ROTC ritual honors veterans

University of Nebraska-Lincoln ROTC members honored war veterans Thursday with a flag retreat at the Military and Naval Science Building.

"It is a basic military tradition," said Sam Schneider, Public Affairs Officer for the Air Force ROTC. "Active Air Force bases should do it every day."

The flag ceremony began with a wing commander calling the corps to attention.

Four members of the corps lowered the flag while "The Star-Spangled Banner" was performed, and the rest of the company stood at attention.

Two men then held the flag while the other two folded it.

The flag was folded into a triangle formation, a fold that is learned in the service.

The flag was then presented to the wing commander.

"The flag-lowering is done to signify the end of a working day," said Honor Guard Commander John Larson.

"As the men march away holding the flag, 'Taps' is played. It was played this morning at 11:11, which was a national moment of silence to honor the veterans."

The number 11 signifies, Nov. 11, 1918, the day the armistice ended World War I.

ROTC also did other activities to honor Veterans Day.

The Honor Guard went to an area elementary school and performed a flag-raising ceremony.

They then went into a fourth-grade classroom and answered questions for the young students, Larson said.

A booth was also set up in the Nebraska Union, where corps members handed out red, white and blue ribbons.

On Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a cadet was posted outside of the Military and Naval Science Building, guarding the colors.

The day's events ended with the flag retreat Thursday evening.