Encased Military Burial Flag

[Paradox]

So we decided to go to the Saugus Swap Meet this Morning. It was packed but, it’s a good walk and occasionally I find something good.

Anyway as we are on the last row heading towards the parking lot, there lays an encased Military Burial Flag with an engraved metal plate, sitting in an absolute pile of junk. I couldn’t stand seeing it like that so I bought it.

With the help of a genealogy site, I was able to track him down. He fought in WW II and had no children. He did have a half brother who also died but, the half brother had Daughters. In turn, it looks like I was able to track one of them down in Texas. I reached out via email and am awaiting a response.

I would love to ship this to a relative who it might mean something special to. I couldn’t imagine one of my relative’s flag sitting like this one was.

 

[Tank]

That’s awesome you did that.

My grandfather faught in WWII. I was given his encased burial flag when my mom
Passes a couple years ago.

I decided after some deliberation, that I wanted to display the flag in its full glory. So I opened the display case. Pulled his 21 gun salute casings out and put them and the documents in my safe. Put his placard on my tool box and hung the flag on my garage wall. It also has his name on the white portion of the flag edge. I like it better than having it intoomed on a shelf.

Point being, if the family member doesn’t want it and you have wall space you could do the same with this flag. Display with a cool story.

 

[DLC]

I have my uncles flag !

I Think it is Truly Amazing That our Great Kids (Everyone That has served) have fought so hard and believed in our Freedoms to Stand on the Line or in the Fox Hole In order to provide us All with a Night full of restful sleep, With out worry !

I wish for and Hope That one day our elected politicians could have the same Unity & Love for this Country as All of Our Fighting Hero’s Have !


That is A Very Cool Thing your doing @rickdarling

 

[BoatCop]

When my wife's Mom died, we found the burial flag from her (3rd) husband, who served in the Coast Guard during the Korean conflict. It was stuffed in a closet, along with his ashes. We tracked down his brother in Pennsylvania and shipped both out to him.

 

[Dan Lorenze]

Very cool... We still have the flag that my Grandfather brought home from WWII.. William Bell McMahon, Army-Big Red One.. My cousin has his flag hanging in his office DTLA.

 

[PlanB]

That’s awesome you did that.

My grandfather faught in WWII. I was given his encased burial flag when my mom
Passes a couple years ago.

I decided after some deliberation, that I wanted to display the flag in its full glory. So I opened the display case. Pulled his 21 gun salute casings out and put them and the documents in my safe. Put his placard on my tool box and hung the flag on my garage wall. It also has his name on the white portion of the flag edge. I like it better than having it intoomed on a shelf.

Point being, if the family member doesn’t want it and you have wall space you could do the same with this flag. Display with a cool story.

Both of my grandfathers fought in WW2 and I also have one of their burial flags hanging on my garage wall. Cool way to display the flag IMO.

 

[185EZ]

I have my dad's flag
FIL recently passed and the young marines were there to fold the flag in the bitter cold and give it to the youngest son
The empty shell casings from the gun salute were inserted into the flag
We were also at a recent brick laying under the London Bridge for our daughter being in the Vegas 58 shooting
I didnt realize every fold had a special meaning
America Proud!

 

[4Waters]

I have my dad's flag
FIL recently passed and the young marines were there to fold the flag in the bitter cold and give it to the youngest son
The empty shell casings from the gun salute were inserted into the flag
We were also at a recent brick laying under the London Bridge for our daughter being in the Vegas 58 shooting
I didnt realize every fold had a special meaning
America Proud!
View attachment 1212884 View attachment 1212885 View attachment 1212886 View attachment 1212887

I used to know what every fold meant but I have forgotten, I need to go study

 

[4Waters]

Meaning Behind the 13 Folds

The flag-folding ceremony represents the same religious principles on which our great country was originally founded.

1. The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
2. The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.
3. The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of his or her life for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.
4. The fourth fold represents our weaker nature; as American citizens trusting in God, it is Him we turn to in times of peace, as well as in times of war, for His divine guidance.
5. The fifth fold is a tribute to our country. In the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong".
6. The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
7. The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
8. The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother's Day.
9. The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood. It has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that has molded the character of the men and women who have made this country great.
10. The 10th fold is a tribute to father, who has also given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first born.
11. The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
12. The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.
13. The 13th and last fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, "In God We Trust."



The 7th fold means a little extra right now.

 

[srttruck]

Outstanding work @rickdarling !

 

[RVR2SNO]

Way cool, but it’s displayed wrong. Union to observers left, not right.

Very cool... We still have the flag that my Grandfather brought home from WWII.. William Bell McMahon, Army-Big Red One.. My cousin has his flag hanging in his office DTLA. View attachment 1212880

 

[DLC]

Meaning Behind the 13 Folds

The flag-folding ceremony represents the same religious principles on which our great country was originally founded.

1. The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
2. The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.
3. The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of his or her life for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.
4. The fourth fold represents our weaker nature; as American citizens trusting in God, it is Him we turn to in times of peace, as well as in times of war, for His divine guidance.
5. The fifth fold is a tribute to our country. In the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong".
6. The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
7. The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
8. The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother's Day.
9. The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood. It has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that has molded the character of the men and women who have made this country great.
10. The 10th fold is a tribute to father, who has also given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first born.
11. The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
12. The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.
13. The 13th and last fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, "In God We Trust."



The 7th fold means a little extra right now.

Im 54 never Knew This!
Fantastic info, Thank you for Posting….

at times I often wonder about our youth and what they will become / Where they end up …… And Then I remember, I was once young myself !


we have a lot of gifts ! In this great country & I’m not talking about monetary gifts!

Freedom Isn’t Free

 

[mothershipper]

 

[riverroyal]

Great post.

 

[LHC Kirby]

Way cool, but it’s displayed wrong. Union to observers left, not right.

100 percent correct - field of stars always in top left corner from observers view.

 

[FCT]

Awesome! Can’t wait to hear if the family gets back to you. What an awesome story for even the family to come back in contact with the flag again. God bless America.!

 

[WYRD]

Very cool... We still have the flag that my Grandfather brought home from WWII.. William Bell McMahon, Army-Big Red One.. My cousin has his flag hanging in his office DTLA. View attachment 1212880

No disrespect but as others have stated stars should be to the left of the observer

 

[FCT]

No disrespect but as others have stated stars should be to the left of the observer

I never knew that. Something important to know thanks

 

[coolchange]

I never knew that. Something important to know thanks

No disrespect but as others have stated stars should be to the left of the observer

Unless it’s the battle flag.

 

[Dan Lorenze]

No disrespect but as others have stated stars should be to the left of the observer

I think originally the flag in the case was hung horizontally in a previous location.

 

[RitcheyRch]

I have the burial flag from my maternal grandfather (Navy Vet) that was given to my mother that passed away in 2015. I found the burial flag while cleaning out my parents house after placing my dad in an Alzheimer's care facility. The flag was in a plastic sheath and I removed it to hang on the wall in my spare bedroom. I'm tempted to take it down and have the VFW fold it and put in a wood frame like shown in post 1.

 

[Western Flyer]

Class move, @rickdarling.

 

[Your ad here]

Thanks for grabbing it and giving it the respect it deserves.

 

[TeamGreene]

Jack Walton Coppick (1922-1996) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Is this your ancestor? Compare DNA and explore genealogy for Jack Coppick born 1922 Stigler, Haskell, Oklahoma, United States died 1996 Los Angeles, California, United States including ancestors + questions + DNA connections + more in the free family tree community.

www.wikitree.com

 

[DBMX]

My cousin passed away this past year and his sister gave me all our grandpas medals, awards, and dog tags from WWII along with his burial flag at the funeral. I broke down on the spot.

Unfortunately the encasing is hammered and was clearly dropped a lot while in my cousins possession (he had some issues). One of my next projects is to fix/refurb it.

Good on you for doing that. I would have done the same.

 

[Racey]

I wasn't in the services, but something i seem to remember hearing from a SEAL buddy, is that a folded burial flag should never have any of the stripes visible (red or white).

Maybe someone that knows can validate if that is correct

 

[PlanB]

I wasn't in the services, but something i seem to remember hearing from a SEAL buddy, is that a folded burial flag should never have any of the stripes visible (red or white).

Maybe someone that knows can validate if that is correct

True...

 

[Mr. C]

I can only hope the family responds and want this great piece of their family history.
I have a place for my FIL in the house and look at it often.

 

[BoatCop]

I can only hope the family responds and want this great piece of their family history.
I have a place for my FIL in the house and look at it often.

I hope the same, for mine.
Not a burial flag, but a capsule of my career.

 

[USMC2010]

Bottom flag was flown over the USS Arizona and I was given it when I retired. Middle flag was my Dad's (Army Korea), top one I bought during my first combat tour and I flew it on every deployment I was on. I do hope you receive a positive response from the family.

 

[Mr. C]

I hope the same, for mine.
Not a burial flag, but a capsule of my career.


View attachment 1213233

I wish I had or know who in the family has his medals. Would love to do something like this.

 

[C_J_J_C]

I wasn't in the services, but something i seem to remember hearing from a SEAL buddy, is that a folded burial flag should never have any of the stripes visible (red or white).

Maybe someone that knows can validate if that is correct

Correct

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

I never knew about the shell casings being inside the flag, is that always the case if there is a salute at the ceremony?

 

[Tank]

I never knew about the shell casings being inside the flag, is that always the case if there is a salute at the ceremony?

I believe so. And some paperwork certifying the flag etc.

 

[FreeBird236]

I have my fathers and father in laws flags. When I received my fathers flag it was perfectly centered with four and two stars in the case. When I received my father in laws it was slanted and showing partial stars. Not sure if it's important or appropriate, but I refolded the flag and made some adjustments so it's now level and four and two. They sit on the same shelf and look much better together.

BTW I think saving this flag and contacting the family was an awesome thing to do.

 

[USMC2010]

I have my fathers and father in laws flags. When I received my fathers flag it was perfectly centered with four and two stars in the case. When I received my father in laws it was slanted and showing partial stars. Not sure if it's important or appropriate, but I refolded the flag and made some adjustments so it's now level and four and two. They sit on the same shelf and look much better together.

BTW I think saving this flag and contacting the family was an awesome thing to do.

I've folded and presented a LOT of flags. The important part is not having red showing and it being neat and tight. I've never found the practical way to get the stars as straight as you described, although I wanted to. We had one presentation in the rain where it opened up as I was handing it to the widow, she was nice and allowed us to redo it in private after the ceremony. The American Legion in my home town did my dad's, it was so bad I nearly lost it on them. My brother and I refolded it. Reading a comment earlier, I can't think of a time we folded up any casings from the rifle volley but we did save and present them on occasion separately.

 

[FreeBird236]

I've folded and presented a LOT of flags. The important part is not having red showing and it being neat and tight. I've never found the practical way to get the stars as straight as you described, although I wanted to. We had one presentation in the rain where it opened up as I was handing it to the widow, she was nice and allowed us to redo it in private after the ceremony. The American Legion in my home town did my dad's, it was so bad I nearly lost it on them. My brother and I refolded it. Reading a comment earlier, I can't think of a time we folded up any casings from the rifle volley but we did save and present them on occasion separately.

Maybe I was just lucky, I only untucked the edges and unwrapped a couple flips and kind of tugged to get it more symmetrical and then still had to position it to one side in the case. There are no casings in my FIL's flag, but my father did have a gun salute, but I didn't even know they did this, I may check it out.

 

[Paradox]

So today, a year and a 1/2 plus later, I get this email - start from the bottom, top part is my response. Pretty heart warming and has definitely made my Saturday a good one..

Hi Jill,

Really heart warming to hear from you. I reached out to everyone I could find associated or related to Jack for weeks to no avail.

I had been intending to take it to the local VFW but never got around to it. As a result, I still have it. Please see pics below and confirm that this is it. If so, email me your address and I will mail it out next week.

Thank you for reaching out and for your Father’s service to our Country.

Best Regards,

Rick Darling



On Feb 1, 2025, at 11:03 AM, Jill Ellison <jill [email protected]> wrote:


Hello!

My name Jill XXXXXX XXXXXX. While helping my husband with some ancestry timelines, I came across your Wiki Tree post about the veteran's flag for Jack Walton Coppick. I am hoping against hope this is still your email address and you still have the flag.

Jack was my dad. I am his only offspring. I was handed that flag the day we buried him at Rose Hills, in the spring of 1996. I won't bore you with the long, sordid tale of how the flag got lost, but please know we proudly displayed it on our mantle until it was packed up by an unscrupulous moving company.

Do you still have it? I can't tell you how much it would mean to me and my daughter, Jack's only grandchild, to have it back. I live in Xxxxxx Xxxxxx now and I'd be more than happy to pay for shipping.

Please feel free to call me if you need more verification of my identity. xxxx-xxx-xxxx

Eternally grateful,

Jill

 

[BabyRay]

Pretty cool result.

You might want to delete the woman’s personal information from your post. She doesn’t need to have that info on the internet.

 

[FreeBird236]

Made my day, Thanks

 

[Paradox]

Pretty cool result.

You might want to delete the woman’s personal information from your post. She doesn’t need to have that info on the internet.

Thanks for pointing this out. Agreed and redacted..

 

[4Waters]

So today, a year and a 1/2 plus later, I get this email - start from the bottom, top part is my response. Pretty heart warming and has definitely made my Saturday a good one..

Hi Jill,

Really heart warming to hear from you. I reached out to everyone I could find associated or related to Jack for weeks to no avail.

I had been intending to take it to the local VFW but never got around to it. As a result, I still have it. Please see pics below and confirm that this is it. If so, email me your address and I will mail it out next week.

Thank you for reaching out and for your Father’s service to our Country.

Best Regards,

Rick Darling



On Feb 1, 2025, at 11:03 AM, Jill Ellison <jill [email protected]> wrote:


Hello!

My name Jill XXXXXX XXXXXX. While helping my husband with some ancestry timelines, I came across your Wiki Tree post about the veteran's flag for Jack Walton Coppick. I am hoping against hope this is still your email address and you still have the flag.

Jack was my dad. I am his only offspring. I was handed that flag the day we buried him at Rose Hills, in the spring of 1996. I won't bore you with the long, sordid tale of how the flag got lost, but please know we proudly displayed it on our mantle until it was packed up by an unscrupulous moving company.

Do you still have it? I can't tell you how much it would mean to me and my daughter, Jack's only grandchild, to have it back. I live in Xxxxxx Xxxxxx now and I'd be more than happy to pay for shipping.

Please feel free to call me if you need more verification of my identity. xxxx-xxx-xxxx

Eternally grateful,

Jill

View attachment 1474912 View attachment 1474913

This story is absolutely amazing, story of the decade. His flag returns to where it belongs. Priceless

BTW, cutting onions of joy here

 

[4Waters]

 

[RitcheyRch]

So today, a year and a 1/2 plus later, I get this email - start from the bottom, top part is my response. Pretty heart warming and has definitely made my Saturday a good one..

Hi Jill,

Really heart warming to hear from you. I reached out to everyone I could find associated or related to Jack for weeks to no avail.

I had been intending to take it to the local VFW but never got around to it. As a result, I still have it. Please see pics below and confirm that this is it. If so, email me your address and I will mail it out next week.

Thank you for reaching out and for your Father’s service to our Country.

Best Regards,

Rick Darling



On Feb 1, 2025, at 11:03 AM, Jill Ellison <jill [email protected]> wrote:


Hello!

My name Jill XXXXXX XXXXXX. While helping my husband with some ancestry timelines, I came across your Wiki Tree post about the veteran's flag for Jack Walton Coppick. I am hoping against hope this is still your email address and you still have the flag.

Jack was my dad. I am his only offspring. I was handed that flag the day we buried him at Rose Hills, in the spring of 1996. I won't bore you with the long, sordid tale of how the flag got lost, but please know we proudly displayed it on our mantle until it was packed up by an unscrupulous moving company.

Do you still have it? I can't tell you how much it would mean to me and my daughter, Jack's only grandchild, to have it back. I live in Xxxxxx Xxxxxx now and I'd be more than happy to pay for shipping.

Please feel free to call me if you need more verification of my identity. xxxx-xxx-xxxx

Eternally grateful,

Jill

View attachment 1474912 View attachment 1474913

Awesome story and glad the flag going back to the family.

 

[rrrr]

Very cool... We still have the flag that my Grandfather brought home from WWII.. William Bell McMahon, Army-Big Red One.. My cousin has his flag hanging in his office DTLA. View attachment 1212880

The Big Red One, the Army's 1st Infantry Division, landed on Omaha Beach during the June 6,1944 D-Day assault in Normandy. The division is the oldest in the Army, formed in 1917 before shipping out to France as the first US troops to participate in World War I.

@Paradox, your original story and the recent resolution is heartwarming. Thank you for caring enough to give the man's daughter that treasure.