Deaths And Funerals

1287. Death of a United States civil official.

1. 1. Upon the death of a United States civil official listed below, the ceremonies set forth in Table 9 shall be observed.
2. When the day after receipt of notice of death falls upon a Sunday or national holiday, gun salutes will be fired on the day following Sunday or a national holiday. 
3. The national ensign shall be half-masted upon receipt of notification from any reliable source, including news media, of the death of one of the designated civil officials.

1288. Death of a person in the military service.

1. Upon the death of a person in the military service, the ceremonies set forth in table 10 shall be observed.
2. At joint installations or commands the procedures prescribed by the responsible military commanders or the executive agent will be executed uniformly by all the Untied States military units present.
3. The national ensign shall be half-masted upon receipt of notification from any reliable source, including news media, of the death of one of the designated officials.
4. If the senior officer present deems it appropriate, such officer may direct that the ceremonies prescribed in this article be observed during the transfer of the body of the deceased from the ship or naval station, rather than during the funeral.
5. In the event of a military funeral of a person in the naval service on the retired list, ceremonies as prescribed in this article shall be rendered insofar as maybe practicable.
6. On the occasion of conducting the funeral of a person in the naval service near posts, stations, or ships of other armed services of the United States, or of the Coast Guard, the commanding officers thereof shall be duly notified of the time and the honors to be rendered by ships of the Navy or by naval stations.
7. During the funeral of a flag officer of the Coast Guard or a general officer of the armed services of the United States, other than naval, and other than those listed in paragraph 1 of this article, at a place where there is a naval station, or where one or more ships of the Navy are present, the ensigns of such stations and ships shall be half-masted during the funeral service and for one hour thereafter; and minute-guns, of the number prescribed for the funeral of the deceased by the regulations of the service of which he or she was a member, shall be fired by the naval station, if practicable, and by the senior saluting ship present.

1289. General provisions pertaining to funerals.

1. If there is no chaplain or clergyman available, the commanding officer, or a designated representative, shall conduct the funeral service.
2. There shall be six pallbearers and six bodybearers. The pallbearers shall, if practicable, be the same grade or rating as the deceased. If a sufficient number of foreign officers of appropriate grade attend the funeral, they may be invited to serve as additional pallbearers. Pallbearers and bodybearers shall follow the procedure prescribed in the Marine Corps Drill and Ceremonies Manual (NAVMC 2691).
3. The wearing of the mourning badge is discretionary for those in attendance at a funeral and shall be worn by the escort for a military funeral as prescribed in the appropriate uniform regulations.
4. Boats taking part in a funeral procession shall display the national ensign at half-mast.  If the deceased was a flag or general officer, or at the time of death a unit commander, or a commanding officer of a ship, his or her flag or command pennant, or a commission pennant, shall be draped in mourning and displayed at half-mast from a staff in the bow of the boat carrying the body. A funeral procession of boats shall, in general, be formed in the order
   prescribed in the Marine Corps Drill and Ceremonies Manual (NAVMC 2691).
5. The casket shall be covered with the national ensign, so placed that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder of the deceased. The ensign shall be removed from the casket before it is lowered into the grave or committed to the deep.
6. Persons in the naval service shall salute when the body has been carried past them, while the body is being lowered into the grave or committed to the deep, and during the firing of volleys and the sounding of “Taps.”
7. Three rifle volleys shall be fired after the body has been lowered into the grave or committed to the deep, following which “Taps” shall be sounded by the bugle; except that in a foreign port, when permission has not been obtained to land an armed escort, the volleys shall be fired over the body after it has been lowered into the boat alongside.
8. During burial at sea, the ship shall be stopped, if practicable, and the ensign shall be displayed at half-mast from the beginning of the funeral service until the body has been committed to the deep. Further display of the ensign at half-mast maybe prescribed according to circumstances by the senior officer present.
9. Funeral honors shall not be rendered between sunset and sunrise. When it is necessary to bury the dead at night, such funeral services as are practicable shall take place.

1290. Funeral escorts.

1. An escort under arms shall, when practicable, accompany the funeral cortege to the place of interment, and shall follow the procedure prescribed in the Marine Corps Drill and Ceremonies Manual (NAVMC 2691).
2. The funeral escort for a President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, Under Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Fleet Admiral, Chief of Naval Operations, or Commandant of the Marine Corps shall be as prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy,
3. Unless otherwise prescribed by the senior officer present, the funeral escort for other persons in the Navy or the Marine Corps shall be as set forth in Table 11.

1291. Display of personal flag, command pennant or commission pennant in funerals ashore. If the deceased was a flag or general officer, or at the time of his or her death, a unit commander or commanding officer of a ship, the appropriate personal flag or command pennant, or commission pennant, shall be draped in mourning and carried immediately in advance of the body in the funeral procession to the grave.

1292. Burial in a foreign place. Before a person in the naval service is buried in a foreign place, the senior officer present shall arrange with the local authorities for the interment of the body and shall also request permission to parade an escort under arms. The senior officer present shall inform the senior foreign officers present and. the appropriate local officials of the time and place of the funeral, and of the funeral honors to be rendered by United States forces present.

1293. Death of diplomatic, consular or foreign official.

1. On the death in a foreign place of a diplomatic or consular representative of the United States, the senior officer present shall, as circumstances permit, arrange for appropriate participation in the funeral ceremonies by persons in the naval service.
2. The senior officer present, upon receiving official notice of the death or funeral of a foreign official, or member of a foreign armed service, shall, as circumstances warrant and as international courtesy demands, direct visits of condolence to be made, and arrange for participation by persons in the naval service in the funeral ceremonies.

1294. Transporting body of deceased official. When a ship of the Navy is transporting the body of a deceased official, the honors and ceremonies prescribed for an official visit shall, if directed by the senior officer present or higher authority, be rendered when the body is received aboard or leaves the ship.