ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Triangularly folded, also referred to as a, "tri-fold", United States national flag dedicated to U.S. Navy Captain (CAPT) James Reginald Bauder. The custom of folding the United States national flag into the shape of a triangle bestows unique honor and respect upon the flag as a symbol. National Flag Foundation (NFF), the Naval Library, The Institute of Heraldry (TIOH), and several other sources have searched for documentation on flag folding, although detailed information regarding its origin remains largely un-established. NFF and Dr. Harold Langley, former curator at the Smithsonian Institution, theorize that the practice probably developed during World War I when patriotism was high and the United States national flag was universally embraced as a national symbol. In 1923, as a consequence of this sustained patriotic fervor and the increased use of the flag, a conference of veterans' organizations and patriotic associations convened in Washington, DC. to create a code of etiquette for the flag. Their intent was to establish traditions ensuring respectful treatment of the flag by all Americans, including the many immigrants entering the country at that time. Furthermore, a well-known ceremony exists for flag folding, often attributed to the U.S. Air Force Academy, in which each of the twelve (12) folds of the triangularly folded flag is assigned a symbolic meaning. NFF presents its own special flag folding ceremony, incorporating several of the virtues attributed to the colors of the flag as specified in 1782 by Charles Thomson (then Secretary of Congress), and recommends that this ceremony be read aloud prior to the actual folding of the flag. The first (1st) fold stands for liberty, the second (2nd) fold represents unity, the third (3rd) fold stands for justice, the fourth (4th) fold symbolizes perseverance, the fifth (5th) fold represents hardiness, the sixth (6th) fold stands for valor, the seventh (7th) fold symbolizes purity, the eighth (8th) fold represents innocence, the ninth (9th) fold signifies sacrifice, the tenth (10th) fold stands for honor, the eleventh (11th) fold symbolizes independence, and the twelfth (12th) fold represents truth. The flag draping a casket at a military funeral is typically folded in this honorary configuration and is presented as a token of respect and gratitude to the family of the deceased on behalf of a grateful nation. The artifact was left at The Wall along with a handwritten note (VIVE (10897)), a non-military issue, commemorative Vietnam Service Medal patch (VIVE (10898)), and a non-military issue, commemorative POW*MIA patch (VIVE (10899)) by William "Tiny" Bauder on May 18, 1989. (Source: Annin- www.annin.com/resources_flag_folding.asp)

TRIANGULARLY FOLDED UNITED STATES NATIONAL FLAG, ALSO REFERRED TO AS AN, “AMERICAN" OR A, "TRI-FOLD" FLAG. THE OBJECT IS A TINY TRI-FOLD COMPRISED OF RED, WHITE, AND BLUE POLYESTER-BLEND [?] FABRIC WITH A BLUE CANTON CONTAINING WHITE, FIVE (5)-POINTED STARS, A FIELD OR GROUND BEARING ALTERNATING, HORIZONTAL RED AND WHITE STRIPES, AND A WHITE HOIST EDGE FOR ATTACHMENT TO A FLAGPOLE OR STAFF. THE FLAG IS PRESENTLY FOLDED INTO AN HONORARY TRI-FOLD SHAPE, IN SUCH A MANNER THAT ONLY THE BLUE CANTON, NINETEEN (19) WHITE STARS, AND A SMALL STRIP OF THE RED AND WHITE STRIPED GROUND OR FIELD ARE VISIBLE. THE OBJECT IS ASSOCIATED, AND WAS ORIGINALLY DISCOVERED, WITH VIVE (10897 - 10899).

Item Weight: 9.8g
Item Length: 6.0cm
Item Width: 11.0cm
Item Depth: 2.0cm (Thickness)