National Anthem. Hats on or off?

[Smoke_Works]

Back when I was in the service we were told to remove any cover (hat) and stand at attention. Hand over heart was for the Pledge, not the Anthem.

I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when people are gabbing during the Anthem, I usually to tell them to have some g*&^mned respect for their flag.

[ORD]

For you anal-retentive viewers who like "laws" and what-not -- 36 U.S.C. § 301(b):

(b) Conduct During Playing.— During a rendition of the national anthem—
(1) when the flag is displayed— (A) all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart;
(B) men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and
(C) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note; and


(2) when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed.

The "flag code" is yet another piece of American tradition that is now no longer taught in civics classes or anywhere else in school but darn well should be!! I guess it is hard to expect anyone to teach this stuff when people are busy trying to remove God from the Pledge of Allegiance!

[texas_rebel_1980]

1. Stand Up Straight
2. Remove Your Hat
3. Hand Over Heart
4. Suck in Your Gut(if ya got one)
5. Sing Like You Mean it
6. Be Proud

these are my rules for the National Anthem, period. and for the record I am a civilian. No prior service, just taught to respect certain things.

[GerryM]

+1

[StewieGriffin]

I've always just stand there and pay my respect. If I am wearing a hat, then, yes it comes off.

[texas_rebel_1980]

and on a not so related note, it upsets me that the prayer in school or before a football game or whatever has been abolished. our team would kneel in a circle before and after the game and after practice, grab your brother(tough football player talk for holding hands with a teammate) and say a prayer followed with the Lord's Prayer. I'm no religious nut, but it seems to me that as soon as prayer and God were taken out of schools, all this school violence was set upon us.



religious rant off

[ElBoricua]

Originally Posted by slugger6

Hat off, hand on heart. It's a big deal to me.

+1

[ichy_trigger]

I have always stood straight and proud, faced the flag, stared at it with dedication and put my hand over my heart, if I have a hat, its removed until the end.

[SgtWKPII]

If in uniform, cover on, salute

If not hat off and POA.

Civilians should take off their hat and out their hands over their heart.

[rystineusmc0311]

Originally Posted by Jeff B.

Absolutely.

I believe I read something about Veterans and Retired Military having the option of rendering a salute to the colors.

You need to wonder what the statemnet being made is when one chooses not to place their hand over their heart? For some it's ignorance, for others the opportunity to show something else, but what is that?

Jeff B.

I had heard something like that also. It wasn't more than a month or so ago that someone told me the same thing about veterans being allowed to salute even in civilian attire. Supposedly it was fairly recently passed piece of legislation.

Bad on me, I guess, for not trying to confirm that or not