Transcript for the Piece Audio version of The Military Honor Guard (long version)

The solemn last right for every solider is the military funeral. Form the young men and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan to those who lived long lives after the Second World War, each one receives an honors ceremony. Charles Lane recently spent time with an honor guard and found out how rich in tradition each service is. (:20)

TAPE (7/13/05) T14 –:56 (:02)

[ambi of flag-folding practice]

No you’re going to stand over there and I come over here.

NAR1 On a gray July morning Petty Officer First Class Kirk Walsh watches as the four sailors under his command practice folding a flag held up above an empty casket stand. (:10)

TAPE T15 –3:58 (:13)

You have to step over to the side. You can come down a little further. Once he gets to here he’s going to step back and then he’s going to be like this.

NAR2 The funeral procession is still 30 minutes away but already mourners have begun to arrive. They dot the tree-lined edges of Long Island’s Calverton National Cemetery looking on sadly as Walsh and his sailors rehearse their sharply punctuated movements with a practice flag. The real flag being kept to the side for later. (:21)

TAPE T16 -1:40 (:19)

This is called a four man fold that we usually use. It consists four men folding the flag and the two additional people receiving the flag and presenting it to the mother and fianc?.

RT: 1:25

TAPE T14 –:56 (:02)

[more ambi of folding]

NAR3 Walsh says he oversees about 140 ceremonious a month, but some are more difficult than others. (:06)

TAPE T17 –5:00 (:26)

There is a big difference, when we do the two person fold it’s usually reserved for people who are elderly and was in WWII, Korea, or Vietnam. They kind of lived their life and done their thing. So it is much more difficult to do it for a person who passed away while on active duty especially when you look at the date of birth and see that it’s usually less than mine. So that kind of hits home.

TAPE T14 -:56 (:01)

[more ambi]

NAR4 In a flag-folding ceremony the flag is folded 13 times and each fold has a special meaning. The third fold is in remembrance of past veterans while the ninth fold is for womanhood and the tenth is for the fathers who give up their sons and daughters. (:10)

TAPE T17 –1:52 (:06)

[ambi of Marines practicing volleys]

Ready. Aim. Fire. [Click] Ready. Aim

NAR5 The funeral procession is now only 15 minutes away but Captin Ko of the 6th Communication Battalion wants his Marines to practice the firing of the volleys a few last times. (:10)

TAPE T17 –1:32 (:02)

[ambi of Marines]

Your other right Mike

RT: 2:28

TAPE T17 –3:00 (:13)

It’s part of military tradition in honor of the fallen that we present a 21 gun salute. So that’s what my Marines are here for. It consists of 7 man detail each firing 3 rounds.

NAR6 When the Marines fire their volleys they’ll be reenacting a tradition hundreds of years old going back to the days of cannon fire when three volleys signaled to the enemy that the dead have been cleared and battle may resume. Today, in a few short minutes, Captain Ko’s Marines will fire over the casket announcing that this solider has been properly cared for. An empty shell casing from each volley is then collected and carried to the flag folding detail. The three rounds represent duty, honor, and courage and they are folded into the flag and given to the family. All this while the sound of Taps plays overhead. (:34)

TAPE T17 -3:30 (:02)

[ambi of Marnies leaving field]

Left right left. Left right left.

NAR7 Standing out in the field all by himself is Lieutenant Daniel Orteez. He’s dressed immaculately in white and standing half way up a shallow green hill looking over the crowd that has now gathered. Lieutenant Orteez is the bugler. (:13)

TAPE T16 –4:39 (:36)

Funerals I’ve been doing for about 3 years now so this doesn’t really phase me too much so I’m very good and separate this. And right now this is just a job for me make sure I can play it and play a good thing. If I let my emotions get to me then I sound too unsteady. So if I think about that and the fact that I’m going to be the only one making any noise and everyone else will be silent, I’ll get nervous. So right now I’m just going to play as if I was playing at home.

RT: 4:06

TAPE (7/13/05) T6 –3:04 (:09)

[ambi of loading of guns, “ready aim fire”, POP]

FADE UNDER AFTER FIRST SHOT

NAR8 But Lieutenant Orteez is not playing at home. His tune carries out over the heads of nearly two hundred mourners circled around the casket. The Marines stand at parade rest with their heads bowed and rifles resting on the ground while the sailors present the flag to the fianc? who struggles to wrap her arms around it. The task of a showing proper respect for this fallen solider is now complete. (:23)

TRT: 4:29

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