In 2008/2009 Congress amended the flag code to allow veterans to salute during the playing of the National Anthem. I was at a baseball game over the weekend and reminded of this when it was time to perform the anthem. The stadium announcer said veterans could render a military salute rather than remove their cover and place their hand over their heart. I did not render a salute and if there were any veterans around me they did not either.
Any veterans here render a salute or do you stick with tradition and remove your hat and place your hand over your heart? Why or why not?
Are they allowed to salute during national anthems of foreign companies countries then? Say as Mexican anthem during a soccer international game? Since, I am pretty sure servicemen in uniform are supposed to salute when a foreign anthem is played.
What they said. Not in uniform, the military salute seems out of place, with the exception of a veteran who’s wearing the American Legion/VFW cover which is a sort of “uniform” itself.
I heard about this law a few years ago from a friend of mine, who is an Army veteran.
As a Navy vet, the problem I have with it is that Navy personnel are trained to only salute in uniform and when covered (i.e. wearing a military hat). So if Navy personnel were in a ceremony that was held indoors (and were therefore uncovered) and the national anthem was played, they would simply stand at attention. That’s what I generally do to this day in civilian clothes: stand at attention. (I rarely remember that I’m supposed to place my hand over my heart, as it is so ingrained in me to stand at attention.)
So in short, I might get used to saluting in civilian clothes (but probably not); I’d have a harder time forcing myself to salute uncovered. (And civilian ball caps don’t count.)
Since I’m not in the military anymore, I don’t salute. And since I never wear a hat unless I’m out in the snow and sometimes not even then, that’s pretty much out. But I do put my hand over my heart and sing along.
Hmm. You mean, just because a person is a veteran, he i under a separate set of “obligations” about how to respond to the playing of the national anthem? Is there anything else veterans are obliged to differently than non-veterans when in a public venue? If I salute the national anthem the same way a veteran does, would that be tantamount to impersonating a veteran? Once a person is discharged from duty, isn’t he discharged from all military obligation, including manner of addressing the flag?
Extra credit: When attending an event where the national anthem of another country is played as a courtesy, are veterans obliged to show respect for that differently than non-veterans? How?
It is not an obligation. It is an option. I can salute, if I want to. And it is proper if I do so.
Anyone can salute if they want to, but if they are in civilian attire and are not a veteran, then it is not the proper way to render respect to our national colors. But, I could understand it if, at a given moment if one were not a veteran and were so moved that they a salute. But if you do, please do so properly.
Would it be tantamount to impersonating a veteran? In and of itself (salute), I think not.
I am much more understanding of a non-vet saluting than of people who don’t stop and face the flag (or the sound of the national anthem, if you can’t see the flag), and they keep walking or jabbering away mindlessly.
Same as the other vets in the thread, I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing so. I was trained to salute in uniform and covered (wearing the uniform “cover” or hat), and not in any other circumstance, and I’d feel awkward and out of place.
A couple of posters asked about foreign flags. I would definitely not salute that flag. I would only salute ours. I’m not even sure if I’d put my hand over my heart. I would stand at attention.
What are the rules? Not just for veterans, but for all?
No, I don’t, and I wouldn’t. I’m not in uniform. Congress is all “Sure, go ahead, it’s okay! Salute when not in uniform! No problem!” and then you try it and some Sergeant Major appears out of nowhere and makes you polish your boots while doing push-ups and then has you strip and wax the floors. No thanks.
That has been a time-honored and cherished custom in some venues, like Chicago Black Hawks hockey games, where people cheer all the way through it, trying to drown out the music. In my opinion, it shows no disrespect whatsoever, it is just a crowd that expresses their patriotic respect in their own way, and as long as the respect is there, they are free to choose their way to display it.
Technically that is correct. Tell that to the Baltimore Orioles fans when, during the national anthem line, Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, they yell out the Oh!. (The Orioles, or, The O’s)
But it happens. I don’t have a real problem with it.
You’re supposed to show the same respect to the National Anthems of friendly foreign nations as you do your own. That means hand over heart (with salute option for vets) for civilians and salute for soldiers.
AR 600-25 para 1-11, “The same honors rendered to the national anthem of the United States will be rendered during the playing of the foreign national anthems… Military personnel in uniform and civilians will render honors during the playing of all
anthems as prescribed in appendix C.”
As for saluting during the playing of the national anthem while in civies, it depends.
If I am at a military function where we all happen to be wearing civilian dress–like at a BBQ, 4th of July celebration on post, concerts on base, a sporting event where the players are all military (think company softball tournaments and such), or any other mandatory fun function–then I will salute. This scenario doesn’t happen all that often, however.
If I am at a chiefly civilian function when the National Anthem is played, I do not salute. I also don’t stand up when they ask for veterans to stand up. I think it’s all attention whoring. Of course, I also think that dude saluting the Dallas PD memorial all day was attention whoring, so I have a low tolerance for such a thing I guess.
When I was stationed in Germany (92-94), at the end of every duty day, they played the National Anthem and then the German National Anthem as the flags were lowered, and we were required to salute, and hold the salute, until BOTH songs were done.
