Clashing Over Church Ritual and Flag Protocol at the Naval Academy

March 8, 2008
Clashing Over Church Ritual and Flag Protocol at the Naval Academy

Below a cobalt blue stained-glass window of Jesus, one midshipman dips the academy flag before the altar cross, and the other dips the American flag.

The dipping of the flag has begun this nondenominational Protestant service at the Naval Academy for 40 years. But in civilian life, the American flag is never to be dipped, and the Navy says, it is not dipped at any other worship service at the academy or at any other installation.