Flags for the Fallen: Use of the American Flag in Funerals of Police Officers and Military Personnel
Resource type
Author/contributor
- Knowlton, Steven A. (Author)
Title
Flags for the Fallen: Use of the American Flag in Funerals of Police Officers and Military Personnel
Abstract
Knowlton opens with a case study of two NYPD police officers killed on duty whose coffins were draped with the flag of the NYPD rather than the United States flag. He then discusses the use of flags in funerals in the United States and gives background on funeral palls. He summarizes flags as used in Christian funerals. He then analyzes the use of the American flag as a "totem" (object that carries a secret meaning to those in a coherent group), including in funerals.
Publication
Vexillum
Publisher
North American Vexillological Association (NAVA)
Date
March 2018
Volume
1
Pages
18-23
Journal Abbr
Vexillum
ISSN
2577-5650 / 2577-5677
Archive
NAVA Digital Library
Language
[eng] English
Library Catalog
NAVA Publications Index (NPI) / International Vexillological Index (IVI)
License
open access
Extra
[IVI.CID] 0f8e6ecd-d7d2-48bb-9b7b-0aa208a81305
Citation
Knowlton, Steven A. 2018. “Flags for the Fallen: Use of the American Flag in Funerals of Police Officers and Military Personnel.” Vexillum 1 (March): 18–23. NAVA Digital Library. https://www.nava.org/digital-library/Vexillum_001_2018.pdf#page=18.
Topic
- American flag
- Christian funerals
- Christian mourning practices
- Christian traditions
- coffin flags
- flag folding
- flag retirement ceremonies
- flag rituals
- flag symbolism
- flags and death
- flags in funeral services
- flags in funerals
- flags in rituals
- flags on coffins
- funeral flags
- funeral palls
- funeral rituals
- military
- military funerals
- New York Police Department flag
- New York Police Department (NYPD)
- NYPD flag
- police funerals
- police officers
- totems
- triangular flag folds
- veterans
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