Photo By Cpl. Mark Stroud | The national colors wave in the breeze as twilight approaches, shortly before the...... read more read more
Subscribe
OKINAWA, Japan - "It’s the American flag, it represents freedom, it represents lives, it represents liberty, it represents a whole lot of things,” said Sgt. Robert L. Lismore, camp services chief, Headquarters and Service Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Butler. “It represents the greatest nation on earth.”
For those who have vowed to protect it, it is easy to be passionate about the American flag and what it represents. The colors ceremonies observed on American military installations around the world offer service members and Department of Defense employees a moment to reflect on the importance, history and prestige of their duty.
“This is a daily occurrence we cannot overlook,” said Sgt. Maj. Timothius M. Robinson, sergeant major of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. “If you ever get too busy to recognize the flag of your nation, you have lost the bubble on your identity as a countryman from wherever you call home.”
Here on Okinawa, thousands of miles away from the continental United States, the time honored colors ceremony has been altered slightly to account for being in a foreign country. The Japanese national colors, Hinomaru, meaning sun disc, is raised after its American counterpart while the national anthem, Kimigayo, is played.
“To stop and observe colors in a foreign country is even more special, because it shows the [host nation] this is something that is important to you,” said Robinson. “It could possibly cause them to take on that same attitude.”
The ceremony follows proper American flag etiquette according to the Marine Corps’ Flag Manual.
“Our flag goes up before the Japanese flag and then in the evening our flag goes down last,” said Lismore.
Stopping for a moment and rendering honors to the flag in the morning and evening is the privilege of every member of every base, but all citizens should aspire to take part in the ceremony at least once in their life, said Lismore.
“Just being an American, if the opportunity comes around to be a part of the flag raising, you should take it,” he added.
As camp services chief, Lismore is in charge of the daily ceremonies and makes sure as many Marines as possible get a chance to partake.
“If you come here, I’m going to make sure you get a chance to do colors,” said Lismore.
Participating in the ceremony, especially for the first time, can be an exciting and powerful reminder of why you serve.
“I watch Marines on a daily basis when colors are performed here at our headquarters building at MCAS Futenma. It could be the first time the Marines conducting colors has participated in the ceremony,” said Robinson. “You see the excitement they feel to be selected to take possession of such a precious symbol.”
Whether participating as a color guard or stopping your daily activities for just a moment to remember all the sacrifices made in honor of our nation, the colors ceremony is a brief but very important part of the day on a military base.
“That is one awesome feeling seeing those colors hoisted up the mast to let the world know this ground has been bought with a price and we are willing to defend it again should we have to,” said Robinson.
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2011 19:58 |
| Story ID: | 65380 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Pause to honor country, flag, by Cpl Mark Stroud, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
