With Memorial Day approaching I thought about some of the friends I've lost, and decided to start attending the village celebrations once again; I've missed some in the past few years.
One of the things I've never been comfortable with is the "civilian" hand-over-heart salute during the national anthem. When honoring the fallen I always want to use a proper military salute, but remembered being told upon discharge in 1971 that this was not allowed for people out of uniform.
On a whim, I searched and found this:
Am I the only vet that didn't know this? This was passed in 2008. I was a little late getting the memo, I guess.
So it appears that I am allowed to salute in a proper fashion! I will do so this weekend.
One of the things I've never been comfortable with is the "civilian" hand-over-heart salute during the national anthem. When honoring the fallen I always want to use a proper military salute, but remembered being told upon discharge in 1971 that this was not allowed for people out of uniform.
On a whim, I searched and found this:
VA.gov | Veterans Affairs
Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.
www.va.gov
Am I the only vet that didn't know this? This was passed in 2008. I was a little late getting the memo, I guess.
So it appears that I am allowed to salute in a proper fashion! I will do so this weekend.