Thread: Hand over heart ? ? ? ?

I'll be 75 in July. So there is huge piles of dust in the corners.

I can remember August 14, 1945. (Remember that we're on the wrong side of the International Date Line.) My parents and I were at some sort of a resort and there was a lot of extraneous activity going on that day. Later I was told that it was V-J day.

We have something that is practiced in elementary schools (Grades K through 8.) where the school day started with 'The Pledge of Allegiance' to the flag. This was saluting and reciting the pledge. I think that between first and second grades, the salute was changed to hand over the heart.

I remember asking my mother why the change and she said that people felt that a salute was too militaristic. We had just finished World War II and now I realize that Mothers, Wives and Girl Friends wanted nothing to do with anything military. While young boys, such as my self, were enthused about everything military.

The original courtesy was for civilians was to stand at attention and a full military salute for the national anthem. The salute was changed for the pledge, the salute was just dropped for the national anthem. I think that some time during the Vietnam turmoil, the civilians who supported the military started the hand over the heart. I don't recall exactly when the courtesy of hand over the heart started but it has continued through today. In the US today, most will place their hand over their heart while some will not during the national anthem.

I do not ever recall an official directive about hand over the heart during the national anthem. To me it is now stand at attention and face the flag but I will place my hand over my heart out of respect for friends lost in Vietnam. There are a lot of trolls out there that will try to make political hay out of the stand at attention and face the flag without hand over heart types.

I was not aware that the practice of hand over heart had spread to other countries. Personally to me, the hand over heart says to those currently serving, veterans and those who paid the ultimate price, "You have my ultimate respect and a sincere thank you for your service."