NATIONAL SOJOURNERS, Inc. Heroes of 76

NATIONAL SOJOURNERS, Inc. Heroes of 76 William G.L. Turner, PNP & PNC THE MILITARY SERVICE FLAGS PROGRAM Copyright National Sojourners, Inc. [ As you read these guidelines, remain flexible to your particular circumstances and modify them accordingly. The typical environment for this program is a Lodge Room. Modify the line-of-march, where a different setting is used. Flag stands are to be pre-positioned in the West and the number will be based on the number of flags. This program is basically written for the five Military Service flags, but can easily be modified to include a State Flag and/or special flag, e.g., the First Navy Jack or Coast Guard Ensign. In a perfect world, having the flag presenters wearing the respective military uniform that matches the Service Flag is ideal. In the alternative, Heroes of 76 in Colonial attire or business suit-andtie is appropriate. The presenters should carry their flags at a 45-degree angle or cant, so as to flare the flag and make it more visible as they make their presentation march. The presentation march should be at a pace/cadence that allows for time to hear the narrative. Where the presenter reaches his/her station in advance of the completion of the narrative, the presenter should sway the flag slowly back-and-forth from center. The entry should be at the Door and the presenter should proceed down the South side of the Lodge, square left at the Secretary s desk, across the East, square left at the Treasurer s desk, down the North to the Marshal s chair, square left, and proceed to their respective flag stand, post the colors at the completion of the narrative, and assume a position of attention to the left of the posted flag, facing East. Each of the subsequent flags will follow the same line-of-march. Optional flags may also be introduced here. The narrative for the additional flags should be integrated into the program in the similar format presented here. The narrator should be articulate and present the narrative at a tempo that allows the audience time to comprehend the detail. ] File Name: Military-Service-Flags-Program-Masonic.115.doc Page 1 of 9

Good Afternoon/Evening ~ We, as members of Chapter #, National Sojourners and Camp, Heroes of 76, are pleased to be here. National Sojourners, Incorporated, is a relatively small, but widely dispersed and energetic Masonic Organization. It is composed of Master Masons who have served, or are presently serving, as commissioned officers, warrant officers, or senior non-commissioned officers of the uniformed forces of the United States, as well as some honorary members. We have banded together for the purpose of fellowship, for supporting Masonic ideals, and for promoting all Patriotic aims. We are dedicated to supporting the Masonic Lodge, and supporting the knowledge and education of our Youth in academics and leadership. We are united in furthering the military need of National Defense, and we oppose any effort calculated to weaken the National security. The Heroes of 76 is an appendant body of National Sojourners, which confers the degree of Hero of 76 on Sojourners in good standing, as recognition for exemplary service to the Order, the Craft, our National Government, and our communities. Tonight, we bring you a program on the story of our Military Service flags. Let me begin by introducing myself. I am. I will introduce those assisting me this (afternoon/evening), as they enter with their respective flags. ( If Camp Followers are used, ADD: ) Because women have played such an important part in this great nation from the very beginning, we felt it only fitting that we have women of America represented in our program. Among the Heroes of 76, we call them Camp Followers. Assisting in the program of our Military Service flags this (afternoon/evening), you will meet a Camp Follower. As Masons, we are proud of our American heritage for we have been leaders of our country for more than 200 years. Our ranks include such luminaries as: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Jackson, Henry Ford, John Phillip Sousa, Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Irving Berlin, Harry Truman, Buzz Aldrin, and Gerald Ford. File Name: Military-Service-Flags-Program-Masonic.115.doc Page 2 of 9

We hope that you will find our program both entertaining and informative. We are going to talk about flags here, and we will show you some that are very meaningful to those of us who are members of National Sojourners, but also to all Americans, who appreciate the significance of our military and their roles in securing our Freedom that was given to us by our forefathers of the Revolution. Let s begin by defining a flag. A MOTH EATEN RAG ON A WORM EATEN POLE IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY TO STIR A MAN S SOUL. TIS THE DEEDS THAT WERE DONE, NEATH THE MOTH EATEN RAG WHEN THE POLE WAS A STAFF AND THE RAG WAS A FLAG! From recorded history, we can show that Flags have been used for over three thousand years to identify groups of people banded together under a common cause. They have been known as standards, ensigns, pennants, guidons, and burgees, usually with some insignia of leadership serving to identify friend or foe. From that great light of Masonry in the Book of Numbers, Chapter 2, Verse 2, we read, The Lord spake: Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch his own standard with the ensign of their father s house. The story of the beginnings of our flags parallels the story of the origin of our country. With the confident belief in Divine Providence, a people who loved freedom carved a nation out of an autocratic empire at a time, when despots ruled all nations. The flags of the mighty kings and empires of that day have long since gone, but the Stars and Stripes remain. The character of the flag is taken from the people who serve under it and the military flags that you are about to see embody the character of our founding fathers. Throughout the centuries, flags have been used for both ceremonial and practical purposes. Flags have led troops into battle, and served as rallying points to identify friends from foes. File Name: Military-Service-Flags-Program-Masonic.115.doc Page 3 of 9

You will see a series of different flags. Five of them are called Military Service flags those of our armed forces. And, one is a special military-associated flag. In order of precedence, the first of the Military Service flags is that of the U.S. Army. [ Pause briefly, as the presenter enters. ] It is presented here by. It is our country s oldest Military Service. We carry it in the place of honor that is, to the right in a formation of Military Service flags. Our Army traces its history back to an act of Congress on June 14 th, 1775, and that date is now considered the Army s birthday. In 1777, Brother and General George Washington stated that each regiment in the Army should have its National flag, and that they should be the same. Further, regimental or unit flags should vary according to the trimming on various uniforms of the different regiments. Although Army units have carried flags from the time of our Revolutionary War, it was not until 1956 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered that the Army develop an official Service flag. The Army flag was dedicated and unfurled to the general public on June 14 th, 1956, at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, on the 181 st anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Army by the Continental Congress in 1775. A copy of that flag is in front of you now. The central theme of the Army flag is the original seal of the War Office, which we now call the Department of the Army. In formal Honor or Color Guards, you will see streamers flowing from the finial. These 187 streamers attached to the staff denote campaigns fought by the Army throughout our nation s history. Each streamer is embroidered with the designation of a campaign and the years in which it occurred. The colors derive from the campaign ribbon authorized for service in that particular war. The tradition of these streamers began when Brother and General John J. Pershing authorized the use of small ribbons bearing the names of the World War I operations. In 1921, all color-bearing Army organizations were authorized to use the campaign streamers currently displayed on the staff of U.S. Army s flag. On November 10, 1775, [ The Marine Corps Flag now enters. ] five months after the founding of the Army, the Second Continental Congress established a Marine Corps. Brother presents this great flag. As the Nation s amphibious force and the Navy s own infantry, the United States Marines have answered our country s call, and protected American lives and property in all regions of the globe. They fight on land, sea, and air to defend our American principles. Incidentally, perhaps you have heard Marines referred to as leathernecks. This is a fond nickname, and File Name: Military-Service-Flags-Program-Masonic.115.doc Page 4 of 9

refers to very early days, when Marines wore leather bands around their necks for protection. Serving on land and at sea, these first Marines distinguished themselves in a number of important operations, including their first amphibious raid into the Bahamas in March 1776, under the command of Captain Samuel Nicholas. The first commissioned officer in the Continental Marines, Brother Nicholas remained the senior Marine officer throughout the American Revolution and is considered to be the first Marine Commandant. The Treaty of Paris in April 1783 brought an end to the Revolutionary War, and as the last of the Navy's ships were sold, the Continental Navy and Marines went out of existence. Following the Revolutionary War and the formal re-establishment of the Marine Corps on July 11 th, 1798, Marines saw action in the quasi-war with France, landed in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, and took part in many operations against the Barbary pirates along the shores of Tripoli in Libya. Marines took part in numerous naval operations, during the War of 1812, participating in the ground defense of Washington, DC, at Bladensburg, Maryland, and fought alongside Andrew Jackson in the defeat of the British at New Orleans. The flag of the United States Marine Corps is unique in that it features the eagle, globe, and anchor the widely recognized symbols of the Corps. In 1870, this standard became recognized officially as the Marine Corps flag. Semper Fidelis is the Marine Corps motto adopted in 1886 it is Latin and means Always Faithful. The flag of the United States Navy. [ Pause The Navy Flag now enters. ] We proudly recognize Brother, who presents this flag. This service maintains command of the sea, and projects our maritime might abroad. It has a history of daring deeds and famous ships. From Naval history, we learned that John Paul Jones gave the battle cry, I have not yet begun to fight. Incidentally, this gallant officer was a member of the Masonic fraternity. The Navy s first admiral a Hispanic and Master Mason Anmed David Farragut, inspired his men with the bellow, Damn the torpedoes. Full Speed Ahead!! The word torpedo in that day referred to what we call naval mines today. In the 18 th and 19 th centuries, there were a wide variety of flags flown by our Navy. Many had ships or anchors on them, but the most famous was the rattlesnake shown crawling across File Name: Military-Service-Flags-Program-Masonic.115.doc Page 5 of 9

alternating red and white stripes with the words Don t Tread On Me. Today, this is known as the First Navy Jack. A Jack is a term that dates to the 1600 s and is used to refer to the diminutive flag presented on the bowsprit of small ships. In the 1950 s, the Navy embarked upon a search for an official flag. The design you see here was approved in February 1959. You might have noticed that the anchor on the Navy flag is unfouled, that is, not tangled with rope, while the anchor on the Marine Corps flag is fouled. The tradition of fouled and unfouled goes back to the Dutch Navy in the 16 th century. On sailing vessels, the last duty of the deck crew upon sailing was to raise and stow the anchor. If the anchor came up fouled, the crew s work was not done. So the fouled anchor on the Marine Corps flag means, Our Work is Not Done. And now you see the flag of the United States Air Force, presented by Brother. [ Pause The Air Force Flag now enters. ] Our military forces have used aircraft since the Civil War. First, there were balloons, and then, beginning in 1907, we had manned military aircraft. Then, we introduced drones or planes without pilots. Still later, we had guided missiles. During World War II, air operations became increasingly independent of the Army and Navy. Within two years after World War II on September 18, 1947 Congress created a separate United States Air Force, which still operates with these services today. Prior to enactment of the National Security Act of July 26 th, 1947, which authorized the United States Air Force, Arthur E. DuBois of the Army Quartermaster General's office designed flags and seals for the three services. In September 1947, the proposed Air Force seal was exhibited in the office of the new Secretary of the Air Force, and later a panel of about thirty top-ranking Air Force officers reviewed it. The design had a green background and featured the Wright Brothers' airplane as the central point. The panel recommended that the background be blue and that a symbolic design replace the airplane. Mr. DuBois sketched Jupiter's thunderbolt, and it was adopted. On November 1 st, 1947, Brother and President Harry S. Truman approved the final drawing. The central figure in this flag is the official Air Force seal. The predominant colors Gold and Ultramarine blue are the Air Force s colors, as carried down from the old Army Air Corps. The 13 stars signify the original colonies, and the bald eagle symbolizes the Air Force strength and killing power from the air. The shield is divided horizontally by a nebula line File Name: Military-Service-Flags-Program-Masonic.115.doc Page 6 of 9

formation, presenting the lower portion in white that represents the clouds of the heavens, and the upper portion the light blue of the sky. The heraldic thunderbolts portray the might and striking power of the Air Force. THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD. [ Pause the Coast Guard Flag now enters. ] As Brother enters, know that this flag represents a force that has been within the Department of Transportation in recent years, during times of peace. In time of war, it comes under the U.S. Navy. However, following the assaults on the United States in September 2001, many government agencies were reorganized, including the Coast Guard. Currently, in peacetime the Coast Guard is subordinate to the new Department of Homeland Security, as of 2003. Since both the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security are junior to the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard flag appears as the last, and most junior banner in our formation of Military Service flags. Beginning with the motto Semper Paratus or Always Ready, Americans are familiar with a variety of its missions, as they have evolved over time. In 1790, Congress established a small fleet of ten ships to stamp out piracy and smuggling. Today s primary missions are maritime law enforcement, maritime safety, environmental protection, and National security. Whether it is providing weather services to federal agencies, operating patrols to chart iceberg movements into shipping lanes, maintaining aids to navigation, or lifesaving at sea, we call upon the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is a unique military service, as it has two official flags the Standard, seen here, and the Ensign. From the Coast Guard s beginning in 1790 thru 1798, it was the only armed maritime service, as the U.S. Navy had been disbanded following the Revolution. In 1799, it adopted its Ensign that was composed of sixteen vertical, alternating red-and-white stripes with a canton of the U.S. Seal the bald eagle and was distinctive on the high seas at the time, as that of the Revenue Cutter Service. The sixteen stripes represented the number of States in the Union at the time of its adoption. The Revenue Cutter Service served to protect our laws on customs and enforce lawful taxation, while subverting smuggling. In 1915, the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the U.S. Life-Saving Service to become today s U.S. Coast Guard. Today, the Coast Guard flies both the Standard and the Ensign. File Name: Military-Service-Flags-Program-Masonic.115.doc Page 7 of 9

A very special flag ~ The Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Flag is now presented by Brother. [ Pause ~ The POW/MIA Flag now enters. ] Although closely allied with our five Military Service flags, this is a relatively new flag in our country. It is one that reminds us that many of our servicemen, who were taken prisoner in combat, or who otherwise have disappeared, still are unaccounted for. Consequently, this flag reminds us of the terrible risks assumed by our armed forces personnel, when they enter combat. This is especially true, when you realize that many of our enemies in recent years do not adhere to, or otherwise respect, the rules-of-engagement and warfare... sometimes called the Geneva Convention accords and they make no effort to locate and return our personnel to U.S. control after the fighting is over. Other than the U.S. National Ensign our current Stars and Stripes the only flag to fly over the White House is the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Flag the POW/MIA Flag. It stands as a symbol of America s concern and commitment to resolving, as fully as possible, the fates of Americans, who are still missing or unaccounted for. This is especially true for those who fought in Southeast Asia. The flag s motto, You are not Forgotten, has become a symbol for these unfortunate men from all our wars, and their families, who suffer the grief of not knowing their fate. And now, please rise for the Presentation of the National Colors. [ A designee, typically the carrier of the U.S. Army flag, now promptly goes to the East and retrieves the National Colors. If the setting is not a Lodge, then the National Colors should be pre-positioned at, but outside, of the entry point of the other flags for retrieval at this point in the program. He posts himself with the National Colors facing East in front of and between the posted Navy and Air Force Flags, and positions it still on his right side at a 30-degree cant this is NOT dipping the flag to flare it and allow for the presenter of the Toast to easily touch the various colors while reciting the Toast. While the National Colors are being retrieved and positioned, the moderator continues. ] This flag is the 27 th official version of the Stars and Stripes, since its adoption by Congress on June 14 th, 1777. Recall that when a new State enters the Union, the Star is placed in the canton of the National Colors the next 4 th of July following its admission into the Union. File Name: Military-Service-Flags-Program-Masonic.115.doc Page 8 of 9

And now, give an attentive ear as Brother offers the Toast to the Flag. [ A designee from the remaining team members steps forward and delivers the Toast to the Flag, then returns to his/her place with the other flags, and the presenter of the National Colors brings them to full vertical on his right side. Once complete, all remain in position until released by the moderator. ] I leave you with this final admonition To be born free is an accident, To live free is a privilege, To die free is an obligation. We thank you for your attention to our program and sincerely hope you enjoyed it, and learned something, as well. File Name: Military-Service-Flags-Program-Masonic.115.doc Page 9 of 9