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Authors: Gary Williams
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country. The eleventh fold was symbolic of King David and King Solomon’s seal, which glorified the God of Abraham. Fold twelve symbolized eternal life, glorifying in Christians’ eyes the Trinity. The thirteenth and last fold, with the stars facing upward, was to remind us of our nation’s motto, “In God We Trust.”
After the flag was folded, Master Chief Petty Officer Gary Lee delivered three shell casings from the twenty-one-gun salute to the officer in charge, who placed them inside the flag and tucked the end inside the fold. The folded flag looked like a cocked hat, which reminds us of those who served under General George Washington, and under Captain John Paul Jones.
After the folding of the flag, the clouds parted and a bright ray of sunshine reflected off Michael’s casket. Dan and Maureen looked at each other and managed a smile through their tears.
On Behalf of the President of the United States . . .
The honor guard team leader delivered the folded flag to Lee. He then turned and approached Captain Bisset, who stood with Father Coyle and Rear Admiral Maguire. Lee cradled the flag with left hand over right and with the stripes facing toward the sky. He then sharply flipped the flag, right hand over left, with the blue field facing toward the sky and remained motionless. Bisset stepped forward, slowly saluted, and accepted the flag, right hand over left. Lee stepped back, saluted, turned, and resumed his position. Bisset slowly walked over to the Murphy family.
Maureen stood with John to her left and Dan stood to her right under the large green canopy. Captain Bisset who shared an emotional closeness with the Murphy family, was relieved to see that Maureen wore dark glasses that eliminated direct eye contact.
“Maureen, on behalf of the president of the United States and the secretary of the navy, please accept this flag as a symbol of your son Michael’s outstanding and faithful service to his country and the United States Navy.” With a whisper-quiet response of “Thank you,” she accepted the flag and clutched it to her breast, as a mother would hold her infant. Bisset saluted, turned sharply, and returned to his position.
Next, SEALs Jim Quattromani, Jerry Caldwell, and James Westin of SDVT-1 approached Heather, who was dressed in black, ashen-faced, and physically supported by her mother, Lynda, and her sister Brianne. With all three at full attention, Quattromani, who was in the center, held the flag and dropped to his right knee and looked into Heather’s tear-filled eyes. “Heather, on behalf of the president of the United States and the secretary of the navy, please accept this flag as a symbol of your fiancé Michael’s outstanding and faithful service to his country and the United States Navy.”
Accepting the folded flag, Heather exploded in an agonizing cry that released a flood of tears from many of the mourners. As her tears flowed, they rolled down her face and onto the flag she clutched to her abdomen.
The SEALs then formed a line on each side of the casket and removed their Tridents, the golden insignia of a Navy SEAL. Then, one at a time, each man approached the casket, saluted, and laid his Trident on the top of the casket, again saluted, then stepped back into formation. As Lieutenant Haffele placed his Trident on Michael’s casket, Dan remembered the words in Haffele’s letter. This solemn ceremony proceeded for nearly twenty minutes. In all, thirty golden SEAL Tridents rested atop Michael’s casket. Father Coyle then resumed his position at the head of the casket and delivered the Committal. and concluded the public service with the Benediction.
Home . . . Finally
At the conclusion of the public ceremony and after the crowd had dispersed, Michael’s personal friends Jimmie and Owen O’Callaghan, James Emmerich, and Jay Keenan, along with Lieutenant Commander Muse and Lieutenant Widenhofer, returned Michael’s casket to the waiting hearse for the short ride to
After the flag was folded, Master Chief Petty Officer Gary Lee delivered three shell casings from the twenty-one-gun salute to the officer in charge, who placed them inside the flag and tucked the end inside the fold. The folded flag looked like a cocked hat, which reminds us of those who served under General George Washington, and under Captain John Paul Jones.
After the folding of the flag, the clouds parted and a bright ray of sunshine reflected off Michael’s casket. Dan and Maureen looked at each other and managed a smile through their tears.
On Behalf of the President of the United States . . .
The honor guard team leader delivered the folded flag to Lee. He then turned and approached Captain Bisset, who stood with Father Coyle and Rear Admiral Maguire. Lee cradled the flag with left hand over right and with the stripes facing toward the sky. He then sharply flipped the flag, right hand over left, with the blue field facing toward the sky and remained motionless. Bisset stepped forward, slowly saluted, and accepted the flag, right hand over left. Lee stepped back, saluted, turned, and resumed his position. Bisset slowly walked over to the Murphy family.
Maureen stood with John to her left and Dan stood to her right under the large green canopy. Captain Bisset who shared an emotional closeness with the Murphy family, was relieved to see that Maureen wore dark glasses that eliminated direct eye contact.
“Maureen, on behalf of the president of the United States and the secretary of the navy, please accept this flag as a symbol of your son Michael’s outstanding and faithful service to his country and the United States Navy.” With a whisper-quiet response of “Thank you,” she accepted the flag and clutched it to her breast, as a mother would hold her infant. Bisset saluted, turned sharply, and returned to his position.
Next, SEALs Jim Quattromani, Jerry Caldwell, and James Westin of SDVT-1 approached Heather, who was dressed in black, ashen-faced, and physically supported by her mother, Lynda, and her sister Brianne. With all three at full attention, Quattromani, who was in the center, held the flag and dropped to his right knee and looked into Heather’s tear-filled eyes. “Heather, on behalf of the president of the United States and the secretary of the navy, please accept this flag as a symbol of your fiancé Michael’s outstanding and faithful service to his country and the United States Navy.”
Accepting the folded flag, Heather exploded in an agonizing cry that released a flood of tears from many of the mourners. As her tears flowed, they rolled down her face and onto the flag she clutched to her abdomen.
The SEALs then formed a line on each side of the casket and removed their Tridents, the golden insignia of a Navy SEAL. Then, one at a time, each man approached the casket, saluted, and laid his Trident on the top of the casket, again saluted, then stepped back into formation. As Lieutenant Haffele placed his Trident on Michael’s casket, Dan remembered the words in Haffele’s letter. This solemn ceremony proceeded for nearly twenty minutes. In all, thirty golden SEAL Tridents rested atop Michael’s casket. Father Coyle then resumed his position at the head of the casket and delivered the Committal. and concluded the public service with the Benediction.
Home . . . Finally
At the conclusion of the public ceremony and after the crowd had dispersed, Michael’s personal friends Jimmie and Owen O’Callaghan, James Emmerich, and Jay Keenan, along with Lieutenant Commander Muse and Lieutenant Widenhofer, returned Michael’s casket to the waiting hearse for the short ride to
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