, Chapter 10 PATRIOTIC CUSTOMS
National anthem; Star-Spangled Banner, conduct during playing:
During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should render the military salute at the first note of the anthem and retain this position until the last note. When the flag is not displayed, those present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there.
Note: A new law was passed on October 30, 2008 that authorizes veterans and active-duty military not in uniform can now render the military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem. This publication is currently being updated to reflect the new law.

Pledge of Allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery:
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.", should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.

​

​Content Sources & Credits:
Sources:  Click here to see our Sources for content research
​Credits:  Unless otherwise noted here, photos displayed each day are public domain images, pictures by Sean Sweeney, or used by permission.

To learn more about the Beacon of Honor nonprofit project, go to http://BeaconOfHonor.org
SF
Copyright © 2017 GivingVue
[Incorporated as GivingVu.org, Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit organization]  All Rights Reserved.