Military Traditions and Rituals: A Closer Look

Military Traditions and Rituals: A Closer Look
If you’ve ever teared up listening to Taps, gotten goosebumps at the sight of a military flyover, or been mesmerized at the sight of a precision drill, you’ve witnessed the power of military traditions and rituals. All cultures have traditions and rituals, but the military is especially rich with them. Why are they so cherished by servicemembers? Military traditions and rituals are a unifying force, connecting us to those who came before and to one another, reminding us of shared ideals and values. They are powerful ways we uphold the legacy of military duty and service.

Meaningful Moments of Ceremony and Tradition From bugle calls to 21-gun salutes, changes of command to flag folding, uniforms to ceremonies, military traditions and rituals make a lasting impression. Two of USBA’s distinguished board members shared personal thoughts on a few meaningful and memorable moments. 

When asked to choose a few favorites, LtGen Earl B. Hailston, USMC (Ret.), reflected, “You have no idea how difficult this simple question is. The United States Marines are 250 years of traditions and formal rituals. On any given day, that current, ongoing tradition or ritual is my favorite! Those special traditions and rituals are the foundation upon which the Marine Corps is built.” Hailston shared two such traditions and a ritual that are especially meaningful to him. 

The Marine Corps Birthday “Every tenth of November, we celebrate the birth of our Corps on 10 November 1775.  We dress in our finest uniforms. We salute the Marines who came before us. We welcome the newest and youngest into our ranks, and we renew our pledge to uphold the high standards of those Marines who paved the course of history before us. It is a meaningful tradition Marines feel deep in their hearts and minds.”

Change of Command Ceremony Hailston values this “very traditional ceremony where the leadership of a unit or organization is passed from one leader to the next.” He says, “It is a time when we show off what we do as a unit, when we display our high degree of training and discipline to the leaders, old and new, and to the gathered people viewing the ceremony. It is a time when we say thank you and goodbye to the outgoing commander and pledge full allegiance to the new, incoming commander! As a Marine, one feels great pride in participating in the parade or just watching the meaningful activities.” 

Paying Respects The most meaningful (ritual) to General Hailston “is when we pay respects to those Marines who have given their all in defense of our great Nation. When I was a lieutenant, I served in Vietnam in the First Recon Battalion. The mission was dangerous, and the fighting was tough. Many Marines from our Battalion did not live to return home to their families… These Marines and Corpsmen are not forgotten. Every year, we gather at the First Recon Battalion Memorial at Quantico, Virginia, to remember, to speak about, and to breathe life into each of the several hundred names carved into the stone of that Memorial. This is a ritual basic to being a Marine. A Marine may die, but we keep their name, their memory, their sacrifice alive and part of us and the Marine Corps forever.”

Like Hailston, MCPOCG Vince W. Patton, USCG (Ret.), shares a deep reverence for military traditions and rituals. He notes how integral they are to adhering to military service core values. In the Coast Guard, that means honor, respect, and devotion to duty. Two traditions that are “most cherished” for Patton are: 

Morning Colors In the sea service—Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps—every morning at 8 a.m., a bugle call occurs as the flag is being raised. Once the flag is raised, the national anthem is played. For Patton, it’s “my official start of the day. It’s my favorite. (The bugle call is) 51 seconds long. I can do a quick review in my mind of why I joined and the privilege and pleasure of serving.” Patton estimates he has participated in Morning Colors more than 5,000 times during his career and since his retirement. He never takes it for granted, always using that time to reflect: “I do it every time!” Morning Colors took on even more meaning for Patton in the aftermath of 9/11. “I was on active duty, and it certainly hit home. The vivid mental images … I was at ground zero when those buildings in New York were still smoldering. (During) Morning Colors, you think about the honor of serving and what your responsibilities are.”  

Saluting “Even as a retired service member no longer wearing the uniform, I still take pride in saluting. It’s a great military tradition, respecting those senior to you, respecting the service to our country. I take a lot of pride in that.”

Embrace Traditions In closing, Patton says that it’s important for all servicemembers, especially new ones, to understand the significance of traditions and history. “It’s the bedrock of our leadership. We learn through history and heritage, and traditions tie into that heritage.” 

What is your favorite military tradition or ritual? Have you felt a sense of pride, like LtGeneral Hailston, while participating in it? Do you take the opportunity to consider your sense of purpose and privilege, like Master Chief Patton? We hope you are inspired to take a moment to reflect on how military traditions and rituals, or your own family or cultural traditions, may have enriched your life, your service, brought you closer to your fellow servicemembers, helped you better understand our military’s history and heritage.

Hear the United States Coast Guard performing Morning Colors.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Bryan Giraldo