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Other Traditions of the United States Naval Services
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Bells and Watches
The term "watch" has three basic meanings in the Navy. Most basically,
a watch is the fundamental unit into which the shipboard day is divided,"
during which a segment of the crew takes turns on duty. There are
seven watches in the day, five of four hours each and two, the "dog watches,"
of two hours each. The dog watches ensure that no one is on watch
throughout the period for the evening meal as well as that no one has to
stand the mid watch night after night. The seven watches, as laid
down in OpNavInst 3120.32C, Standard Organization and Regulations of
the United States Navy (SORN) are:
| Mid Watch |
Midnight-0400 |
| Morning Watch |
0400-0800 |
| Forenoon Watch |
0800-1200 |
| Afternoon Watch |
1200-1600 |
| First Dog Watch |
1600-1800 |
| Second Dog Watch |
1800-2000 |
| Evening Watch |
2000-Midnight |
(As a matter of curiosity, the Royal Navy uses different names for some
of these watches. What the U.S. Navy calls the "evening watch" is
the "first watch" in the Royal Navy, "mid" is "middle," and "second dog"
is "last dog.")
For at least six centuries, time has been signalled aboard ship by the
striking of bells each half hour, one bell per half hour, with eight bells
signifying the changing of the watch (except for the change from the first
to second dog watches). For example, two bells in the forenoon watch
would signify 9:00 a.m., five bells in the afternoon watch would be 2:30
p.m., and so on. Bells are rung in pairs: "ding-ding [pause]
ding-ding [pause] ding" for five bells, for instance. The officer
of the deck (that is, the senior officer on watch) seeks the captain's
permission before striking eight bells at the end of the morning, forenoon,
and second dog watches. Today bells are not struck between taps and
reveille.
In the U.S. Navy, bells are sounded throughout the two dog watches in
a continuous one-through-eight sequence. The Royal Navy, however,
starts over with one bell at 6:30 p.m. in the "last" (i.e., second) dog
watch, then rings two at 7:00, three at 7:30 and eight at 8:00.
"Watch" also refers to the basic division of the ship's company into
two halves, designated port and starboard, for the sharing of shifts of
duty as well as to the group of crewmen actually on duty at a given time.
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Honors and Salutes
Tending the Side
When a senior officer or official formally visits a ship of the Navy, he
or she is normally "piped over the side" by a boatswain's mate and a number
of sideboys corresponding to the visitor's rank as shown on the
table
of honors. This process is a ritual throwback to the days when
coming aboard a ship meant either climbing up a rope ladder or being hoisted
aboard in a boatswain's chair. Sideboys were mustered to assist if
necessary in pulling the visitor bodily over the side. The tale goes
that the more senior the officer, the greater the weight to be lifted,
and accordingly the more sideboys mustered. Sideboys were first formally
prescribed in the U.S. Navy by the 1843 Rules and Regulations, but
had clearly been provided from the very birth of the service.
Well before the visiting dignitary arrives, the boatswain's mate of
the watch sounds the call "Pass the word"
over the shipboard loudspeaker system, known as the 1MC, and passes the
word "Lay to the quarterdeck the sideboys." The sideboys line up facing
each other in two rows, with the boatswain's mate positioned behind the
outboard sideboy in the forward row. The boatswain's mate then pipes
"Alongside," timing it to end when the boat reaches the foot of the accommodation
ladder or the car arrives at the shore end of the brow. When the
visitor's head appears at the level of the quarterdeck (or when he reaches
a designated point on the brow or accommodation ladder), the boatswain's
mate begins piping "Over the Side" and he, the
sideboys, and all other persons on the quarterdeck salute. If the
boatswain's mate uses his right hand to hold the call (pipe), he may salute
left-handed. The piping continues until the visitor has passed between
the two rows of sideboys and is greeted by the officer of the deck; salutes
are held throughout, as well as through any musical honors and gun salute
that may be rendered. The process is repeated in reverse when
the visitor departs, with the boatswain's mate piping "Over
the Side" as the guest passes through the sideboys and "Away" as his
boat or vehicle gets under way.
Musical Honors
The 1821 Rules and Regulations for the Naval Service were the first
to provide for a form of musical honors to senior officers and officials,
prescribing for two ruffles on the drums. The 1833 edition elaborated
a more complete system of musical honors: a march for the President,
Vice President, or cabinet officer; three ruffles for the Board of Navy
Commissioners or a commander in chief; two ruffles for a commander of a
squadron other than a commander in chief; and one ruffle for a division
commander or a captain of the fleet (what we would today call a chief staff
officer or chief of staff). By 1863, this was elaborated, in the
case of the President, Vice President, a foreign sovereign, or a cabinet
officer to a sequence of three ruffles, as well as a march. The 1870
regulations added one more ruffle and stipulated the playing of "the national
air" rather than "a march" for senior civilian officials. The same
regulations established the current practice of matching the number of
an admiral's ruffles to the stars on his flag, except that commodores still
received two rather than one.
The modern practice is to play the number of ruffles and flourishes
equal to the number of stars of the official's or officer's rank. (Most
senior civilian officials who are entitled to honors are four-star equivalents.)
Ruffles (on the drums) and flourishes (by bugle or band) are played simultaneously.
Following the ruffles and flourishes, the march prescribed for the official
being saluted is played, as listed in the table of honors. For example,
this is the sequence for a rear admiral. If a
gun salute is to be fired, it commences at the last note of the march.
Gun Salutes
The tradition of firing blank rounds from the gun batteries of both ships
and fortifications as a form of salute goes back almost to the earliest
days of naval guns. It apparently originated as a sign of good faith;
by discharging your guns, you temporarily disarmed yourself and thereby
showed yourself to have peaceful intentions. The number of guns varied
from situation to situation and country to country--for many years, ships
would fire up to seven guns and shore fortifications (which could store
more powder) would return salutes with up to three guns for each fired
by the ship. The earliest record of an American warship exchanging
salutes with a shore installation occurred in October 1776, when a Continental
schooner was saluted by the Danish battery at St. Croix, Virgin Islands.
It was not until 1818 that the U.S. Navy issued regulations on this subject,
requiring that "an officer appointed to command in chief shall be saluted
on hoisting his flag." Those regulations also prescribed a 21-gun
salute for the President, conforming to the number of guns that had been
established as the royal salute in the British service but also corresponding
to the number of states in the Union at the time, 19 for the Vice President,
and 17 for cabinet members and governors. The 1821 revision changed
the President's 21 guns to one gun for each state (23 at the time) and
added provisions for salutes of 15 guns for major generals, 13 for brigadier
generals and commodores on separate service, nine for other commodores,
and seven for captains. An 1823 order provided for a 15 gun salute
to the Board of Naval Commissioners visiting a ship as a body. The
1833 Rules and Regulations for the Government of the Navy raised
the Vice President's salute to 21 guns, cabinet members' to 19, and the
Board of Navy Commissioners to 17. It also provided for salutes of
17 guns for full admirals, 15 for vice admirals, and 13 for rear admirals,
notwithstanding that none of these ranks existed at the time in the U.S.
Navy. Finally, in 1843, by which time the number of states had reached
26, a new set of regulations returned the President's entitlement to the
internationally recognized 21 guns, dropped the Vice President back to
19 and cabinet officers back to 17.
Salutes in the naval services are fired at five second intervals, except
in the case of minute guns fired for funerals or memorials. Gun salutes
are not fired between sunset and 8:00 a.m., on Sundays, or in ports where
they are prohibited by local law or regulations.
Today, gun salutes are fired by the Navy under the following circumstances:
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To the flag of the President; the Secretary of State acting as special
foreign representative of the President; the Secretary, Deputy Secretary,
Under Secretary, or Assistant Secretary of Defense; the General Counsel
of the Department of Defense; or the Secretary, Under Secretary, or Assistant
Secretary of the Navy; or a foreign head of state or member of a ruling
family. Such a salute is fired by ships falling in line with a ship
displaying one of these flags or arriving at a station where one of them
is displayed. It is also fired by a flag or general officer who assumes
command (or who breaks a new flag after being promoted) in the presence
of a ship or station flying one of these flags. In the case of a
salute to the flag of the President or a foreign head of state, all ships
arriving or falling in line fire the salute. In other cases, the
salute is fired only by the senior officer present. The number of
guns fired for the flag of each official indicated above is shown on the
table
of honors.
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A 21-gun salute in honor of a nation recognized by the United States, when
entering a port of that country, fired by the senior ship arriving.
This salute is returned gun for gun by a ship or shore battery of the country
being visited and is not fired if there is no ship or shore battery available
to return it. It is also not normally fired by ships returning from
temporary absences, as in the case of a U.S. ship based at a foreign port.
In most cases, governments mutually waive this salute nowadays, except
in the case of the most formal port visits, those known as "visits of courtesy"
(OpNavInst
3128.10D).
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By the senior saluting ship or military installation present when returning
a salute fired by a foreign warship entering a U.S. port. The Secretaries
of the Army and Navy and the Commandant of the Coast Guard publish directives
listng the forts, stations, and other installations that are designated
to return such salutes at each major U.S. port, as well as ships (by class)
that are designated as saluting ships.
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The senior U.S. officer and the senior flag officer of each foreign navy
present in a port exchange salutes upon the arrival or departure of either,
or if either hoists the flag of a higher grade in the presence of the other.
Likewise, when a ship of the U.S. Navy falls in with a warship flying the
flag of a flag officer, salutes are also exchanged. Each of these
salutes is exchanged gun for gun.
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To U.S. civilian and military officials on official visits according to
Navy
Regulations and Department of Defense Directive 1005.10, the
provisions of which are summarized on the table of
honors. When they are prescribed for firing upon a dignitary's
arrival aboard a ship or station, the first gun is fired at the conclusion
of the prescribed musical honors. The honoree's personal flag (or
national ensign in the case of a foreign visitor) is broken on the first
gun and, if it is not to be displayed throughout the visit, hauled down
at the last gun. Only officers and officials of four star rank or
above ordinarily receive this salute, although the senior officer present
may direct that it be fired for others when appropriate. In any case,
no one below four star rank receives such a salute from the same ship or
station more than once in any 12-month period.
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According to regulations, a flag officer who is the senior officer present
in a port is saluted by arriving vessels, and a new senior officer arriving
aboard a vessel is saluted by the former senior officer present.
This practice is limited by the norm that salutes are not generally fired
to officers below four-star rank, however.
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21-gun salutes are also fired at noon on President's Day (Washington's
Birthday), Memorial Day, and Independence Day, as described in the section
on holidays.
Passing Honors
Ships passing within 600 yards of a ship displaying the flag of a senior
official, or within 400 yards of a boat flying the flag or pennant of a
civil official, a flag officer, or a unit commander, render "passing honors."
Depending on the rank of the official being honored, this may entail anything
from a simple hand salute by persons on the quarterdeck (in the case of
a boat carrying a unit commander) all the way up to manning the rail, parading
the guard and band, and playing "Hail to the Chief" (in the case of the
President). Passing honors are also rendered to ships flying
the flags of foreign heads of state on the same basis as to the President
(except that the foreign national anthem substitutes for "Hail to the Chief")
and to foreign warships. The sequence of rendering passing honors
is:
| Junior Ship |
Signal |
Senior Ship |
Signal |
| Sounds "attention" to starboard or port |
Bugle call "Attention" or 1 whistle for
starboard, 2 whistles for port |
|
|
| |
|
Sounds "attention" to port or starboard |
Bugle call "attention" or 2 whistles for
port, 1 whistle for starboard |
| Sounds "hand salute;" guard presents arms; band (if required) sounds
off with prescribed music |
One short note on bugle or one short whistle |
|
|
| |
|
Sounds "hand salute" |
One short note on bugle or one short whistle |
| |
|
After three seconds, or after band completes music, sounds "Two;" salutes
terminated |
Two short notes on bugle or two short whistles |
| Sounds "Two;" salutes terminated |
Two short notes on bugle or two short whistles |
|
|
| |
|
"Carry on" |
Three short whistles |
| "Carry on" |
Three short whistles |
|
|
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Boat Gongs
Although technically considered a form of communication and not honors,
boat gongs are similar to honors in that their number corresponds to the
rank of the individual being announced. As the person being announced
approaches the ship, the word is passed over the 1MC, "[Title] arriving,"
and a bell is struck the number of times corresponding to the number
of sideboys to which the person would be entitled: eight for
a vice admiral or above, six for a rear admiral or rear admiral (lower
half), four for a captain or commander, or
two for an officer below the grade of commander. The title used is
the same as for a boat hail. As with the bells
signaling the half-hours of the watch, the tones are
sounded in pairs. A captain commanding a destroyer squadron would
thus be announced, "DesRon-2 arriving," DING-DING (pause) DING-DING.
One final "DING" is then struck when the person's foot touches the deck.
The same procedure is followed upon departure, "[Title] departing" and
the sounding of the bell. Boat gongs are sounded only between reveille
and taps. If honors are being rendered (e.g., the visitor is to be
piped over the side), the arrival announcement is made as his or her boat
or vehicle approaches the ship and the announcement is "[Title] approaching."
The use of the short form of title makes for some interesting announcements,
especially with foreign VIPs; hearing the announcement, "Russian Navy arriving"
undoubtedly caused some double takes until those within hearing registered
that a U.S. ship was being visited by the Russian Navy Commander in Chief.
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Mourning and Funerals
Half-Masting the Ensign and Other Ceremonies of Mourning
Additional information on flag-related mourning customs and procedures
for half-masting can be found on the page on flag-related
customs.
| Position of Deceased |
National Ensign Half-Masted |
Gun Salute |
| President, former President, or President-elect |
By all ships and stations for 30 days from date of death |
On the day after notification, one gun every half hour from 0800 until
sunset, fired by all saluting ships not under way in U.S. ports, the senior
saluting ship not under way in a foreign port, and all stations with saluting
batteries. On the day of the funeral, 21 minute guns fired at noon. |
| Vice President, Chief Justice or retired Chief Justice, or Speaker
of the House of Representatives |
By all ships and stations for 10 days from date of death. |
Nineteen minute guns at noon on the day after notification and on the
day of the funeral fired by all saluting ships not under way in U.S. ports,
the senior saluting ship not under way in a foreign port, and all stations
with saluting batteries. |
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, member of the Cabinet, former
Vice President, a member of the top Congressional leadership, or the Secretary
of a military department |
By all ships and stations from the day of death until interment. |
Nineteen minute guns at noon on the day after notification and on the
day of the funeral fired by all saluting ships not under way in U.S. ports,
the senior saluting ship not under way in a foreign port, and all stations
with saluting batteries. |
| Chairman or former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; fleet admiral
or general of the Army or Air Force; Chief or former Chief of Naval Operations;
Commandant or former Commandant of the Marine Corps |
By all ships and stations from the day of death until sunset on day
of funeral. |
Minute guns equal to number of official salute, fired during funeral
by flagship or station commanded, or as designated by senior officer present |
| Governor of a state, territory, commonwealth or possession |
By all ships and stations within the Governor's jurisdiction from the
day of death until interment. |
Minute guns equal to the number of the deceased's official salute,
fired at noon on the day after notification and on the day of the funeral,
by a ship and/or station designated by the senior officer present in the
port where funeral honors are directed to be rendered. |
| United States Senator or Representative or other delegate to Congress |
By all ships and stations in the metropolitan area of the District
of Columbia and in the applicable state, congressional district, territory,
or commonwealth |
Minute guns equal to the number of the deceased's official salute,
fired at noon on the day after notification and on the day of the funeral,
by a ship and/or station designated by the senior officer present in the
port where funeral honors are directed to be rendered. |
| Other civil official entitled to a gun salute on an official visit |
By ships and stations in the vicinity when directed by the senior officer
present or other competent authority |
Minute guns equal to the number of the deceased's official salute,
fired at noon on the day after notification and on the day of the funeral,
by a ship and/or station designated by the senior officer present in the
port where funeral honors are directed to be rendered. |
| Flag or General Officer in command |
By all ships present, not under way, and by naval stations in the vicinity,
from day of death until sunset of day of funeral or removal of body from
the vicinity. |
Minute guns equal to number of official salute, fired during funeral
by flagship or station commanded, or as designated by the senior officer
present. |
| Flag or General Officer not in command |
By all ships present, not under way, and by naval stations in the vicinity
of the funeral, from the beginning of the funeral to sunset of that day. |
Minute guns equal to number of official salute, fired during funeral
by a ship or station designated by the senior officer present. |
| Unit commander not a flag officer or a commanding officer |
By all ships present, not under way, and by naval stations in the vicinity
of the funeral, from the beginning of the funeral to sunset of that day. |
Seven minute guns, fired during the funeral, by the flagship or the
ship or statoin commanded, or by a unit designated by the senior officer
present. |
| Other persons in the naval service |
By all ships present, not under way, and by naval stations in the vicinity
of the funeral, during the funeral and for one hour thereafter. |
|
Naval Funerals Ashore
The basic elements of a naval funeral ashore consist of the following
elements:
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The casket is draped with the national ensign, arranged so that the blue
union is positioned over the left shoulder of the deceased. The casket
is moved feet first, except in the case of a deceased chaplain, who is
moved head first, the tradition being that a chaplain never turns his back
on his congregation, even in death.
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At the funeral of an official or officer entitled to a personal flag, it
is carried ahead of the casket into the church and in the procession to
the grave, draped with a black crepe streamer tied in a bow below the flagstaff
ornament. For unit commanders below flag rank who die while in command,
the broad or burgee command pennant is carried, while a commission pennant
is used for the commanding officer of a ship who dies while in command.
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Honors are rendered to the casket, including salutes by all personnel in
uniform, whenever it is moved.
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A procession to the grave, including the escort appropriate to the rank
of the deceased, commanded by an officer in the case of an officer's funeral
and by a petty officer or noncommissioned officer in the case of an enlisted
member's funeral:
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Special full honor (combined) funerals (for former Secretaries of the Navy,
former Chiefs of Naval Operations or Commandants of the Marine Corps, and
serving Under Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries of the Navy) include
a band, one Marine and one Navy company (each consisting of two platoons),
combined Marine and Navy color detail, Navy casket bearer detail, and Marine
Corps firing party. The escort commander is a rear admiral. [Officers
and officials above the level described here are entitled to joint Armed
Forces funerals with escorts from all the services.]
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Special full honor funerals, conducted for full admirals, include a band,
two Navy companies of two platoons each, a Navy color detail, Navy casket
bearer detail, and Navy firing party. The escort commander is a rear
admiral.
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Full honor (company) funerals, conducted for vice admirals, rear admirals,
rear admirals (lower half), and captains include a band, one Navy company
of two platoons, and Navy color detail, casket bearers, and firing party.
The escort commander is a rear admiral or captain.
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Full honor (platoon) funerals, conducted for officers below the rank of
captain, consist of a band, a Navy platoon, and Navy color detail, casket
bearers, and firing party.
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Full honor (squad) funerals, conducted for Master Chief Petty Officers
of the Navy, include a band, three Navy squads, Navy color detail, casket
bearers, and firing party.
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Simple honor funerals, conducted for other enlisted personnel, consist
of a bugler, Navy casket bearers, and Navy firing party.
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If the deceased was entitled to a gun salute, minute guns equal in number
to the number of guns in the salute are fired during the procession to
the grave.
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When a band takes part, it normally plays the Navy hymn, "Eternal
Father Strong to Save," as the casket is moved from the hearse or caisson
to the grave.
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Honors following the graveside committal service, including the firing
of three rifle volleys by the seven-person firing party and the sounding
of "Taps." If the deceased was entitled to a gun salute, it is fired
following the committal and before "Taps."
The Navy flag and guidons present are dipped in salute during the playing
of "Taps" as well as during any salute fired.
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The folding and ceremonial presentation of the casket flag to the next
of kin by an official of the U.S. Government, normally the escort commander
or the chaplain. The head casket bearer salutes the folded flag after
giving it to the presenting official, who then salutes it again after presenting
it to the next of kin with words similar to the following: "On behalf
of a grateful nation and a proud Navy, I present this flag to you in recognition
of your [relationship]'s years of honorable and faithful service to his/her
country."
Burial at Sea
After the crew is summoned by passing the word, "All hands bury the dead,"
the ship is stopped and its ensign is lowered to half mast. The casket,
covered with an ensign, is placed on a plank, the foot extending over the
side of the ship. After the words of committal, "we commit his body
to the deep..." the board is tilted so the casket slides from under the
ensign into the sea, the burial detail grasping the hoist of the flag so
that it remains on the board. The three volleys are then fired over
the spot where the casket entered the water and "Taps"
is sounded. The ensign is then closed up to the truck and the ship
resumes its course and speed. The ensign used for the burial is then
folded and cased and later presented to the next of kin.
Procedures for the conduct of naval funerals are found in Navy Regulations,
Chapter 12, Section 10; NAVPERS 15555C, Naval Military Funerals;
and NAVPERS 15956D, Naval Funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.
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Special Honors to USS
Arizona
Article 1282 of Navy Regulations directs that all persons on deck
aboard ships passing the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,
between sunrise and sunset be called to attention, and that those not in
formation render the hand salute as the ship passes the memorial, which
symbolizes the losses suffered in the surprise Japanese attack on the morning
of December 7, 1941. In addition, it is customary for distinguished
visitors to Pearl Harbor to pay tribute at the memorial, normally by laying
a wreath in front of the memorial tablets bearing the names of those who
were lost aboard the battleship and by throwing a flower lei into the sea
above the sunken hull.
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Ceremonies in the Life of a Ship
Keel Laying
The first and simplest ceremony in the life of a ship is that associated
with laying the keel. With modern modular ship construction techniques,
there is often no actual laying of the keel to begin the building process,
but the ceremony is sitll carried out using the first element of the ship
on which construction begins. The ceremony is conducted by the shipyard
building the ship and normally involves an address by a dignitary, such
as a member of Congress or government official. Following the address,
the speaker authenticates the keel by affixing a name plate or inscribing
his initials on the keel (or whatever part of the ship is being used in
lieu of a keel). This typically takes the form of writing his initials
in chalk, after which workmen of the yard use a welding torch to cut the
chalked inscription into the metal. The workmen then move the keel
into position on the building way and an announcement is made that "the
keel has been truly and fairly laid."
Launching and Christening
The second milestone is the dedication, naming, and launching of the newly
completed ship. The exact procedure depends on the design of the
building yard. Traditionally, the launching takes place by rolling
the ship down the ways into the water, but many modern shipyards no longer
use this process. Nevertheless, the launching and christening still
take place, modified as necessary. The launching and christening
ceremony are a joint effort by the building yard and the Navy. The
ceremony normally consists of:
-
The playing of the national anthem.
-
A welcome by an official of the shipyard.
-
A speech by a suitable dignitary.
-
An invocation by a chaplain.
-
The introduction of the sponsor, invariably a woman, normally one with
some connection to the ship's namesake. For instance, a ship named
after a person will often have the widow, mother, or daughter of the honoree
as the sponsor; one named after a state may have a female political figure
or the wife of a political figure from the state as the sponsor.
The sponsor is accompanied by a maid or matron of honor.
-
The band or bugler sounds "Attention," and
all rise and stand at attention.
-
The chaplain pronounces an invocation, calling divine blessing down on
the new ship.
-
The culmination of the ceremony comes when the sponsor announces, "In the
name of the United States, I christen thee (name). May God bless
her and all who sail in her." (The sponsor does not use the
words "United States Ship" in announcing the name, for that distinction
is withheld until the ship is commissioned following sea trials.)
She then swings a bottle of champagne, attached to a tether, smashing it
against the bow of the ship, at which time the ship is cut loose to slide
into the water.
-
The ceremony then concludes with the playing of "Anchors Aweigh."
During the launching and until the ship is commissioned it does not display
the commissioning pennant or any other distinctive mark of a warship.
Instead, the house flag of the builder is displayed. The current
practice is for the house flag to fly at the outboard halyard of the port
yardarm beneath the national ensign.
Commissioning
A vessel officially becomes a "United States Ship," entitled to use the
prefix "USS" before its name, only when it is commissioned, the final rite
of passage in the process of bringing a new warship into service.
Navy
Regulations, article 881, provides the bare minimums of a commissioning
ceremony, but the ceremony is normally somewhat more elaborate. The
steps shown in bold in the following description of a typical ceremony
are those required by Navy Regulations:
-
The officers and crew, a guard, and music are assembled on the quarterdeck
or some other suitable part of the ship (or, if circumstances require,
on the pier alongside).
-
As members of the official party for the commissioning arrive, they are
rendered musical honors but not gun salutes, since the ship is not yet
authorized to fire such salutes.
-
When everyone is in place, the prospective commanding officer faces and
salutes the commissioning authority and reports, "Sir (or ma'am), we are
ready to proceed with the commissioning."
-
The chaplain gives an invocation.
-
The commissioning authority then introduces the official party. This
typically includes the sponsor who christened the ship.
-
After calling the audience and crew to attention, the commissioning
authority reads the commissioning directive, formally transferring responsibility
for the vessel to the prospective commanding officer, and states, "In
accordance with this authority, I hereby place the United States Ship [Name]
in commission."
-
As the band plays the national anthem, the national ensign, union jack,
and commission pennant are hoisted.
-
The prospective commanding officer reads his or her orders, salutes
the commissioning authority and announces that he assumes command of
the ship, and directs the executive officer to set the watch.
-
The executive officer responds, "Aye, Aye, sir (or ma'am)," salutes, and
directs the navigator, "Set the watch, navigator," simultaneously handing
him the long glass (telescope).
-
The navigator proceeds to the quarterdeck and orders the boatswain's mate
to pass the word.
-
The boatswain's mate pipes "Attention," and
passes the word over the 1MC, "Set the watch! On deck section one, watch
one!" All the boatswain's mates commence piping fore and aft as the
first watch takes its duty stations. The first officer of the deck
takes his station and makes the first entry in the log.
-
The executive officer salutes the commanding officer and says "Captain,
the watch has been set."
-
The sponsor of the ship then gives the order, "Man our ship and bring her
to life."
-
The crew boards the ship as the band plays "Anchors Aweigh," each crew
member saluting the ensign as he or she crosses the quarterdeck and proceeding
to his or her position at quarters.
-
The commanding officer then salutes the senior officer present and says,
"Admiral [or Mr. Secretary, or as appropriate], I request permission to
break your flag." When the senior officer replies "Permission granted,"
the commanding officer orders the executive officer, "Break the flag of
__________." As the flag is broken, the band plays the appropriate
ruffles and flourishes and march, then the appropriate gun salute commences
at the end of the march.
-
After honors are rendered, the principal speaker delivers an address, gifts
to the ship are presented by the sponsor, builder, or representatives of
the city or state if the ship is named after one. After the commanding
officer accepts the gifts on behalf of the crew, the chaplain pronounces
a benediction and the ceremony is concluded.
Decommissioning
The ceremony of decommissioning a ship terminates its active service, although
in many cases decommissioned ships may be placed in reserve and recommissioned
many years later in time of need. Decommissioning ceremonies are
generally serious, if not sad, occasions, however, and are conducted far
less elaborately than those that bring a ship into service.
-
After arrival honors for the senior officers and officials attending the
ceremony, the national anthem is played to commence the ceremony.
-
The chaplain gives an invocation, then the commanding officer makes welcoming
remarks and introduces the guest speaker if there is one.
-
After the guest speaker's comments, the commanding officer calls "Attention
to orders!" and reads the decommissioning order.
-
The commanding officer then says, "XO, make preparations to decommission
United States Ship [name]." The executive officer responds, "Aye
aye, captain. Reports."
-
The heads of various departments then make their reports, to which the
executive officer responds, "Very well."
-
The first lieutenant: "All secure about the decks. The running
lights have been extinguished, the cannonballs have been removed and the
cannon has been spiked."
-
The engineer officer: "The shafts have been locked. All valves
closed and the seachest secured. The tiller has been locked amidships."
-
The supply officer: "All rations have been commuted and the galley
fires doused."
-
After the last report, the executive officer reports, "Captain, [name of
ship] is ready for decommissioning." The captain then asks the senior
officer present for permission to decommission the ship.
-
The senior officer and guests, if aboard, are piped ashore, with any appropriate
honors, then the captain orders the executive officer to have the ship's
company lay ashore. Once the crew is ashore, the captain orders,
"Strike eight bells," terminating the final watch, and "Haul down the colors."
-
All present salute as the national ensign and jack are lowered. Finally
the commissioning pennant is hauled down.
-
The executive officer finally orders, "Secure the watch." With this,
the continuous cycle of watch relieving watch aboard a ship in commission
is broken and the ship is no longer in commission. The captain reports
this fact to the senior officer present and relinquishes command, then
directs the executive officer to have the members of the crew carry out
their respective orders.
After the decommissioning, tradition has it that the commanding officer
is presented the last commissioning pennant to fly over the ship to keep
as a memento. The crew member with the most years of service keeps
the last ensign flown by the ship.
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Change of Command
Article 807 of Navy Regulations requires that "At the time of turning
over command, the commanding officer to be relieved will call all hands
to muster, read the orders of detachment, and turn over the command to
his or her relief, who will read the orders of relief and assume command."
The following is the typical procedure by which this provision is carried
out, with the essential elements in boldface:
-
The crew is mustered at the ceremonial area where crew members can
have an unobstructed view of the ceremony. This is important, because
the entire event is about the visible transfer of authority. Honors
(less gun salutes) are rendered to members of the official party who are
entitled to them as they arrive at the command. The senior officer
or official receives full honors, including a gun salute.
-
Guests rise and the crew is called to attention as the official party moves
into place
-
The national anthem is played, the official party facing the national ensign
and all persons in uniform saluting.
-
The chaplain gives the invocation.
-
Guests are seated and the crew is given "Parade rest."
-
The senior officer or official makes remarks and presents any decorations
or awards being given to the officer being relieved.
-
The officer being relieved makes his farewell remarks, then reads the
pertinent portions of his orders of detachment.
-
If the officer being relieved is a flag officer or is flying a command
pennant, he orders "Haul down my flag [or pennant]." Full honors
are rendered, including gun salute. (Aboard ship, the personal flag
or pennant is immediately replaced by a commission pennant--a ship in commission
must have one of the distinctive marks displayed at all times.)
-
The officer being relieved then states, "I am ready to be relieved."
-
The relieving officer then steps forward, reads the orders of relief,
which
typically read something like this:
Bureau of Naval Personnel Order Number -----. To Commander (name).
When directed by reporting senior, detach in (month) (year) from (current
duty) and report not later than (date) to FFG 7 Oliver Hazard Perry.
Upon arrival on board report to (name), Commanding Officer USS Oliver Hazard
Perry (FFG 7) for duty as his relief. Report immediate superior in
command, if present, otherwise by message. Signed, Vice Admiral (name),
Chief of Naval Personnel.
-
The new CO than salutes the officer being relieved, and states, "I relieve
you, sir (or ma'am)." The outgoing commander returns the salute
and responds, "I stand relieved."
-
If the new commander is entitled to display a personal flag or command
pennant, he orders, "Break my flag [or pennant]." His flag is broken
in place of the commission pennant and the appropriate full honors are
again rendered.
-
If the immediate superior is present, the new commander salutes him or
her and states, "Sir [or ma'am], I have properly relieved [name] as [title
of the command]."
-
The new commander then makes very brief remarks, usually expressing pride
in the command and wishing his predecessor well, and concluding with "All
standing orders, regulations, and instructions remain in effect."
He then orders an officer to "take charge and dismiss the ship's company."
-
Departure honors are then rendered for the official party and the ceremony
is concluded.
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Holiday Observances
Washington's Birthday (or President's Day)
In addition to full dressing ship and
displaying holiday sized colors, all saluting ships not under way and all
installations equipped with suitable artillery fire a 21-gun salute at
noon on President's Day (the third Sunday in February). The tradition
of firing such a salute in honor of George Washington's Birthday on February
22 arose in the early nineteenth century. This salute originally
consisted of 17 guns in the 1818 regulations but was changed in 1821 to
one gun for each state in the Union, to be fired by every vessel in port
rated as a sloop-of-war or higher. By 1833, the time of the salute
was fixed at noon. The 1843 regulations ended the practice of matching
this salute to the number of states and instead provided for a 21-gun salute
at noon, as it has remained ever since. The salute has since been
shifted, along with the Federal observance of the holiday, to the third
Monday in February instead of February 22.
Memorial Day
The national ensign is flown at half mast
aboard all ships and stations beginning at morning colors (or sunrise,
in the case of ships under way) on Memorial Day, the last Monday in May.
At 12:00 noon, saluting ships and stations with saluting batteries fire
a salute of 21 minute-guns. At the conclusion of this salute, or
at 12:20 p.m. if the salute is not fired, the ensign is hoisted briskly
to the truck or peak and remains there until sunset. The first mention
of this observance in Navy Regulations appeared in a change published
circa 1903.
Independence Day
Independence Day is celebrated by the naval services by full-dressing
ship and by the firing of a 21-gun salute at noon by every naval station
with a saluting battery and every saluting ship not under way. This
observance dates back to the 1818 Rules, Regulations and Instructions
for the Naval Service, which provided for a 17-gun salute to be fired
on the Fourth of July, but this was increased to one gun per state, to
be fired by every vessel in port rated as a sloop-of-war or greater in
1821. The 1833 regulations stipulated that the salute was to be fired
at noon and, for the first time that all ships in port were to be dressed
for the day. The 1843 regulations dropped the one-gun-per-state salute,
providing instead that "Upon the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
of the United States, the colors shall be hoisted at sunrise, and all the
vessels of the navy shall, when in port, be dressed, and so continue until
the colors are hauled down at sunset, if the state of the weather and other
circumstances will allow it. At sunrise, at meridian, and at sunset,
a salute of twenty-one guns shall be fired from every vessel in commission
mounting six guns and upwards." The noon salute was dropped in 1863,
but restored in 1870, when the sunrise and sunset salutes were dropped
instead. At the time, "dressing" ship entailed the full display of
pennants and flags from stem to stern. Allowing for the subsequent
change in terminology to "full dressing," the observance has remained the
same since 1870.
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Dining-In (Mess Night)
The Navy has an official directive, OpNavInst 1710.7, that prescribes
the procedure for the formal dining-in or mess night, a formal dinner conducted
for members of an organization or unit. As a formal dinner, dinner
dress uniforms, or, for civilians, black tie, are worn. Although
English monasteries and universities are usually cited as the source of
origin of the dining-in, such ceremonial dinners have been a part of civic
and military life all across Europe for many centuries as a way of building
organizational camaraderie and esprit de corps. In the past, dinings-in
were relatively common events aboard ship or in regiments, but modern informality,
the trend for officers to have families, and the general spirit of the
times has made them increasingly rare. They are now usually conducted
to observe special events or as annual hail-and-farewell occasions.
In addition, it is increasingly common for them to be conducted as "dining-outs,"
that is, for spouses or dates to be included, which was not the case in
the past, when the mess night was exclusively a stag affair.
Although all the U.S. services have dinings-in, there are several elements
of the institution as practiced in the Navy that make it different from
the customs in the Army and Air Force and even in the Marines. In
many cases these stem from the messing arrangements typically found aboard
ship, where the officers except for the captain dine in the wardroom but
the captain has his own private mess. As a result, at a Navy mess
night the commanding officer is normally a guest, not, as in the other
services, the president of the mess. In the Navy, it is the executive
officer--the second in command--who presides.
Common to all the U.S. services is the position of "Mr. Vice," or, in
modern times, "Madam Vice," the vice-president of the mess. By tradition,
Mr. Vice is the junior member of the wardroom, although in recent years
the tendency has been for the president to consider wit and presence of
mind as well as seniority in designating the officer to fill this role.
Mr. Vice's job is to organize the dining-in, function as sergeant-at-arms
and master of ceremonies during the proceedings, second toasts, and enforce
the rules of the mess.
After a cocktail hour (alcohol free when conducted aboard ship), a bugler
or band plays "Officers Call," followed by marching music. The officers
put down their drinks, put out any smoking materials, and proceed to their
places in the dining room, members of the head table waiting until last.
After everyone else is at their places, the president leads in those sitting
at the head table, including the honored guest. When they are all
in place, the music stops. The president raps the gavel for attention
and calls on the chaplain to say grace. Another rap of the gavel
signals the members and guests to be seated. Throughout the dining-in,
a fixed code of raps of the gavel signals the members to be silent (three
raps), to rise from their seats (two raps), or to be seated (one rap).
After the conclusion of the six course dinner (appetizer, soup, fish,
main course, salad, and dessert) comes the most distinctive element of
the dining-in, the ceremonial toasts. After dessert and coffee, port
decanters (or bottles) are brought in and placed on the tables, along with
(traditionally) ash trays. Mr. Vice then announces, "The wine is
ready to pass, Sir." The decanter is then passed from left to right
around each table, never stopping until all the glasses are "charged."
An officer who chooses not to drink wine need not do so, but must fill
his glass and at least raise it to his lips at each toast.
When the port has finished its circuit and all the glasses are filled,
the president rises and calls for a toast to the President of the United
States as commander in chief of the Navy. Mr. Vice seconds the toast
by rising ad saying "Ladies and gentlemen (or gentlemen, if only men are
present), the Commander in Chief of the United States." All then
stand and repeat the toast in unison--"The Commander in Chief of the United
States"--sip the drink and remain standing while the band plays the national
anthem. All are then seated.
From that point on, the president may call for specific formal toasts
or recognize a member of the mess to propose the toast. If the president
proposes the toast, Mr. Vice seconds it. If a member proposes it,
the president seconds it. Members and guests respond to each toast
as for that to the Commander in Chief, by rising, repeating the toast,
and sipping the port. Once the toasts begin, the port continues to
be passed so that no one is caught with an empty ("uncharged") glass during
a toast. The formal toasts are drunk in a specified order:
the Commander in Chief (President of the United States), heads of state
of foreign guests, the United States Marine Corps, missing comrades, and
the Chief of Naval Operations. Each of these is proposed without
mentioning the name of the person being toasted, only his or her formal
title.
After these formal toasts, the president of the mess introduces the
guest of honor to address the mess. After his or her speech, it is
time for informal toasts. Members rise and address the president
of the mess, "Mr. President!" On being recognized, the member explains
why he wishes to propose the toast--preferably with (in the words of the
directive on the subject) "inspired wit and subtle sarcasm"--and ending
with the words of the proposed toast. If the president agrees to
the toast, he directs Mr. Vice to second it and the toast is drunk in the
same manner as the formal toasts.
When the president decides it is time to end the informal toasting,
he raps the gavel three times and commences the "business meeting" portion
of the mess, asking Mr. Vice to read the list of offenders against the
customs and traditions of the mess. Offenses include tardiness, smoking
at the table before the president announces that the smoking lamp has been
lit, arguing over precedence, leaving the dining area without permission,
being caught with an uncharged glass, improper toasting procedures, wearing
the cummerbund upside down, and so on. Fines and punishments are
imposed by the president as appropriate.
Remaining seated, the president then calls for a toast the United States
Navy. Mr. Vice rises and proceeds to the head table, where he fills
each glass with port, starting with the honored guest and ending with the
president. All at the other tables likewise fill their glasses.
The president then stands and fills Mr. Vice's glass. Mr. Vice then
faces the mess and seconds the toast. All rise, responding in unison,
"The United States Navy," drain the entire glass, and remain standing while
the band plays "Anchors Aweigh."
The formal part of the evening is then at an end, and the president
invites all present to join him at the bar for informal refreshments.
Attendees do not depart, however, until the president and the official
guests of the mess have done so.
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The "Customary Phraseology of the Service"
Navy Regulations require that all orders given by persons standing watch
be given in the "customary phraseology of the service." This is not
merely a matter of preserving tradition but of ensuring that orders are
clearly understood and promptly obeyed. For example, when the officer
conning the ship gives an order to change engine speed, he begins with
which engine to change (starboard, port, or all), whether forward or back,
and by how much (flank, full, one-third, etc.). An engine order might
thus be given "Starboard ahead one-third, port back one-third;" the lee
helmsman, who operates the engine order telegraph that sends the instructions
to the engine room, repeats the order, adding "aye aye, sir (or ma'am)."
Steering orders, by contrast, are given in terms not of starboard and port
but as right or left: "right standard rudder," for instance, or "left
20 degrees rudder." Thus, from the first word out of the conning
officer's mouth, the entire watch knows whether the change is to engines
or steering and in what direction and can start reacting even before the
order is completed.
Announcements over the shipboard public address system, the "1MC," are
referred to as "passing the word," and for many messages adhere to strict
traditional formulas.
-
At the beginning of the day, the boatswain pipes "All Hands" and passes
the word, "Reveille, reveille! All hands heave out and trice up!
The smoking lamp is lighted in all authorized spaces."
-
At the close of day, he passes the word, "Taps, taps, lights out!
All hands turn into your bunks! Maintain silence about the decks!
The smoking lamp is out in all berthing spaces."
But adherence to customary phraseology extends far beyond the requirements
of shipboard operations. It governs almost every element of day-to-day
discourse, even ashore. The Marine Corps drill manual does not say
that one never lets the flag touch the ground, but that colors are never
allowed to touch the deck. Even in office buildings far from sea,
sailors habitually refer to walls as bulkheads, ceilings as overheads,
halls as passageways, and stairways as ladders. Moreover, the etiquette
of the service has many carefully prescribed formulas by which personnel
communicate with each other:
-
Junior personnel always close written correspondence with their seniors
with the complimentary close, "very respectfully." Seniors sign "respectfully"
when writing to juniors.
-
A junior officer sending a verbal message to a senior instructs the messenger
to present his "respects" to the admiral or captain or whomever; the senior
replies by presenting his "compliments."
-
Seniors "call" or "direct" attention to something; juniors "invite" attention.
-
Seniors "suggest" that something be done; juniors may only "recommend."
-
Seniors "direct" juniors to act; juniors "request" seniors to act.
-
Juniors acknowledge an order by saying "aye aye." Seniors acknowledge
information conveyed by juniors by responding "very well"--and woe to the
junior officer who slips up by saying "very well," even with "sir" appended
to it!
-
Official correspondence is always signed with initials and last name only,
never with the first name. When anyone other than the officer in
command corresponds on behalf of the organization with someone outside
it, the typed block under the signature will read:
without rank or title following the name. This makes clear that one
acts only with the authority of the commander.
The principle of customary phraseology also pertains to the wording of
the officer's commission, which has not changed significantly since the
revival of the Navy in 1794:
The President of the United States of America
To all who shall see these presents, greeting:
Know ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the patriotism,
valor, fidelity, and abilities of [name]
,
I have nominated, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate
do appoint [him or her] a [rank]
in the United States Navy, to rank as such from the ___ day of
[month] , [year]. This officer will
therefore carefully and diligently discharge the duties of the office to
which appointed by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto
belonging.
And I do strictly charge and require those officers and other personnel
of lesser rank to render such obedience as is due an officer of this grade
and position. And this officer is to observe and follow such orders
and directions from time to time as may be given by the President of the
United States of America or other superior officers, acting in accordance
with the laws of the United States of America.
This commission is to continue in force during the pleasure of the President
of the United States of America, under the provisions of those public laws
relating to officers of the Armed Forces of the United States of America
and the component thereof in which this appointment is made.
Done at the City of Washington, this _____ day of
[month] in the year of our Lord _____ and of the Independence
of the United States of America the _______.
By the President:
[signature of the Secretary of the Navy]
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Other Ceremonies and Customs
Boat Hails
The watch aboard a ship is responsible for hailing any boat approaching
the ship at night to determine the rank of passengers aboard the boat.
This custom originated in the requirement that the ship be prepared for
the proper protocolary reception of any senior officer who might be coming
aboard. The required information is conveyed through a series of
traditional responses given by the boat's coxswain in response to the cry,
"Boat ahoy!"
|
United States Navy
|
Royal Navy
|
| Rank of Senior Passenger |
Coxswain's Reply |
Rank of Senior Passenger |
Coxswain's Reply |
| President of Vice President |
"United States" |
Member of royal family |
"Standard" |
| Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary, or Assistant Secretary
of Defense |
"Defense" |
|
|
| Secretary, Under Secretary, or Assistant Secretary of the Navy |
"Navy" |
|
|
| Chief or Vice Chief of Naval Operations |
"Naval Operations" |
|
|
| Commandant of the Coast Guard |
"Coast Guard" |
|
|
| Fleet, force or group commander |
"Fleet" or abbreviated title of command |
Flag officer |
"Flag [name of flagship]" |
| Chief of staff or chief staff officer |
"Staff" |
Chief of staff, chief staff officer, or captain of the fleet |
"Staff [name of flagship]" |
| Squadron commander |
"____Ron [number]" (e.g., "DesRon-23" |
|
|
| Commanding officer of a ship |
"[name of ship]" |
Commanding officer of a ship |
"[name of ship]" |
| Other commissioned officer |
"Aye, aye" |
|
|
| Petty officer |
"No, no" |
|
|
| Other enlisted personnel |
"Hello" |
|
|
| Boat not intending to come alongside |
"Passing" |
|
|
Long a matter of custom, the specific boat hails used in the U.S. Navy
were first codified in Navy Regulations in 1893.
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Ceremonies and Customs of the Marine Corps
Marine Corps Birthday
None of the U.S. armed services celebrates its birthday with as much pageantry
and panache as the Marine Corps. Under General Order 47, issued by
Major General John Lejeune on November 1, 1921, the birthday celebration,
commemorating the establishment of the Continental Marines on November
10, 1775, is conducted everywhere Marines are stationed, from headquarters
in Washington to the smallest embassy security guard detachment to forward
positions in the nation's "small wars."
Birthday Cake Cutting
The centerpiece of the birthday celebration is the birthday dinner and
ball, and particularly the main event, the cutting of the birthday cake.
The procedure for this ceremony was formally prescribed in 1952 by the
Commandant, General Lemuel Shepherd.
The event opens with a bugler sounding "Attention," upon which the Marines
and their guests, except for those participating directly in the ceremony,
move into position in the ballroom. The adjutant orders the bugler
to "Sound 'Adjutant's Call!'" whereupon the doors of the ballroom are thrown
open and the drummers and trumpeters march in to the strains of the "Foreign
Legion March." When the musicians are in place, the cake escort enters
the ballroom to the playing of "Semper Fidelis," the Corps's official march.
At a dinner at a major installation, two colonels enter first, taking position
at the far end of the room facing one another. Then two lieutenant
colonels, two majors, and so on, until there are six officers in each row,
facing one another across a hollow rectangle. General officers or
other high ranking personnel then enter, forming a row connecting the rectangle
at the colonels' end and facing back toward the door, leaving two spaces
open in the center.
The bugler again sounds "Attention," and the commanding general, accompanied
by the guest of honor, enter the ballroom and march halfway down the room.
The senior colonel of the escort commands, "Present arms," and all members
of the escort salute while the band renders the appropriate musical
honors. After the honors are completed, the escort is given "Order
arms" and the commanding general and the guest of honor move forward to
fill the spaces in the center of the general officer's line. (If
the observance takes place in a noncommissioned officers' mess, the ranks
of the escort are modified accordingly.)
Once again, the bugler sounds "Attention." The color guard enters
the ballroom and marches to the center of the rectangle formed by the escort.
Once again, the senior colonel of the escort commands, "Present arms."
All salute and the bearer of the Marine Corps color dips it forward as
the band plays the national anthem. The command "Order arms" is then
given and the color guard marches forward to the generals' end of the rectangle,
countermarches back to the open end in front of the trumpeters and drummers,
and takes position there.
A third time the bugler sounds "Attention." The band begins playing
"The Marines' Hymn," and four second lieutenants enter the room pushing
a cart bearing the birthday cake and a Marine officer's saber (or noncommissioned
officer's cutlass, in an enlisted mess). The escorts slowly roll
the cake to a position in front of the commanding general and the guest
of honor, followed by the adjutant, then halt and step back facing inward
toward the cake.
When the cake is in place and "The Marines' Hymn" is concluded, the
adjutant faces about and reads the traditional birthday message, Major
General John Lejeune's General Order 47, the sine qua non of every
Marine Corps birthday celebration:
On November 10, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution
of the Continental Congress. Since that date many thousand men have
borne the name Marine. In memory of them it is fitting that we who
are Marines should commemorate the birthday of our Corps by calling to
mind the glories of is long and illustrious history.
The record of our Corps is one which will bear comparison with that
of the most famous military organizations in the world's history.
During 90 of its 146 years of its existence the Marine Corps has been in
action against the Nation's foes. From the Battle of Trenton to the
Argonne, Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras
of tranquillity at home generation after generation of Marines have grown
gray in war in both hemispheres, and in every corner of the seven seas
that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security.
In every battle and skirmish since the birth of our Corps Marines have
acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors
on each occasion until the term Marine has come to signify all that is
highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue.
This high name of distinction and soldierly repute we who are Marines
today have received from those who preceded us in the Corps. With
it we also received from them the eternal spirit which has animated our
Corps from generation to generation and has been the distinguishing mark
of the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to
flourish Marines will be found equal to every emergency in the future as
thay have been in the past, and the men of our Nation will regard us as
worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as
"Soldiers of the Sea" since the founding of the Corps.
The commanding general then steps forward and gives a short discussion
of the significance of the birthday and the guest of honor makes his remarks.
The senior cake escort then takes the sword and gives it to the commanding
general. As the band plays "Auld Lang Syne," the commanding general
uses the saber to cut three pieces of cake, giving the first to the guest
of honor, the second to the oldest Marine present, and the third to the
youngest.
The band strikes up "Semper Fidelis" and the color guard marches forward,
then countermarches and exits the ballroom, followed by the commanding
general and the guest of honor, then the rest of the general officers.
The cake and its escort then move forward and the members of the escort
cut and distribute the rest of the cake to all the Marines and their guests,
the band continuing to play throughout. After the cake is distributed,
the band ceases playing, the escort, drummers, and trumpeters march out
of the room, and the doors are closed, concluding the cake cutting ceremony.
Honors to Deceased Commandants
Less visible than the ball and cake cutting is the tradition, observed
since 1954, of conducting a simple ceremony at the graves of deceased Commandants
of the Marine Corps every year on November 10. At a minimum, a field
grade officer, a noncommissioned officer, and a bugler, attired in dress
blue uniform, visit each Commandant's grave on that day. The NCO
carries a floral wreath with a scarlet and gold ribbon. Taking up
their positions at the grave, the officer removes his cap and bows his
head for one minute's silence. He then replaces his cap, takes the
wreath from the NCO, and places it on the grave. The officer and
the NCO then stand side-by-side and render the hand salute while the bugler
plays "Taps." The ceremonial party then drops the salute and departs.
More elaborate ceremonies are allowed, with honor guard, band, and so forth,
if the assets to conduct them are available. The majority of past
Commandants are buried at Arlington National Cemetery, but several are
buried elsewhere in Washington, several in the Philadelphia area, and one
on Long Island. Although Marine Corps Order 5060.12D prescribes this
observance only for past Commandants, it has also become traditional in
recent years to conduct a similar ceremony at the grave of one of the Corps's
great heroes, Lieutenant General Lewis "Chesty" Puller, even though he
never served as Commandant.
Marine Corps Funerals
Marine Corps funerals are conducted essentially according to the same
procedures used by the Navy, but with several additional elements:
-
The Marine Corps provides a blue dress B uniform for the body if the deceased
Marine did not have one and the family so desires.
-
The Marine Corps provides a floral wreath for the funeral of a Marine who
dies on active duty, with a scarlet and gold ribbon reading "United States
Marine Corps."
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The bearer party, after folding the casket flag, often slips the deceased's
identification "dog tag" or a shell casing from the rifle party's volleys
inside the folded flag before it is presented to the next of kin.
-
The words used in presenting the flag are "On behalf of the President of
the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, please accept
this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service
to Country and Corps."
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Copyright 2000, 2001 by Joseph McMillan