I have received several comments and notes on other forums that have called into question the directive on banning the recital of the flag folding ceremony by the American Legion Honor Guard.
I have asked for details and specific clarification from Rees Lloyd on the information he shared with us at the ROH banquet earlier this month. He sends the following note, along with a PDF of the actual directive from Steve L. Muro from the Department fo Veterans Affairs. A link to the full resolution PDF file is here.
Of course, I am of the conviction that the VA be damned – and we assert our right of free exercize.
It is better to obey God than men, and when it comes to acknowledging God’s role in our nation’s greatness and the blessings we have received in honoring both Our Creator and those who served this nation, we should do so with eagerness – consequences notwithstanding.
Liberty, is to be risked, and freedom cannot endure without people willing to risk penalty for daring to defy the tyranny of men.
God Bless people like Rees Lloyd and those who served our nation’s military.
In light of [Sword At The Ready’s] request for information to convince those of little faith that the VA in fact has banned the reading of the Flag Folding Ceremony by MHD Teams, including mine, at all federal veterans cemeteries, I am attaching hereto the 9/27/07 directive of the VA imposing that ban, and further requiring that all cemeteries remove from the premises copies of the Flag Folding Ceremony.
My American Legion Riverside Post 79 Memorial Honor Detail Team 12 was informed of the ban just before we performed our sixth, and last, military service of the day on the first Tuesday in October at Riverside National Cemetery, where our team has performed over 1,400 military funeral services.
On that memorable first Tuesday in October, a staff car rolled up and a staffer informed us that we could not read the Flag Folding Ceremony because VA had issued a directive forbidding it.
I inquired of the administration after we completed that final funeral service (without reading the traditional Flag Folding Ceremony pursuant to the ban), and it was confirmed that a directive banning the recitation had been issued from the VA in Washington, D.C. I was informed of the contents, but was not given a copy.
As you are aware from Riverside Press Enterprise and Association Press news reports on Thursday 10/25 and Friday 10/26 respectively, the VA has refused to release that directive publicly event to the media, while attempting to justify the prohibition.
As a public service, I am attaching FYI a copy of the banned directive imposing the ban which some of Michael’s readers, apparently, do not believe exists. Perhaps reading the directive will provide the proof they need to accept the obvious–which should be manifest to everyone inasmuch as our MHD teams have been prevented from reading the Flag Folding Ceremony, even when performing military services for one of our own American Legion members.
FOR GOD AND COUNTRY FOREVER; SURRENDER TO THE ACLU–NEVER!
–Rees
REES LLOYD, Attorney
Jr. Past Commander District 21 (Cal),
Director, Defense of Veterans Memorials Project
of The American Legion Dept. of California
Sword At-The-Ready 