American flags have been draped over military veterans’ coffins since the Napoleonic Wars in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The custom is rich with tradition and requires a certain protocol. Flags draped over coffins honor the memory of military members who serve the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Most veterans and active-service members of the military qualify for flag-draped coffins at their funerals. The Department of Veterans Affairs states that veterans with dishonorable discharges are not eligible for an official burial flag. Burial flags should never touch the ground, and when being used to drape a coffin, should never be lowered into the grave. The flag should be removed from the casket and folded into a triangle with only the union, or the blue field, showing. It will then be given to the deceased’s next of kin, friend or specified dependent.

[igp-video src=”” poster=”https://www.arlington.media/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/american-flags-have-been-draped-over-military-veterans-coffins-since-the-napoleonic-wars-in-the-late.jpg” size=”large”]American flags have been draped over military veterans' coffins since the Napoleonic Wars in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The custom is rich with tradition and requires a certain protocol. Flags draped over coffins honor the memory of military members who serve the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Most veterans and active-service members of the military qualify for flag-draped coffins at their funerals. The Department of Veterans Affairs states that veterans with dishonorable discharges are not eligible for an official burial flag. Burial flags should never touch the ground, and when being used to drape a coffin, should never be lowered into the grave. The flag should be removed from the casket and folded into a triangle with only the union, or the blue field, showing. It will then be given to the deceased's next of kin, friend or specified dependent.