Chapter XV · HONORS AND DISTINCTIONS
Reading edition
The honors and distinctions shown to the National Flag, to the President and other high Government officials, to the National Anthem and to the officers of the various ranks in the different services composing the Armed Forces of the United States are prescribed in the U. S. Army Regulations and the U. S. Navy Regulations, which are issued by the Secretaries of War and the Navy by authority of the President of the United States.
At Army Posts and Stations the National Flag is hoisted at sunrise and lowered at sunset and on board ships of the Navy the National Flag is hoisted at 8 a. m. and lowered at sunset, these occasions being known as “Morning Colors” and “Evening Colors.”
While the National Flag is being hoisted and lowered all officers and enlisted men stand at attention facing the flag, if in uniform and covered they stand at the salute during the hoisting or lowering of the flag and if in civilian dress covered, they uncover and hold the headdress opposite the left shoulder. The latter form of salute is the correct one for all civilians who desire to so honor the flag of their country.
When passing the National Flag flown at an Army post or on board a ship of the Navy, the flag is saluted with the “right hand salute” or if arms are carried in hand, with the prescribed salute for the arm carried. The same honor is accorded to the flag when it is carried past by any organization of the military or naval forces. The same honor is accorded by members of the military and naval forces of the United States to the flags of other nations under like circumstances.
When a band is present at morning or evening colors the National Anthem is played during the hoisting and lowering of the colors, and when ships of the navies of other nations are in the same port the national anthem of those nations is also played by the bands of ships of the United States Navy.
The National Anthem of the United States of America is the composition consisting of the words and music known as “The Star Spangled Banner,” which was officially designated as such by the President of the United States on August 23, 1916.
For many years of its existence as a nation the United States of America had no officially recognized national anthem although various national songs and airs attained widespread popularity. During the Revolution “Yankee Doodle” and “The World Turned Upside Down” were popular military airs and the former still survives to some extent as a national song.
In 1832 the Reverend Samuel Francis Smith, a Baptist minister of Boston, wrote the song entitled “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” and it was set to the music of the British National Anthem, “God Save the King,” and widely published in prayer books as the American National Hymn. This has led many people to believe that it was the official National anthem; however this is not the case, as it never received any official recognition as such.
During the Civil War, 1861 to 1865, there were a number of airs that reached great popularity among the soldiers and sailors of both sides, the most stirring of these airs being “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” in the North and “Dixie” in the South.
The Navy Regulations of 1890 prescribed that “The Star Spangled Banner” should be played by the bands at morning colors and “Hail, Columbia” at evening colors, thus giving an official standing to both airs.
In the Navy Regulations of 1893 and the Army Regulations of 1895 “The Star Spangled Banner” was prescribed for use at colors and came to be officially recognized as the National Air, but it was not until the President’s order of August 23, 1916, that it became the official National Anthem.
By the order of the President the honors shown to the National Anthem are prescribed in the U. S. Army Regulations as follows:
Whenever the National Anthem is played at any place when persons belonging to the military services are present, all officers and enlisted men not in formation shall stand at attention facing toward the music (except at retreat, when they shall face toward the flag). If in uniform, covered, they shall salute at the first note of the anthem, retaining the position of salute until the last note of the anthem. If not in uniform and covered, they shall uncover at the first note of the anthem, holding the headdress opposite the left shoulder and so remain until its close, except that in inclement weather the headdress may be held slightly raised.
The same rules apply when “To the Color” or “To the Standard” is sounded as when the National Anthem is played.
When played by an Army band, the National Anthem shall be played through without repetition of any part not required to be repeated to make it complete.
The same marks of respect prescribed for observance during the playing of the National Anthem of the United States shall be shown toward the National Anthem of any other country when played upon official occasions.
The U. S. Navy Regulations prescribe the same honors whenever the National Anthem is played on board a vessel of the Navy, at a Naval Station or at any place where persons belonging to the naval service are present.
Civilians wishing to pay the proper honor to the National Anthem should stand at attention whenever present at any place where the National Anthem is played and if covered they should remove the headdress and hold it opposite the left shoulder while standing at attention during the playing of the music.
When the President of the United States visits a Fort or Station of the United States Army he is received with the command formed in line under arms, the national colors and regimental standards being carried by the troops, officers and men saluting with the “Present arms,” the band playing the National Anthem followed by four ruffles of the drums and four flourishes of the bugles.
An ex-President and Vice President of the United States are received with the same honors except that the band plays a march instead of the National Anthem.
The President of a foreign republic or the sovereign or a member of the royal family of a foreign country is received with the same honors as the President of the United States except that the National Anthem of his country will be played by the band.
Members of the President’s Cabinet, the Chief Justice, the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, American and foreign Ambassadors and Governors (within their respective states or territories) are received with the same honors as the Vice President except that the number of ruffles and flourishes is three.
General Officers of the Army or Marine Corps and Flag Officers of the Navy are received with the national colors and regimental standards, officers and men saluting with the “Present arms,” the band playing a march followed by ruffles and flourishes of the drums and bugles, the number of ruffles and flourishes depending upon the rank of the officer being received, as follows:
General or Admiral—four ruffles and flourishes.
Lieutenant General or Vice Admiral—three ruffles and flourishes.
Major General or Rear Admiral—two ruffles and flourishes.
Brigadier General or Commodore—one ruffle and flourish.
In addition to the above honors salutes with cannon are fired upon the arrival and departure of the President of the United States and the president or sovereign or a member of the royal family of a foreign country; and upon the arrival of other officials and military and naval officers in accordance with their rank as follows:
The President of the United States, or the President or sovereign or member of the royal family of a foreign country 21 guns
An ex-President of the United States or the Vice President 21 guns
Ambassadors, members of the Cabinet and the president pro tempore of the Senate 19 guns
The Chief Justice, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, a Committee of Congress, Governors within their respective states or territories, a Governor General and the Governor of the Philippine Islands 17 guns
The Assistant Secretary of War, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, the Vice-Governor of the Philippine Islands, an Envoy Extraordinary or Minister Plenipotentiary 15 guns
A Minister Resident 13 guns
A Charge d’Affaires 11 guns
A Consul-General to the United States 11 guns
Admiral of the Navy 19 guns
General or Admiral 17 guns
Lieutenant General or Vice Admiral 15 guns
Major General or Rear Admiral 13 guns
Brigadier General or Commodore 11 guns
Officers of foreign armies and navies are received with the same honors as those tendered to officers of like rank in our own services.
At every Army post provided with suitable artillery a cannon salute of twenty-one guns, known as a “National salute,” is fired at noon on Washington’s Birthday, February 22nd, and on Memorial Day, May 30th, and on Independence Day, July 4th, a salute of one gun for each state in the Union is fired.
The honors and ceremonies to be observed when the President of the United States or the president or sovereign of another country, or a lesser official entitled to such honor visits a ship of the U. S. Navy are given in the following table from the U. S. Navy Regulations.
These honors are decided by international custom and are practically the same in all of the navies of the world and a strict observance of them is necessary to avoid any occasion for international misunderstanding that might arise from an omission of any customary honor or salute.
In addition to the gun salutes described in the above table a National salute, twenty-one guns, is fired by every ship in the Navy at noon on Independence Day, July 4th, Washington’s Birthday, February 22nd, and Memorial Day, May 30th.
Rank Uniform Salute Guns Ruffles Guard Music Side honors Flag
Arrival Departure
President S.F.D. 1 1 21 4 Full National Anthem. Yards or rail mannned and 8 S. boys. President’s, at main, during visit. National, at main, during visit National, at main during salute.
President of foreign Republic or a foreign sovereign do. 1 1 21> 4 do. do.
Member of royal family do. 1 1 21 4 do. March.
Ex-President do. 1 1 21 4 do. March. 8 S. boys. National, at main, during salute in foreign countries.
Vice President do. 1 19 4 do. do. do. National, at fore, during salute.
Ambassador do. 1 19 4 do. National Anthem. do. Do.
Secretary of the Navy Dress 1 1 19 4 do. March. do. Secretary’s, at main, during visit.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Dress 1 1 17 4 do. do. do. Asst. Secretary’s, at main, during visit.
Cabinet officer do. 1 19 4 do. do. do. National, at fore, during salute.
Chief Justice do. 1 17 4 do. do. do. Do.
Governor general, United States islands do. 1 17 4 do. do. do. Do.
Governor of State, Territory or U. S. islands do. 1 17 4 do. do. do. Do.
President pro tempore of the Senate do. 1 19 4 do. do. do. Do.
Speaker of the House of Representatives do. 1 17 4 do. do. do. Do.
Committee of Congress do. 1 17 4 do. do. do. Do.
Envoy extraordinary do. 1 15 3 do. do. do. Do.
Minister resident or “diplomatic representative” do. 1 13 2 do. do. 6 S. boys. Do.
Charge d’affaires do. 1 11 1 do. do. do. Do.
Consul general Of the day 1 11 Day do. Do.
First secretaries of embassies or legations do. 4 S. boys. Do.
Consul do. 1 7 Day do. Do.
Vice consul or consular agent (where he is the only representative of the United States) do. 1 5 do. do. Do.
Admiral of the Navy Dress 1 19 4 Full March 8 S. boys. In case of foreign officers, national, at fore, during salute.
Admiral do. 1 17 4 do. do. do.
General
Vice admiral do. 1 15 3 do. do. do.
Lieutenant general
Rear admiral do. 1 13 2 do. do. 6 S. boys.
Major general (Army or Marine Corps)
Commodore do. 1 11 1 do. do. do.
Brigadier general (Army or Marine Corps)
Chief of staff, if not a flag or general officer Of the day Day 4 S. boys.
Captain If commanding officers Of the day Day 4 S. boys.
Colonel
Commander
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant commander do. do. 2 S. boys.
Major
All other commissioned officers below lieutenant commander and major do. do.
Abbreviations.
S. F. D.—Special Full dress.
S. boys.—Side boys who stand at either side of the head of the gangway or ladder by which the official comes aboard of the ship.
When a ship of the Navy is in a port of a foreign country upon the National holiday of that country a salute of twenty-one guns is fired at noon on that day.
In accordance with established military courtesy salutes are exchanged between officers and between officers and enlisted men not in a military formation, nor at drills, at work, engaged in playing athletic games or at meals, on every occasion of their meeting or passing or being addressed by a senior, the officer who is junior in rank or the enlisted man saluting first, and the officer senior in rank returning the salute.
When the officer or enlisted man is not bearing arms of any kind in his hands he salutes with the right hand by bringing the hand smartly up to the visor of the cap above the right eye, fingers closed, hand, wrist and forearm straight, palm of the hand to the left and right forearm at an angle of forty-five degrees, and then dropping the arms to the side.
The distance within which salutes are required is that within which recognition is easy, usually considered to be about thirty paces (twenty-five yards).
When troops of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps are reviewed by the President of the United States or by any official or officer entitled to review them, they march past the reviewing officer with the bands playing a suitable march, the colors and standards saluting, officers and enlisted men rendering the marching salute and the drummers and buglers sounding the ruffles and flourishes appropriate to the rank of the reviewing officer.
The salute with the colors and standards is made by drooping them to the front. The marching salute for officers and enlisted men is made by turning the head and eyes toward the person to be saluted and is known as “eyes right” or “eyes left,” depending upon whether the position of the reviewing officer is to the right or left of the column as it passes in review, officers also salute with the sword by bringing it up and to the front until the hand grasping the hilt is opposite the chin and then sweeping the hand and sword down and to the right.
Many of the regiments of the Army have distinctive marches which are played when passing in review but no distinctive march has ever been adopted for the Army as a whole.
The march usually played by the bands of the sailor regiments of the Navy when passing in review is “A Life on the Ocean Wave,” and that played by the bands of the Marine Corps under the same circumstances is “Semper Fidelis,” the title of the march being the motto of the Marine Corps.
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
“THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER”
Written by Francis Scott Key while a prisoner on board the British Ship Surprise during the bombardment of Fort McHenry near Baltimore during the War of 1812.
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thro’ the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore dimly seen thro’ the mists of the deep, Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes. What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam. In full glory reflected now shines on the stream; ’Tis the star-spangled banner; oh, long may it wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! And where is the band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion A home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave. Oh, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and wild war’s desolation; Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heaven-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: “In God is our Trust!” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
THE END