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May 29, 2006
Flag Call
As an MP in the Army, one of our on duty responsibilities was flag call (the hoisting and lowering of the main post flag, usually at the post HQ). The Graveyard shift usually did Reveille, and the Swing shift, Retreat. Memorial Day was always one of my favorite holidays to perform flag call. There is something solemn about the whole event. As a patrol supervisor, it was my duty to retrieve the flag from the CQ (Charge of Quarters), and on Memorial Day, the transfer was a little sharper with more respect and dignity than usual. I would walk the flag out of the building towards the flag pole towards the patrol detail.
Sometimes flag call can be a grind, especially after a long night on patrol and all you really want to do is get off duty, grab some breakfast, and hit the rack, but not on this day. The detail, composed of all available patrols, is standing tall and full of energy. As we unfold the flag and get it ready for hoisting, there is a buzz in the air, an almost electric charge and we watch over each others moves, making sure that nobody misses a step and that the flag never touches the ground. At 7:00am sharp, we here the crackle of the loudspeaker and Reveille begins.
(to listen, click here -ed)
As the last note ends and our salutes drop, we go about our business and head off to our barracks or homes for a good day's sleep only to get up and start the process all over again. The fact that there are many service men and women who will not see another day never escapes me and even though I'm out of the Army, I think of them often.
Rest well my brothers, rest well.
Posted by Jonathan at May 29, 2006 10:14 AM
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Comments
I hear ya, Bro...
I've been retired for about 7 years now, and I came across your site by accident. I was thinking about 'flag call' after getting a joke from one of my friends who is ex-USMC, and in response to his joke, I just typed in 'flag call' to my browser to see what it would produce.
First, here is the joke he sent me:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a good laugh!
Lionel was in his early 50's, retired from the Air Force, and started a
second career. However, he just couldn't seem to get to work on time.
Every day 5, 10, 15 minutes late. But he was a good worker, real
sharp, so the Boss was in a quandary about how to deal with it. Finally,
one day he called him into the office for a talk.
"Lionel, I have to tell you, I like your work ethic, you do a bang-up
job, but you're being late so often is quite bothersome."
"Yes, I know Boss, and I am working on it."
"Well good, you are a team player, that's what I like to see. It's
odd though, you're coming in late. I know you're retired from the Air
Force. What did they say if you came in late there?"
"They said, "Good morning, General."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now here is the letter I sent him:
I like this one a lot, Tom!
It reminds me of this one Master Sergeant that I worked for a long time ago. He'd come in (late) wearing these cut-off sweatpants, some old t-shirt, and fucking scuffed up low quarters with black socks half way up to his boney knees, saying that he was out doing PT! Yeah, RIGHT!! PT in low quarters? What a joke.
But, like they say, "R.H.I.P." (Rank Has Its Privileges)... And this old bastard was one of those hardcore Vietnam vets that would crack the whip on everyone else like he was running a plantation or some shit. Lord help the son of a bitch leaving the MP Station (the office personnel, which I was not - I was a Desk Sergeant on 12 hour shifts) prior to the playing of 'Retreat' at 1700. That motherfucker would catch one of those people trying to sneak out prior to 1700 and fuck with them HARD. The next day you'd see them out raking leaves or cutting grass or some other shit-assed detail AFTER 1700 and up until who knows when?
This was back in the early 80's. It was a different Army back then. We had many Vietnam vets still on active duty. Some of those dudes were WAY the hell out there. We had this one old Staff Sergeant that worked back in the Physical Security office that used to work in a PsyOps Bn as a helicopter door gunner. He had all of these reel-to-reel tapes of him and other crew members firing on these gooks in different military operations. He'd sit back in his office and trip out on all of this screaming and yelling and gunfire and explosions and shit. This guy was very, very strange.
When I was a private on MP patrol, I used to ride with this one old guy who was a prior service infantryman. He was in the Americal Division and saw his share of the heavy shit. I'm telling you, this guy would come to work with a thermos that HAD to be loaded with half Jack Daniels and half coffee. THUS, he was always "half in the bag". In the back of my mind I'd always hope that we didn't encounter anyone that gave us any shit because this guy might have a flash-back and cap someone's ass right on the spot! And though we regularly encountered all kinds of people, nobody ever fucked with him. He'd give them the 'stare' and they just KNEW this guy wasn't all there.
Anyway, Tom... Thanks for the joke.
Posted by: Jay R. Smith at June 21, 2007 8:12 AM