Funeral Military Salute - 4 Rules do not apply??

I dont know why there is not a "quote" function on the boards but
Sgt Lumpy wrote:::::::::

Like everyone else, it seems horribly wrong to me. I've played the bagpipes at dozens of military and LEO funerals. Never seen the M1s or bolt actions pointed anywhere but skyward.

Sgt Lumpy

Even though nobody has said so I would assume that some members here are thinking there's a remote possibility that I am making this up. Not so. I have owned guns for over thirty - five years and could not believe what I witnessed. Furthermore I thought that the fact that the trumpet player doing taps was not really playing taps but it was a recording device stuffed down the trumpets mouth, showed things were not what they used to be. Probably not to many left that can play Taps or are interested in learning. As far as safe gun handling by our best, I would think that would never change. I'm stumped by what I seen.
 
Even though nobody has said so I would assume that some members here are thinking there's a remote possibility that I am making this up. Not so. I have owned guns for over thirty - five years and could not believe what I witnessed. Furthermore I thought that the fact that the trumpet player doing taps was not really playing taps but it was a recording device stuffed down the trumpets mouth, showed things were not what they used to be. Probably not to many left that can play Taps or are interested in learning. As far as safe gun handling by our best, I would think that would never change. I'm stumped by what I seen.
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I'm skeptical. But it shouldn't be too hard to find out who the NCO in charge was and give him a proper chewing-out. (not for the fake bugle but for the unsafe rifle handling)
 
I can guarantee that if it were I or any of my Veteran Ass. members, . . . there would have been one butt chewing the likes of which is only given by a Gunny, MSgt, or MCPO.

It would have been privately done, . . . not disturb the funeral goers, . . . but that would have been dealt with then and there.

No call, no reason, no excuse other than some wannabe's trying to impress somebody.

Proper decorum (I have done them for years) is an odd number of shooters (cannot always get 7), . . . firing at roughly a 45 degree angle upwards, . . . and over or in the general direction of the deceased.

Please do the Veteran Orgs a favor, . . . find out who those clowns were, . . . and get them straightened out.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
Even though nobody has said so I would assume that some members here are thinking there's a remote possibility that I am making this up.
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Well if you feel this might be an issue post the city and the group doing the salute at the funeral.

(And the board does have a quotes button. ;))

Also, I am not accusing you of anything...just curious.
 
If I had to guess, I'd say it was a detail that people got "stuck" on. They could have been fairly new and just not have known what they were doing. That is NOT an excuse on their part, just a guess at what may have happened.

Perhaps they were trying to show off as well. I don't think most civilians find basic drill to be too interesting, and I can't imagine that these guys were on par with the silent drill teams, so this would seem kind of silly.
 
I've never seen the guns in a military salute aimed at anyone. They are generally aimed upwards at an angle.
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Aye. I've never seen a drill team operate in an unsafe manner. They may perform some movements that would get them yelled at on a live range, but never anything that truly endangers anyone (even considering the possibility of a live round).


alg460 -

If you really saw what you describe, you need to find out who they were and inform them of the problem. (And report back to us. ;))

Furthermore I thought that the fact that the trumpet player doing taps was not really playing taps but it was a recording device stuffed down the trumpets mouth, showed things were not what they used to be. Probably not to many left that can play Taps or are interested in learning.
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My experience tells me this is one of two things:
1. A misunderstanding. - Some drill teams use amplifiers in the bell of the horn. It looks like a speaker, and can distort the sound (to appear recorded) at times; but it is used for live ceremonies.
2. It was in an area where the ROTC (lacking knowledge) or a VFW (forgot the knowledge) was performing the ceremony, because they were all that was available. Their choices were a recording of taps, or no taps at all. If so, be glad that at least someone cared enough to do the best they could, even if it wasn't up to your standards.
 
Though not the issue here, it is common now for a device to be fitted into a bugle to play taps.... Bugle players are a rare thing now.
 
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