Air Force Flag Script Secularized

The Las Vegas Review-Journal today reports on a little-noticed change by the U.S. Air Force in its unofficial script that had been traditionally read at some flag folding ceremonies, attaching meaning to each of the 13 folds. The original script, written by an anonymous Air Forces Academy chaplain in the 1980's included these two lines: "The 11th fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The 12th fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost." In January of this year, the Air Force revised its Honor Guard Manual to include a new script for flag folding ceremonies that is an historical account of the flag, with no religious references in it. Traditionally the scripts are not read at funerals, but are sometimes read at other ceremonies such as retirements and other special occasions.