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Old Posted Aug 11, 2010, 5:33 PM
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gsjansen gsjansen is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire View Post
LAT

Always a fan of light reading, I'm in the midst of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, a great book that has reminded me of what I'd long heard was once standard practice while pledging allegience to the flag. Above is an L.A. example.
The salute was, (is), known as the Bellamy salute. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy and was originally published in the September 8 issue of the popular children's magazine The Youth's Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. The event was conceived and promoted by James B. Upham, a marketer for the magazine, in a campaign to encourage patriotism and the display of the American flag in public schools.

The swearing of the pledge is accompanied by a salute. An early version of the salute, adopted in 1892, was known as the Bellamy salute. It started with the hand outstretched toward the flag, palm down, and ended with the palm up. Here are the instructions on how to properly salute and pledge Allegiance that were published in the 1892 Youth's Companion Magazine;

At a signal from the Principal the pupils, in ordered ranks, hands to the side, face the Flag. Another signal is given; every pupil gives the flag the military salute -- right hand lifted, palm downward, to a line with the forehead and close to it. Standing thus, all repeat together, slowly, β€œI pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.” At the words, β€œto my Flag,” the right hand is extended gracefully, palm upward, toward the Flag, and remains in this gesture till the end of the affirmation; whereupon all hands immediately drop to the side.


Because of the similarity between the Bellamy salute and the Nazi salute, developed later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted the hand-over-the-heart gesture as the salute to be rendered by civilians during the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem in the United States, instead of the Bellamy salute. Removal of the Bellamy salute occurred on December 22, 1942, when Congress amended the Flag Code language first passed into law on June 22, 1942.

The Bellamy Salute being performed during the pledge 1942


Wikipedia

The Bellamy Salute be performed during the pledge 1941


Wikipedia
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