Chapter 2: Military and Line of Duty Funeral Services 3 CE Hours
Course overview When a member of the Military is killed in action, the death can be a tragic and devastating loss for the family, the comrades, the friends, and the country. When a member of law enforcement, fire service, or emergency medical service is killed in the line of duty, the tragic loss is felt by the family, the professional family, and the community who was served. The funeral service for a person killed in action or in the line of duty can be more detailed and complex than Learning objectives After completing this course, the learner will be able to: Differentiate between the honors that may be available for Military personnel killed in action or as a veteran of the Armed Forces. Interpret the definition and meaning of Line of Duty Deaths (LODD) and the role of funeral directors in the services following a LODD.
other funeral arrangements. This course is designed to aid funeral directors in understanding many of the honors and traditions used in these types of services. The content of this course will include the origin and symbolism of many funeral honors observed, discuss the detailed planning required to properly arrange these types of services, and serve in preparing directors to serve the ones affected by Military and Line of Duty Deaths. Identify the symbolism and origin of many of the honors used in military, law enforcement, fire, and other public servant funerals. Recognize the importance of detailed planning, organization, and communication in preparing for a military or LODD service. Develop basic procedures and practices for assisting agencies, departments, and organizations who experience a LODD.
INTRODUCTION
Men and women selflessly place themselves in harm’s way and in dangerous situations to serve and protect others every day. Those honorably serving in the armed forces protect lives, property, and the way of life for men, women, and children all over the world. There are brave individuals domestically who are members of agencies, departments, and organizations that serve in law enforcement, fire and rescue service, emergency medical service, and other areas. A common denominator for all these sectors of service is the inherent danger the men and women voluntarily place themselves in to protect lives, property, and freedom. When
one of these brave men and women pays the ultimate sacrifice and dies in the line of duty, people employ many traditions and honors to respect their memory. Often, society bestows many of these same traditions and honors upon members of these communities who are retired from service or otherwise pass away while off duty. This course will describe many of the common practices and traditions of services for military service members and Line of Duty Deaths (LODD), as well as ways in which funeral directors can be best prepared to serve in these types of services.
HISTORY OF HONORS
As is the case with many traditions and practices of mankind, the true root or origin is not always clear. This principle applies to the traditions and customs of honors that are used in funeral services for military, law enforcement, fire service, and other organizations. Many of the honors used in services for fallen law enforcement officers and fire service personnel originate from those used for the military. When tracing the roots of the military, one can often discover more than one origin. The primary presence in almost any service with honors is the honor guard. The honor guard who performs the honors is normally from the same branch of military service or sector of public service as the deceased. The primary duty of honor guards, when participating in funeral or memorial services, is to render the final honors for the fallen soldier, officer, or firefighter. These honors are deeply rooted in traditions of military burials and have been adapted and modified for many law enforcement agencies and fire departments. Military honors have been used to honor the memory of the dead since the first armies lost soldiers in battle (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Unknown). The honors that are rendered at a military funeral, and thus a Line of Duty Death service, are quite symbolic. For example, there are traditionally six pallbearers that bear the casket to the grave.
Many believe that this tradition began from the death of an eight-member squad of soldiers. The other remaining seven members of the squad were often the closest association of the one whom had died; therefore, they would perform the burial detail. With seven being an uneven number of soldiers bearing the casket, the squad leader or highest- ranking member of the squad would act as an escort for the detail. There are still six pallbearers used today to represent the comrades-in-arm left behind after a death (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Unknown). Rifle salutes are another traditional and prominent aspect of military and law enforcement services. People often mistakenly refer to these salutes as a twenty-one-gun salute, when it is actually a rifle salute. A twenty-one-gun salute is believed to trace back to the Anglo-Saxon Empire when twenty-one guns constituted a recognized naval salute. This was because most naval vessels of that time had only seven guns. At that time, it was much easier to store gun powder on land than it was on ships at sea. Therefore, guns on land could fire three shots for every one shot that a ship at sea could fire. As developments in storage allowed people to store more gun powder on ships at sea, naval ships began to use twenty-one guns. The United States originally used one shot for each of the twenty-one states in 1818. As the
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Book Code: FPA0625
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