Volleys for Veterans continuing to serve after service

The Volleys for Veterans spoke this weekend about the meaning of the 13 folds of the American flag, which are used by the local organization's honor guard when performing military honors at veterans' memorial services.

Performing more than 300 military memorial services a year, Volleys for Veterans is unique to Amarillo and is not affiliated to any other national organization. Started over a decade ago to honor the veterans of the Texas Panhandle, the organization handles military honors within 150 miles of Amarillo.

Members of the Volleys for Veterans spoke at a presentation Saturday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center as part of its monthly lecture series.

As part of its military honors, the organization can fold and present an American flag to a family member, play the traditional bugle call of “Taps” along with a tolling of a ceremonial bell and, upon request, provide a team to fire three rifle volleys during a memorial service.

Retired Navy veteran and Vice Commander for Volleys for Veterans, Jim Elfelt, spoke about how the flag is folded in the ceremonies and his organization's role in serving the Texas Panhandle with full military honors for veterans at memorial services. About 35 to 40 local veterans are a part of the organization.

“The origin of the 13 folds we presented today is a tradition that ... was created by an Air Force chaplain in the early 1950s,” Elfelt said after the Saturday event. "There are various versions that are kind of the same, but there is no strict official version for the meaning of the 13 folds.”

As two members of Volleys for Veterans made each fold, Elfelt went over each fold of the flag and what it symbolizes. Traditionally, the American flag is folded 13 times, with only the stars showing after the fold is completed.

Elfelt said that the number of services provided by Volleys for Veterans might become fewer in the coming years, due to the elimination of mandatory service.

“I have a suspicion that numbers will start dropping off because of demographics changing due to the elimination of the draft in 1975," Elfelt said. “The last group of draftees are now in their 70s, and life spans being what they are, we are probably after or close to the peak of the post-Vietnam veteran population.”

When asked what motivates a veteran like himself to serve now those veterans who have passed long after his military service ended, Elfelt said that he feels it is his duty.

“Speaking for me and probably most of the veterans that serve with us, we recognize this as a sacred honor,“ Elfelt said. “Everyone of us who signs up and puts on the uniform, we swear an oath to protect and defend this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We know that means that our lives might be dependent on it. For those that give their lives or do not give their lives during their service, they deserve to be recognized for making that commitment. Sometimes it’s a commitment that costs the life, and it’s the commitment that matters.”

He said that veterans who served in any branch of the Armed Forces and have either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions are eligible to be a part of Volleys for Veterans. No uniform is required to join, and the organization can help provide assistance in getting uniforms.

If a family wants to ensure that a deceased loved one who served gets military honors for their memorial service, Elfelt said that they should make sure the funeral provider knows that the deceased is a veteran. Discharge papers, known as a DD-214, will need to be provided to verify the service and character of the discharge. By law, military honors are not authorized for those who served in the military and do not receive an honorable discharge or under honorable conditions.

According to Elfelt, there is a great need for new members to the organization, with most current members in their early 70s as well.

“We need a continuous influx of people that are veterans themselves and who recognize the need for this service, along with being willing to devote the time to it,” Elfelt said. “It is extremely rewarding; I cannot tell you how much personal satisfaction I get from doing what we do. I hope other similarly inclined veterans are in the Texas Panhandle.”

According to Elfelt, new members do require months of training to participate in memorial services, and much of that time is spent waiting on getting uniforms, since most service members either no longer have or can fit into their old uniforms.

For more information on Volleys for Veterans, go to their website at https://volleysforveterans.com/ .

Folds of the flag

An unofficial meaning of the folds of the flag is as follows:

• The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.

• The second fold signifies our belief in eternal life.

• The third fold is made in honor and tribute 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.

• The fourth fold exemplifies our weaker nature as citizens trusting in God; it is to Him we turn for His divine guidance.

• The fifth fold is an acknowledgement to our country, for 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.”

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• The ninth fold is an honor to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty, and devotion that the character of men and women who have made this country great have been molded.

• The 10th fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first-born.

• The 11th fold, in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

• The 12th fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.

• The last fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto "In God We Trust."

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Volleys for Veterans continuing to serve after service