Anyone find this strange about Elvis' coffin?

[EP75]

There is a tradition in this country that all former soldiers are to be honored by their corp and an United States flag draped over the coffin at their funeral and burial. This was not done for EP. Why would Vernon not have him honored by the US Army? My uncle who recently passed back earlier this year was never a war veteran but a soldier in the Air Force. At his funeral they had the US flag draped over his casket. This should have been done for EP.

It is also done for all police officers whoa re killed in the line of duty as a salute to them for their bravery.

Anyone else find this strange that it wasn't done for EP?

[ksimms2]

neer thought about it before - but good point - they did it for my grandfather who died in 1984 - he was a captain in the Air Force....

[KPM]

My father in law was a Korean war vet. When he died it was told to us at the funeral home that as a veteran it was "an option" to have his casket draped by the flag. He had cancer and had pretty much told us long before he died what he wanted for his funeral, and he did not want the flag draped over his casket. He said he did not serve his country for that reason. We respected his wishes. But it is not required for every serviceman-it is an option each family has.

[EP75]

True but EP loved his country and even had the American Eagle embedded on his jumpsuit for the worldwide special. Why wouldn't he want the flag over his coffin? That makes no sense to me.:doh:

[KPM]

Pal I'm not saying he did not want the flag-all I'm pointing out is it is not required. It is a family choice. Vernon had the choice and obviously decided not to have it. Elvis was very patriotic and we all know this, but unless he told Vernon he did not want it-it was no longer his decision it was Vernons.
Unexpected death is hard to cope with. Details for a normal funeral are hard let alone on the scale of a funeral like this. Vernon may have just made a snap decision on it. But-IMO- there was no slight to Elvis intended.

[rocknroll]

True but EP loved his country and even had the American Eagle embedded on his jumpsuit for the worldwide special. Why wouldn't he want the flag over his coffin? That makes no sense to me.:doh:

Not a big deal. His funeral was a huge undertaking, probably easier, logistically, to just leave the military process out. As KPM stated, it is a personal choice and no slight to Elvis, his country or the military.

[thehillbillycat]

There is a tradition in this country that all former soldiers are to be honored by their corp and an United States flag draped over the coffin at their funeral and burial. This was not done for EP. Why would Vernon not have him honored by the US Army? My uncle who recently passed back earlier this year was never a war veteran but a soldier in the Air Force. At his funeral they had the US flag draped over his casket. This should have been done for EP.

It is also done for all police officers whoa re killed in the line of duty as a salute to them for their bravery.

Anyone else find this strange that it wasn't done for EP?


Nothing werid about that at all. Elvis was too big of a star to have a military funeral. I have seen many of my friends who died that was in the military that didn't have a flag draped coffin. Elvis was a big star so the fans see him in the coffin. Nothing werid at all.

[Raised on Rock]

Well an easy explication to that is the practical one, Elvis was no ordinary guy, so when you have to deal with all the frenesy his death caused among the fans, you want to do things as quick and easy as you can, so maybe to request the military service would have made the funeral to complicated to deal with.

Im not an American citizen so I got one question, is it the same thing in terms of having a military funeral if requested for a person who served in the army as a lets call it long life career than for a person (like Elvis) that only did the obligated service a couple years cause he had to?

Here in Mexico, a military funeral its only for long life soldiers, people who did a career in the army, people who just did the one year obligatory militar service (similar to what Elvis did) do not get that. So I have no idea in the States, but here in Mexico someone like Elvis just don?t have that option. But of course this is another country so I have no idea really.

[Rhinestone]

The funeral director discussed this topic in his book. He was puzzled by Vernon's decision not to have the flag placed on the coffin and mused as to whether or not Vernon was doing what Elvis would have wanted. When the funeral director reminded Vernon that Elvis was entitled to have the flag draped over the coffin, Vernon responded that Elvis liked red rosebuds and didn't want the flag. The funeral director surmised that since nothing could be placed on top of the flag and there couldn't be blankets of red rosebuds and the flag, Vernon opted for the flowers.

Vernon was grieving, and I'd think he was still in shock. Sometimes during grief, people do behave or make decisions that may seem "inappropriate" to others.

[srj1967]

The use of the flag in the US, as it is here in Australia, is by choice.

I think if Elvis was approached about it, he would've said "Don't worry about it", and opted for no flag.

I mean, he certainly was proud to have served his country, but he wasn't exactly pleased to have been called up for the draft ... and he was definitely glad to finally get out after two long years.

Had he wanted the flag, he would've specified it in his will. I don't think he would've even thought of it himself.

[EP75]

The funeral director discussed this topic in his book. He was puzzled by Vernon's decision not to have the flag placed on the coffin and mused as to whether or not Vernon was doing what Elvis would have wanted. When the funeral director reminded Vernon that Elvis was entitled to have the flag draped over the coffin, Vernon responded that Elvis liked red rosebuds and didn't want the flag. The funeral director surmised that since nothing could be placed on top of the flag and there couldn't be blankets of red rosebuds and the flag, Vernon opted for the flowers.

Vernon was grieving, and I'd think he was still in shock. Sometimes during grief, people do behave or make decisions that may seem "inappropriate" to others.

Thanks for that. This pretty much answers most of my question then.

[KPM]

Well an easy explication to that is the practical one, Elvis was no ordinary guy, so when you have to deal with all the frenesy his death caused among the fans, you want to do things as quick and easy as you can, so maybe to request the military service would have made the funeral to complicated to deal with.

Im not an American citizen so I got one question, is it the same thing in terms of having a military funeral if requested for a person who served in the army as a lets call it long life career than for a person (like Elvis) that only did the obligated service a couple years cause he had to?

Here in Mexico, a military funeral its only for long life soldiers, people who did a career in the army, people who just did the one year obligatory militar service (similar to what Elvis did) do not get that. So I have no idea in the States, but here in Mexico someone like Elvis just don?t have that option. But of course this is another country so I have no idea really.
In America every man who served is entitled to a military service if the family requests it. No matter if they serve 2 years or 20.

[Frankieg]

I just came across this (old) thread and found it to be extremely morbid.

However, I don't think it would have been out of line to honor Elvis in death with the American flag draped over his coffin at all.

By the way, is EP75 still "banned" ?

I wonder Why ...