Quick question about saluting

[redmen08]

Okay, I am currently a college student and since high school I have always participated in my schools color guard or flag line with the marching band. Is it okay for color guards/flag lines to salute during the "National Anthem" and or possibly at the end of "This is my Country?" The reason I'm asking is because in high school we would salute with our right hand during the National Anthem, and now the next two shows/games the band is at, we are doing a "Hero's Day" and "Patriotic Day" so we really don't want to offend anyone. Any help/opinions would be greatly appreciated.

[Peter Ansoff]

Hello, redmen08!

Most color guards that I've seen follow military practice when it comes to this sort of thing. The general rule is that members of the color guard do not render a hand salute. The color bearers keep both hands on the flag staffs to steady them (often necessary if it's windy), and the guards hold their weapons at the "present arms" position. If the party is carrying another flag in addition to the US flag (a unit or school flag, for example), the other flag is "dipped" in salute. The US flag is never dipped in this context.

Again, this is generally the way the military does it -- we can quote you specific references if you need them. There are no hard-and-fast rules for non-military color guards, but they generally do it the same way.

Best regards,

Peter Ansoff

[DrVic]

I have read other posts by Peter Ansoff and he appears to be exceptionally informed on this subject. I use a hand salute for 3 reasons: 1 My father was not allowed to enlist or be drafted during WWII because of his secret and classified work for the military; 2) I am an Eagle Scout; 3) I was denied a Naval Commission to a training program for which I had been accepted due to a medical condition I had a recovered from when I was 8--and which also would have kept me out of the Army when I was in the last Lottery (1-H classification would have been IV-F). None of these entitles me to give a hand salute, but I know of no law prohibiting it. It is my way of showing what I consider extraordinary allegiance through action (my grandfather was also in the Marines in WWI, my uncle in the Navy during WWII). Until it is prohibited, I will do it. That our current de facto Commander in Chief provides no salute obviously has some other symbolism.