The thing about a tradition is that if you stop doing what the tradition stands for, you lose the meaning of the tradition itself. A tradition — the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation — disappears and becomes lost, and everything around that tradition leaves human consciousness.
Fortunately, the tradition of honoring warriors of World War II on December 7 remains and was carried out with dignity and grace on Thursday, December 7th at DeVoe Cadillac.
Called the All-American Holiday Celebration, the event featured the presentation of colors by VFW Post 7721, the moving delivery of the national anthem by Kylie Gust, the Pledge of Allegiance and a special presentation by Connie Von Zwehl to special guest 99-year-old Florence Weinstein, who enlisted to serve during WWII after learning of Hitler’s Battle of the Bulge. She served from 1944 to 1946.
When Weinstein got up on stage to receive the flowers, she offered this advice to the people at this event: “Live your life, and treat people as you would like to be treated.”
Richard DeVoe, the General Sales Manager at DeVoe, kicked off the 2nd All American Holiday Celebration in honor of Pearl Harbor Day, which was followed by Michelbob’s buffet, and music by Johnny Rogers and the Ben Allen band.
If you have visited Pear Harbor, you will notice that the people who are visiting with you are crying as they tour the memorial of the Arizona battleship, which still leaks oil after all these years. Glancing down into the sea, you see the Arizona’s ghostly outline, and the silence around you brings powerful emotions to people from both sides of that conflict.
Tradition is like that.
But as mentioned, unless traditions are followed and repeated, they get lost and eventually disappear.
One of those traditions at such events is the folding of the flag, a tradition rich in meaning that expresses the “duty, honor and country” uttered by General Douglas MacArthur accepting the Sylvanus Thayer Award on May 12, 1962, at West Point, NY. ‘
MacArthur said, “Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.”
The folding of the flag tradition bears repeating here in its entirety to help carry on that tradition of what happened on December 7. The ceremony of folding is slow, purposeful, with one person reading the script, and three others folding the flag fold by fold, carefully, with dignity and reverence.
The words have deep meaning, and like all traditions, evoke powerful emotions.
So as you read the following lines, read them slowly, and think about your own traditions, but how to keep faithfully these important ones that remind us how we got here, and how freedom, after all, is the gift of these fallen warriors to each of us.
“The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.
The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.
The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.
The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.
The eleventh 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 twelfth 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.
When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God we Trust.”