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Rutherford Institute Defends Honor Guardsman Fired for Offering God's Blessing at Graveside Military Funerals

PHILADELPHIA--The Rutherford Institute has agreed to assist Patrick Cubbage, a Vietnam combat veteran and evangelical Christian. Cubbage was fired from his job as an honor guardsman at a veterans memorial cemetery for saying "God bless you and this family, and God bless the United States of America" as part of the formal color guard flag ceremony for deceased veterans.

Cubbage began working as a part-time honor guardsman at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in North Hanover, New Jersey, in October 2001. Working between 20 and 30 hours a week, Cubbage had participated in approximately 2000 burial services during his employment at Doyle. Part of his duties as an honor guardsman included presenting a folded American flag to the deceased veteran's family members. In accordance with federal flag presentation protocol, Cubbage accompanied the presentation of the flag with the following words: "This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token of appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service."

According to Cubbage, on those occasions when the deceased's family specifically requested a blessing, he would then proffer the following blessing, which is also customary according to the federal flag manual: "God bless you and this family, and God bless the United States of America." However, after a fellow honor guardsman complained about Cubbage's use of the blessing, his supervisor ordered him in mid-October 2002 to stop referring to God. Cubbage immediately pointed to the section in the Flag Presentation Protocol pamphlet that said the blessing should be included as part of the graveside ceremony "if the next of kin has expressed a religious preference or belief." Nevertheless, Cubbage's supervisor insisted that he stop using the blessing because it might offend the families of veterans and other honor guardsmen. Cubbage reluctantly agreed to use the blessing only if the deceased veteran's next of kin specifically requested that it be included. On October 31, 2002, the son of a deceased veteran asked that Cubbage include the blessing in his graveside presentation. Shortly afterwards, a fellow honor guardsman reported the incident and Cubbage was fired for including the simple blessing in the graveside ceremony. As Cubbage remarked, "I just don't get it. When you give people that flag, you see them look into it and remember a whole time in their loved one's life. So why in God's name did they fire me? Because in God's name, they did fire me."

"Patrick Cubbage was terminated for following U.S. Department of Defense protocol. He did nothing wrong," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "As a war veteran, Patrick Cubbage has put his life on the line to preserve American freedom. I am honored that The Rutherford Institute can stand with him in his efforts to honor other fallen servicemen."

The Rutherford Institute is an international, nonprofit civil liberties organization committed to defending constitutional and human rights.


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Nisha N. Mohammed
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Email: Nisha N. Mohammed

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