Sometimes You Have to Check a Bag

American flag with spent shell casings You all know I’m pretty obsessive about traveling with only a carry on bag. But there are exceptions…

This weekend, along with other family members, I attended my step-father’s memorial service. He was a veteran, and the American Legion turned out to provide military honors, which included a flag detail, the playing of Taps and 3 rifle volleys. After the service, the funeral home director provided a nice bag for the flag I would be taking home, and added nonchalantly, “I put the spent brass in there, too.”

My thought processes percolated on this for a while, and came up with, “I bet I can’t carry spent ammunition on a plane.”

Sometimes you have to check a bag.

5 Comments

Anonymous 10 Dec 2012 at 21.29

Thank you for checking that bag!

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Annette 10 Dec 2012 at 21.29

oops – forgot to include my name on that comment – your sister

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Katja (Post author)10 Dec 2012 at 21.36

You’re welcome, sister!

Interesting bit of trivia: the 3 rifle volleys are not a “21-gun salute”. From About.com’s US Military Frequently Asked Questions:

At military funerals, one often sees three volleys of shots fired in honor of the deceased veteran. This is often mistaken by the laymen as a 21-gun salute, although it is entirely different (in the military, a “gun” is a large-calibered weapon. The three volleys are fired from “rifles,” not “guns.” Therefore, the three volleys isn’t any kind of “gun salute,” at all).

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Kimberly 10 Dec 2012 at 22.07

Some things are worth the compromise. I’ve never attended a military funeral before but it sounds like an honourable service.

Again, my condolences on your loss.

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Katja 11 Dec 2012 at 8.21

Thank you, Kimberly. It was a very nice and moving service. It was clear that my step-father was well known and appreciated in his town.

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