presentation of the honoree

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Presentations

How to Present an Award

Last Updated: May 7, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Danielle Blinka is a Writer, Editor, Podcaster, Improv Performer, and Artist currently living in Houston, TX. She also has experience teaching English and writing to others. Danielle holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Master of Arts in English with a concentration in writing, and Master of Public Administration from Lamar University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 101,091 times. Learn more...

Giving out an award is a huge honor, so you likely want to do a great job. When you’re presenting an award, it’s important to keep the focus on the winner rather than yourself. Start your award speech by introducing the award and what it’s for. Then, announce the winner and why they won. Additionally, make sure that your information is accurate and concise.

Writing and Practicing Your Speech

• If the person knows about the award, talk to them directly to verify that you have correct information.
• If the award is a surprise, you can still talk to the person, but be vague about the reason. It may be helpful to talk to people who know them well, like a coworker, supervisor, classmate, teacher, or close relative.

• For instance, don’t say things like, “I taught her everything she knows,” “This is a great day for me because I hired her,” or “I always knew he was going places.”

• This is especially true if the winner will have a chance to give an acceptance speech. You don’t want to eat into the time they have for their speech.

Variation: You might also film your speech so you can look for areas that you can tighten up or improve.

Introducing the Award

• For instance, you might cradle a statue or plaque between both of your hands.
• If the award is an unframed certificate, you might carry it on open palms or keep it in a folder to protect it until you hand it out.

• You might say, “Every year we honor an employee who went above and beyond for our clients. This award celebrates the sacrifices and dedication of one employee who exemplified our company values over the past year.”

Variation: If you're presenting the award because of your position or credentials, briefly introduce yourself and your position to establish your credibility. This boosts the prominence of the award.

• Say, “This has been our most successful year as a company, and it’s because of the hard work and dedication of our entire team. Each of you deserves credit for helping us get to this point, but one employee’s achievements stand out from the rest.”

Announcing the Winner

• You could say, “The first time I met this person it was on a video conference. They’d traveled across the world for a business trip, but a client needed to meet that day. Instead of rescheduling, this person stayed up late into the night so they could attend the client meeting over Skype.”
• If you’re going for a funny story, you might say, “What we do around here is serious work, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. The person who’s receiving this award knows how to make people laugh. When we were going through our audit last quarter, they put a smile on everyone’s face by putting rubber ducks in the fountain outside our office. It was a small gesture, but it helped us get through a difficult week.”

• Say, “This award goes to a person who lives our values. They put clients first and never hesitate to help a coworker in need. This year they made 30% of our sales and completed half of our customer service calls. On top of that, they’re the only employee in the history of the company to ever receive a business opportunity grant. Please applaud for the winner of the VIP Award, Ms. Alison Dean.”

Tip: Ideally, the audience should slowly realize who’s name you’re about to call.

• You might say, “Today we’re here to honor Diego Lopez for his efforts to build a new community center. Mr. Lopez organized fundraisers, energized the community, and overcame obstacles to bring hope to his neighborhood. Thanks to his efforts, 75 students are currently enrolled in after-school programs at the center, and a new program for the elderly is set to open next week.”

• You might tell them, “Congratulations on this well-deserved accomplishment.”

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd2xNTuQWxQ
• ↑ https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_business-communication-for-success/s19-07-presenting-or-accepting-an-awa.html
• ↑ https://bizfluent.com/how-2122740-present-award.html
• ↑ http://www.publicspeakingexpert.co.uk/awardspeeches.html
• ↑ https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/public-speaking-tips/presenting-awards

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Did this article help you?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

Rice Speechwriting

Mastering presenter speech for award ceremonies, ace your presenter speech for award ceremonies.

Have you ever been to an award ceremony and felt that the presenter’s speech was a bit lackluster? If so, you know how important it is for the presenter to deliver a captivating speech that engages the audience and honors the awardee. An award presentation speech should be well-crafted, informative, and inspiring, leaving the audience with a sense of awe. In this blog post, we will cover all the key elements of an effective award presentation speech, including how to craft a captivating opener, provide background on the award and its significance, highlight the awardee’s accomplishments, and maintain brevity and engagement throughout. We’ll also share some tips on how to write an impressive presentation speech by knowing your audience, gathering relevant information about the awardee, and practicing your delivery. Finally, we’ll share examples of award presentation speeches gone right (and wrong) so that you can learn from others’ experiences.

Understanding the Purpose of an Award Presentation Speech

Honoring the recipient’s achievements is pivotal in an award presentation speech, capturing the audience’s attention from the onset. The speech should emphasize the honor and purpose of the award while expressing gratitude to the recipient, audience, and organizers. Additionally, it should inspire both the audience and the recipient, making it a momentous occasion. Incorporating these elements will make the award speech a memorable highlight of the ceremony.

The Role of a Presenter in an Award Ceremony

The presenter’s speech at an award ceremony plays a pivotal role in setting the tone for the event, demanding a high level of public speaking finesse. It serves as an introduction to the award recipient, encapsulating their name, achievements, and the purpose of the award. The speech also acts as a means of honoring the award recipient, encompassing elements of a speech giving an award to someone, an acceptance speech, and an award acceptance speech , all combined into one. Additionally, it presents an opportunity to underline the award’s purpose, the kinds of achievements it celebrates, and the individual’s significant contributions. The presentation speech template should be designed to captivate the audience, culminating in a high note, similar to giving an award to someone speech, introduction speech for award recipient, and award presentation speech, ending with a bang.

The Importance of a Well-Crafted Presentation Speech

Crafting an award presentation speech demands the emcee’s skill to sustain audience engagement within the time limit, ensuring a captivating speech until the end. The speech sets the stage for the award recipient’s heartfelt acceptance speech, requiring the emcee’s finesse in captivating the audience’s attention. Utilizing a presentation speech pdf, YouTube, or an anecdote can enhance the speech’s impact, expressing gratitude, honor, and the award’s purpose.

Key Elements of an Effective Award Presentation Speech

Crafting an effective award presentation speech involves seamlessly integrating key elements to engage the audience. The speech should include an award presentation, acceptance speech, and introduction of the award recipient in a concise yet impactful manner. It is essential to honor the recipient’s achievements and the purpose of the award while maintaining the audience’s attention. Incorporating gratitude and a thoughtful ending further enriches the overall presentation. Utilizing a well-crafted presentation speech template with NLP terms such as award speech, certificate, and trophies can enhance its effectiveness.

Crafting a Captivating Opener

Crafting the opening of an award presentation speech sets the stage for honoring the recipient’s achievements and the award’s purpose. The emcee’s introduction must capture the audience’s attention and engage them to honor the recipient. It should establish the purpose of the award and the achievements of the recipient. Crafting this opener is crucial for laying the groundwork for the award presentation and acceptance speech, ensuring lasting impact.

Providing Background on the Award and its Significance

Crafting an award presentation speech’s background involves expressing gratitude and outlining the purpose of the award, the recipient’s achievements, and the award’s scope. The emcee’s speech’s background should offer insight into the award’s purpose, the recipient’s achievements, and the award’s scope. It should also honor the recipient and express gratitude. This sets the stage for a memorable presentation that encapsulates the significance of the award and the accomplishments of the recipient.

Highlighting the Awardee’s Accomplishments

Focusing on the recipient’s achievements, name, award purpose, and scope is crucial in the award presentation speech. The emcee’s task is to honor the award recipient by delivering a speech that highlights the individual’s accomplishments. This involves addressing the audience and emphasizing the significance of the award, ensuring engagement and recognition. A well-crafted presentation speech effectively conveys the awardee’s achievements, sparking audience interest and involvement.

Maintaining Brevity and Engagement

In crafting an award presentation speech, it’s essential to maintain brevity while ensuring audience engagement. Focus on expressing gratitude, outlining the award’s purpose, and highlighting the recipient’s achievements. Emphasize the significance of the award and the individual’s contributions. Practicing the speech is crucial for a polished delivery, allowing you to connect with the audience effectively. This ensures that your award speech remains concise yet impactful, leaving a lasting impression.

Steps to Writing an Impressive Award Presentation Speech

Crafting an award speech involves understanding the audience, gathering pertinent details about the recipient, and rehearsing for effective delivery. Knowing the audience helps tailor the speech, while collecting information about the awardee ensures a personalized and meaningful presentation. Practice is key to refining the speech and exuding confidence during delivery. Incorporating these steps will result in a memorable and impactful award presentation speech. Emphasizing the significance of the award and the accomplishments of the recipient will resonate with the audience.

Knowing Your Audience

Understanding the interests and preferences of your audience is crucial for delivering an impactful award speech. Tailoring your content to resonate with the audience enhances engagement and connection. Consider their expectations, knowledge about the awardee, and the tone they would appreciate. Adapting the speech to appeal to the specific audience further elevates the impact of the presenter’s message. Acknowledging the audience’s presence through personalized references and relevant anecdotes fosters a deeper connection.

Gathering Relevant Information about the Awardee

Personalizing the award speech involves gathering pertinent information about the awardee’s achievements, contributions, and impact. Tailoring the speech to the recipient’s professional journey and accolades adds a special touch. Emphasizing the recipient’s unique accomplishments and extra mile efforts creates a memorable experience. Highlighting their first-time achievements and significant contributions to the field captures the audience’s attention. This personalized approach ensures that the award speech resonates with the recipient and the audience.

Practicing the Speech for Better Delivery

Practice makes perfect when delivering an award speech. Rehearsing ensures confidence and fluency, maintaining an engaging pace and incorporating pauses for emphasis. It’s crucial to adjust the speech to the time limit, keeping it impactful. Seeking feedback refines the delivery for a polished presentation, ensuring the speech resonates with the audience. Practicing the speech is the key to delivering an award-winning presentation.

Examples of Award Presentation Speeches

Crafting an introduction that honors the award recipient’s achievements is key to engaging the audience. Express gratitude and enthusiasm in delivering the award presentation speech, structuring the acceptance speech to honor the significance of the award. Engage the audience by sharing a personalized anecdote, and conclude with an uplifting ending to inspire both the recipient and the audience.

What Can Go Wrong in a Presentation Speech and How to Avoid It?

Common pitfalls to avoid in a presentation speech include overshadowing the recipient’s achievements, rushing through the speech, using generic content, employing excessive jargon, and neglecting to plan for technical issues. By being mindful of these challenges, you can deliver a polished and impactful presentation speech.

In conclusion, delivering an award-winning presenter speech requires understanding the purpose of the speech and the role of the presenter in an award ceremony. It is important to craft a well-written speech that includes a captivating opener, provides background on the award and its significance, highlights the awardee’s accomplishments, and maintains brevity and engagement. To write an impressive speech, it is essential to know your audience, gather relevant information about the awardee, and practice the speech for better delivery. By following these steps and avoiding common mistakes, you can deliver a memorable and impactful award presentation speech. Remember, your words have the power to inspire, celebrate achievements, and leave a lasting impression on the audience.

Winning Words: Speech for Getting Award Tips

Best giving an award speech examples.

Popular Posts

How to write a retirement speech that wows: essential guide.

June 4, 2022

The Best Op Ed Format and Op Ed Examples: Hook, Teach, Ask (Part 2)

June 2, 2022

Inspiring Awards Ceremony Speech Examples

November 21, 2023

Mastering the Art of How to Give a Toast

Short award acceptance speech examples: inspiring examples.

November 22, 2023

Sentence Sense Newsletter

• DrillMaster University

All About Posting or Presenting Colors

DrillMaster January 20, 2018 Ask DrillMaster , Color Guard/Color Team , Honor Guard , Honor Guard Training 145 Comments

There is quite a bit of information and several situations that every color team needs to know to maintain the American flag in the position of honor – on the marching right or in front. The American flag never marches any other position . Never . Military and para-military (just about every organization that has its members in uniform) should follow military guidance.

Never march the American flag in the center. The position of honor is to the right- not the center . All flags are marched so that the finial (top ornament, the spade) is as close to the same height as possible. All flagstaffs must also be the same length.

Color Guard Formations

There are only two authorized formations for a color guard. Only two, Line Formation and Column Formation. Everyone who has served even a day in the military is familiar with both. We fall-in for a formation in line formation and when we are going to march somewhere, the formation is given Right Face into column formation and we can then march any necessary distance.

Notice in the graphic above that Inverted Line and Column Formations takes the American flag out of the position of honor. A color guard can never perform these two formations. Never.

What Flags do we Carry and in what Order?

Military, Civil and Citizen teams have different requirements. The colors listed are in order from the marching right (viewer’s left):

• All services must always march with their service color, it may not be replaced by any other flag.
• The Army is authorized to add a state, territory or foreign national color (only one) and can carry up to four flags, the rest being unit colors. Read here for more information .
• The Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard are only authorized to carry the National Ensign and the service color. They may add another three-man color guard for a foreign national or US territory color only. Read here for more information .
• The Air Force and Space Force are authorized to add a state, territory or foreign national color (only one) and can carry up to four flags, the rest being unit colors. Read here for more information .
• Civil teams (law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS) carry the American, state, municipal, organizational and even fraternal colors. The fraternal color can be omitted when presenting for local government functions.
• Tribal teams  , on Tribal lands, would carry the Tribal Nation’s color, American, and state colors. Outside of Tribal lands, the American would be first and then the Tribal Nation’s color. Some Tribal teams also carry service colors.

Side note: When an Army, Air Force, or Space Force color team carries the following colors, this is the order. No exceptions.

• American flag
• Foreign national, state, or territory flag (in that order)
• Military departmental flag
• (Unit flag)

Please read The Why of the Military Color Guard series of posts.

Carrying More Than One National Flag?

Let’s say you are part of an Emerald Society Pipe and Drum Corps and Honor Guard (a first responder fraternity). Many of these teams carry not only the American flag, but also the Irish flag. Why? The first law enforcement officers and firefighters were Irish. The tradition continues. Back to our situation of two national flags: All national flags are treated the same on American soil – they are not dipped in salute. Both remain upright even during both national anthems, if they are played. All other colors dip in salute.

Joint Service Order for Military Colors

This is the only order for service flags, service emblems, etc. For more information on why this is the order, click here to read Joint Service Order of the Colors . The right/lead rifle guard is a Soldier and the left/rear guard is a Marine.

• Right rifle guard, Army
• Marine Corps
• Space Force
• Coast Guard
• Left rifle guard, Marine Corps

Note: While service color position remains the same, if all service personnel are not able to be present for the team, their order should go as follows as far as knowledge is concerned: regardless of service or rank, the most knowledgeable (as far as color guard experience) member should be the US color bearer and the second most knowledgeable should be the right rifle guard. Third in this sequence should be the left rifle guard with descending familiarity following from there.

Joint Service Order for First Responders

Full disclosure: I developed this. While this is not a hard-and-fast rule, I thought it necessary to create an order of precedence based on the implementation of each service. Read this for complete first responder joint service information :

• Law enforcement officer (LEO)

Using the guidance from the military, team make up might look like this:

• Right/lead rifle guard: LEO armed with a rifle/shotgun, second-most experienced member
• American flag: LEO, most experienced member
• Other flag (State, etc.): Firefighter/EMS, can be least in experience
• Left/rear guard: Firefighter/EMS armed with a ceremonial fire axe, third in experience

Keep in mind the guidance that the most experienced member should be the US color bearer, regardless of service/profession.

LEO/Fire/EMS Working Together

I encourage and enjoy joint work, but there is an issue that must be addressed: Technique.

What about Military and Civil working together?

Nothing addresses this subject specifically. However, we don’t necessarily read manuals to see what is forbidden or not authorized as that would be a never ending list, we look to the service manuals for what is authorized and we have our answer already. Military sticks with military and that’s it.

What About the Uniform?

For the military, the Class A or ceremonial uniform is it. On base, the utility uniform is an option but only if the official party is wearing it. Never wear mess dress. For more read this article .

Does Height Matter?

Experience before aesthetics , always . Not if you have the luxury of each member of the team being around the same height, but for cadet and civil teams, it should come second to knowledge and experience. Yes, the team might look “off”, but it’s best to have knowledgeable members of the team in key positions rather than have aesthetics. Click here and read this article .

Flag Stuck, etc.?

Problem during the Performance? That’s why God invented the right and left guards for the team! The guards are there to fix whatever issue they can.  For more, read this article here .

Hangin’ Around

Waiting for the ceremony still requires proper protocol.

• Arrive at the site at least one hour early
• Practice while in your travel uniform (this ensures no one thinks the ceremony has already begun and gives the team time to figure out their movements)
• Change into ceremonial/Class A uniform
• Hang out* with equipment ready in-hand and all team members in their proper place (American flag at right or in front of other flags- yes, even just hanging around – cameras are everywhere)
• Ten minutes prior to show time, line up at staging position at Stand at Ease (or Parade Rest) ready to perform

*An example of how NOT to stand around. This is a USAF Base Honor Guard team, I have pictures of other services, this is just an example.

Sporting Events

For horse and ice rink arenas, see The Arena/Rink Colors Presentation article .

For baseball, basketball, football/soccer, see this article and this article .

Left Wheel, Right Wheel and About Wheel . These are terms that honor guards use to describe turns accomplished by the color team most often outside. Right/Left Wheels use the center of the team as the rotation point which means half the team marches forward and the other half marches backward to rotate the team 90-degrees in an average of eight steps for teams with four to six members.

This is joint service technique from the Marine Corps and ceremonial technique. The Army Wheel is just like the Marine Corps Turn with the rotation point on the guard position.

The team executes the About Wheel in the same direction as the Right Wheel rotating the team 180-degrees in 16 steps.

Posting/Presenting

While colors can be and sometimes are posted outdoors (read that link), my experience leads me to recommend that you present and not post. The wind just never plays well with other others. We, in the military try to avoid this as much as possible with the alternative being a color team that posts near the podium for the event. The members present and then stage the team for everyone to see. Sometimes this may not be a viable solution and you will have to have the event and location dictate how the color team handles the colors. See also, How to Present the Colors at an Event ,  What is Authorized when Presenting the Colors , and How to Plan and Coordinate a Color Guard Event . This article, How to Present the Colors at an Event , has great information.

Note: As a rule of thumb, colors enter at Right Shoulder (Carry) and depart at Port Arms. Entering at Port is fine if necessary.

• Halt in front of and facing audience
• Present Arms for (foreign national anthem and then) the Star Spangled Banner or Pledge of Allegiance (not both see the next paragraph)
• (Color bearers move to post colors and rejoin guards)

The Announcement

“Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation (and posting) of the colors.” Every time a color guard presents the colors, it’s called a presentation. At a formal event, the colors may be placed in stands, that is posting. The colors will always be presented, just not always posted.

Music to Present to

Why not both the anthem and pledge.

Having both is not necessary. The Star-Spangled Banner is a salute to the flag and we render the military hand salute, stand at attention, or place our right hand over our heart, and dip flags.

We will not find anything that specifically forbids having the Star Spangled Banner played or sung and then having the Pledge of Allegiance in the same ceremony. The military oath supersedes the Pledge from our first day of Active Duty so we in the military hardly ever recite the Pledge if at all. There are times we do recite it and that is explained in our protocol manuals. What we read in TC 3-21.5 (MCO 5060.20 and AFMAN 36-2203) and related manuals is that the only music to honor the flag is the national anthem.

If you are told that the anthem and Pledge will be part of a ceremony and have no say, a great way to facilitate that is to formally present the colors, go to Present for the anthem, (post the colors- for more formal ceremonies,) and then have the color guard depart. Once the team is off stage, the audience can be led through the Pledge.

If the point of contact insists on both the anthem and Pledge and the team remaining for both, have the team return to Carry/Right Shoulder and remain for the Pledge. After recitation, the team departs at Port (Port, ARMS; Colors, Colors Turn, HARCH).

Music Played on Entrance and Exit

A military march can be played for the color guard when entering and exiting and no other time. The usual music for military color guards is the Trio section of the National Emblem March. T his YouTube video from the US Navy Band is perfect (also below) and at the correct tempo (around 90 beats per minute is best when presenting/posting indoors). If you have a live band, you can coordinate when to cut the music off. If you play this or another recording, you can halt and let the music play out. If you can get in place before the repeat, please don’t let the whole thing play while everyone stands around waiting for the music to end.

Dipping Flags to the Pledge

US military departmental and organizational flags do not dip for the Pledge. The same goes for the JROTC organizational flag, which is dipped in salute in all military ceremonies while the national anthem of the United States, “To the Colors,” or a foreign national anthem is played, when rendering honors to the Chief of Staff or Secretary of a US military branch, his or her direct representative, or an individual of higher grade, including a foreign dignitary of equivalent or higher grade. Organizational colors are also dipped when rendering honors to organizations and individuals for which the military ceremony is being conducted.

What about other organizational (veteran groups and first responders) and state flags? Dipping state, territory, city, and county flags along with private/national organization and law enforcement, fire, and EMS department flags is appropriate.

Foreign Anthems?

Foreign national anthems are played first and the Star-Spangled Banner is played last. An example of this is a Canadian hockey or baseball teams plays an American team here in the USA. If the American team traveled to Canada, the Star-Spangled Banner would be first with Oh Canada! played last.

Other Music?

While there may be other anthems representing certain people groups, they are not afforded the same protocol as a national anthem. The public is not required to stand or place their hand over their heart. Let’s take the Black Anthem as an example.

While I am in no way suggesting disrespect should be shown to a piece of music that may have meaning to a number of people, it is not at the same level as a national anthem and is not accorded the protocol of standing and placing the right hand over the heart, a military hand salute, or even the color guard going to Present Arms with the rifle guards at the position of Present and the non-national flag dipped forward. If this other music is played, the color guard should only stand at the position of Attention if on the court/field and after that music has finished, the commander of the team gives “Present, ARMS!” and the Star-Spangled Banner is then played or sung.

The announcer can say, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Black Anthem.” After it is finished the announcer should say, “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise, (men remove your hats, and place your right hand over your heart) for the Star-Spangled Banner.” Here is where the color guard would go to Present Arms and the anthem would then begin. The Star-Spangled Banner must be last.

Standard Entrance and Departure

To Present or Post, that is the Question!

Posting the colors is for special occasions. How special? That is up to the organization. Graduations are a special time, that would call for posting the colors. Weekly events would probably warrant pre-posted colors at the least or presenting the colors only.

The Show-n-Go . This is the honor guard term for presenting the colors for an informal/semi-formal event. The colors are pre-posted on the stage/front of the room and the color team enters, formally presents (Anthem), and then departs. No posting.

This happens at all sporting events where a color guard enters the field and should be a regular occurrence for every color guard in the USA and Americans abroad. Formally presenting is reserved for formal events.

With the Show-n-Go, the colors do not matter. As long as the American flag pre-posted, the color team can present whatever they carry as their standard colors (American, State, etc.).

How to Enter

The standard entrance is to enter from the viewer’s right, present to the audience (then post) and depart. See the image above.

To enter from the viewer’s left, use Every Left On . Also, read this article . This avoids Inverted Line Formation explained above.

Flag Stand Positions

Below, is an example of different stand positions behind a podium. For more on which flags should be in which stands, read this article on The Logical Separation of Colors .

How to Exit

The standard exit is to the viewer’s left. See the standard entrance/departure image above.

To exit to the viewer’s right, use Every Left Off . The commander calls, “Step!” and the left rifle guard steps across, as close as possible to the team member on their left. Step any further away and the departure for the team looks terrible.

Asked to post another organization’s color(s)? Don’t! Read this !

Entering and Departing to Music

Music is not mandatory. If you are going to have music, it is best that it be live. If not, a recording can sound quite unprofessional. The standard entrance and exit music for presenting/posting the colors is the Trio section of the National Emblem march by Edwin Eugene Bagley. Here is the YouTube video of the USAF Heritage Band playing the march. The link begins the video at the Trio section . This tempo is about 120 SPM (steps per minute). For the colors, you want a tempo of about 90 SPM.

When to Retire/Retrieve the Colors

Retrieving the colors is reserved for the extra, extra formal occasions. Do not retire the colors for weekly or even monthly meetings. Retirement is for very formal galas or balls. Use the posting sequence in reverse.

• Color bearers retrieve colors and rejoin guards
• Present Arms for a few seconds ( military flags do not dip )

Share this:

Comments 145.

Thanks for a great article. During a Navy ceremony when colors are paraded, does the MC also render a hand-salute?

Yes sir, that would be appropriate.

Copy. Thanks DrillMaster.

In a similar vein, my pastor has asked me to carry and hold the flag during a short Memorial Day remembrance during our upcoming Sunday service (I’m a veteran). He wants to play Taps, and has asked me to dip the flag while Taps is played. I’m aware the Flag Code stipulates the flag should never be dipped — would there ever be an exception to this rule for a religiously-themed Memorial remembrance such as this? Thanks

Sir, I have been scouring the Internet for the proper sequence (if there is even a proper sequence). As I remember it, while on active duty, when Posting the Colours / Retiring the Colours for a formal military event (All Academy Ball, as an example), the sequence is Invocation, Post, Retire, Benediction. Is this correct or does it even matter?

SFC Loewen,

It’s not mandatory to have a colors presentation. Colors can be preposted and no color guard present if there is no room or other circumstance.

For some situations: Colors preposted Star-Spangled Banner (played or sung) Invocation Ceremony Benediction

For most situations: One set of colors preposted and another set carried for a formal presentation (show-n-go) Star-Spangled Banner (played or sung) Departure of the color guard Invocation Ceremony Benediction

For formal situations: Colors presentation Star-Spangled Banner (played or sung) [posting of the colors] Departure of the color guard Invocation Ceremony Benediction

For very formal situations: Colors presentation Star-Spangled Banner (played or sung) Posting of the colors Departure of the color guard Invocation Ceremony Benediction Color guard retrieves colors Honors to the American flag

I hope this is helpful.

I am writing the script for a promotion ceremony. We intend to use the show-n-go method. Flags will already be posted on stage and the color guard will present the colors, National Anthem will be performed, and the color guard will exit, followed by the invocation. I am looking for the proper commands. Please advise on the below: MC: “Honor Guard, parade the Colors!”

[Honor Guard presents the Colors.] [SSG approaches and sings National Anthem.]

[Following National Anthem, SSG returns to seat]

MC: “Retire the Colors.” [Is this correct, or does the honor guard march the colors back down the isle without a command from the MC?]

[Honor Guard marches the colors to the back of the room and MSG will be preparing to come on stage to podium and provide invocation]

MC: “Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain standing for the invocation by retired Master Sergeant XX.”

The MC should say, “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the (entrance of the official party,) presentation of the colors and remain standing for the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner by SSG X, the departure of the color guard, and the invocation.”

That’s a bit for the audience to remember, so you can cut it into pieces.

The soloist waits for the color guard commander to give Present, Arms, and then begins to sing.

When the singing monsters s finished, the color guard departs on its own, no prompt given. As soon as the team is out of site (through a doorway), then the invocation.

If hope that’s helpful for you.

Would this be correct: Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the Knights of Columbus (insert Council name/number) and the presentation of the colors and remain standing for the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner by SSG X, the departure of the color guard.

Yes, adding a personalization is fine.

Hello, forgive me if I thought wrong. I thought the our American flag would be vertically straight toward heaven and all others would be dipped forward at 30 degrees or so. I thought that was the place of honor. Thank you.

Mr. Venzke,

The position of honor is on the marching right for the a colors guard. The American flag is ALWAYS on the marching right in Line Formation and at the front in Column Formation. It is never anywhere else. The Army, Air Force, and Space Force require a “slight” angle forward for the staffs while the other services require the staffs to be vertical.

All staffs match in direction at all times except for Present Arms/Eyes Right. For that, all organizational flags dip with a full arm extension. If more than one flagstaff is dipped, those staff angles also match.

That’s the standard for the US military.

When doing a closing flag ceremony (I’m a Cub Scout Den Leader), when the flag bearers have retrieved the flags and are told to return to ranks, do they go to what is now the back of the line upon exiting or in the front of the line after the color guard has done an about face toward the back of the room. We use a two column formation. We generally have however many scouts are in a den participate as the color guard so everyone has a chance to be in the ceremony. I can find all kinds of videos online with the opening indoor ceremony, but not closing.

Ma’am,

Color guard members do not execute About Face to (To the) Rear March.

There are several ways to enter and depart with the flags that are shown above. The color guard (in your case your two flag bearers and, if you choose, two unarmed guards) usually keep to themselves not joining the rest of the membership until after the colors are secured. The bearers should go and put the colors up and then can return to the others, but retrieval of the flags is the last thing that takes place, there’s nothing accomplished after (unless it’s a formal event where there will be dancing). I’m not sure if this is helpful.

Rotaton of flag bearers through den membership is a very good idea as it promotes better understanding of responsibilities we have toward rendering honor and respect to out flag.

I am a member of a law enforcement HG. We are often short on members due to shift work, court and other requirements. We normally have four members to post colors, however is it ever acceptable to post with two and not have guards?

I just talked about this on my social media. Here’s the text from that post.

Sent in with a question: Aren’t the colors always escorted/guarded?

The answer is yes and there are exceptions. I’ll explain. For the military, yes, absolutely all the time the flag(s) will have two guards. First responders are paramilitary and should follow the same principle, but they don’t always have the manning in their honor guard team at many departments across the country. So, for representation, some teams march flags-only.

To add to that, scout programs do not carry a weapon, so if the team even has guards, they are unarmed.

Guards are not mandatory for civilian and civil teams because the Flag Code does not make that a requirement. Only the military manuals make it a requirement and that only applies to the military.

I hope that helps.

Good morning and thank you for this wonderful information. I cannot find a page that addresses who gets honors at a funeral. For example we have a Commonwealth Attorney who has recently passed. Technically he was considered “the highest law enforcement official” in the Commonwealth since they have law enforcement powers. He was retired from his position at the time of his passing… would a color guard be appropriate?

Having a law enforcement agency honor guard post a color guard for the graveside service is appropriate, if they have the time and manning.

Since he did not die while in office, there isn’t a protocol to support his funeral.

Is it ok for a civilian group…..no military affiliation nor civil, to have a flag presentation for members returning from an Honor Flight? To me it seems wrong and a plain civilian should only have the little hand waving flags. Please advise.

Mr. Resing,

While not necessarily “wrong”, I do see your point. Having said that not just anyone who wears a uniform should think it proper to pick up a flagstaff or rifle and think they are being patriotic without training and practice. It would certainly be inappropriate to have a fast-food restaurant throw four employees together in a color guard just because. That definitely seems wrong.

What standards will this civilian team follow? What training do that have? While the Flag Code sets forth the basis, the military takes standards much further. Finally, why? Why does this group of Americans find it necessary to pull out flagstaffs (and rifles) and not have one of the organizations mentioned below invited to render honors? Why not, as you have written, pick up small flags and wave them as we see many of our fellow Americans do at many parades. Americans take part in patriotic occasions all the time, I see no need for a group of civilians to try to do something others have been doing for decades as part of their job.

I would hope that color guards would be left to the military, cadets, first responders, and veteran organizations.

I am making a bulletin for a funeral at my church. The deceased is a veteran. We will have an honor guard from the Air Force base to play Taps and present a flag to the widow. What should this be called in the order of worship?

Thank you for your time,

Whether graveside or in the church, the religious service usually happens first followed by Military Honors. Military Honors consists of a firing party firing the Three Volley Salute and the sounding of Taps. For Veteran Funeral Honors, most often the military provides two service members to fold the flag and then sound Taps (in that order). You still call this Military Honors.

How would you recommend we handle a memorial service that is NOT part of a funeral? My church is hosting a memorial service for my dad but he will not be buried until much later. Is it appropriate to post colors in a situation like that? How would you handle it? Thanks very much

My condolences to you and your family on the passing of your father.

While the military, including veteran organizations, cannot render honors more than once (presentation of the flag, firing party, and Taps), the community/church membership can have the colors present for the memorial and have a nice service that centers around the stories each one can tell, a less formal occasion. Then, when the time comes to bury the deceased, the formal military honors can be performed.

That’s how I see it. I hope that is helpful for you.

The VFW and American Legion are conducting a Veteran’s Dinner. The local JROTC will post the colors at the beginning of the dinner but the colors will not be retrieved prior to the dinner ending. What is the protocol when not retrieving the colors? Does the National Anthem get played? As the Master of Ceremonies do I just announce an end to the formal portion of the dinner followed by attendees either staying to socialize or leaving the building?

The Star-Spangled Banner is only played or sung on the presentation of the colors and that is always at the beginning of a ceremony.

The colors are posted at formal occasions and retrieved only at very, very formal occasions.

At the end of the formal part of the evening, you can simply announce that and that guests are invited to socialize (and that the dance floor is open) for the rest of the night.

Good evening,

Recently my colorguard was performing at a high school football game. Do to some technical problems they couldn’t play the National anthem so they did a moment of silence. In the moment I kept my CG at present during the moment of silence. If this happens again what is the proper way to go about it?

First of all, you did an excellent job at the spur of the moment thinking. If you know there’s a technical issue at the outset, march on, guards go to Present on your command and that’s it. The departmental or organizational flag would not dip since it would only dip for the Star-Spangled Banner. I hope you are aware that military flags don’t dip every time you give the command to Present.

If a technical problem happens in the moment, just use your best judgment again.

Drillmaster,

Is there a certain requirement for the color guard on number of members for nber of flags being raised? We are a Girl scout group that dies regular flag ceremonies at annual girl scout events seasonally and we include the US flag, the state flag and the GS flag, it has come under question recently if there should be at least a certain number of girls in the color guard for that number of flags. Any information would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!!

There’s no requirement other than one color bearer per color. That’s it. If you want to provide guards to march at either end, you most certainly may. Civilian organizations like Scouts are not required to provide anything else.

I know this question may make someone’s eye twitch, but can veterans perform color guard duties in civilian clothes for an informal event? Over the past 15+ years, a local organization has had a very successful veteran golf outing which included a color guard to kick it off. There has always been support by either a local National Guard or Reserve unit, VFW post, or American Legion post (all in uniform). This year we have completely exhausted trying to find a group that can do it. We have veterans who are golfing who have volunteered to do the color guard, but only 1 still has a dress uniform (which doesn’t fit well). We’d still like to continue the tradition, but I don’t want anyone having heart attacks when they see 4 guys in polos and shorts posting the colors. Thanks for any insight…

No eye twitching here. What you describe sounds like the perfect solution. Four guys in polo shirts and shorts (a uniform of sorts) presenting the colors just before the golf tournament in which they will participate works.

I am organizing a parade in a small town of Arkansas. I would like to include a color guard. I’m wondering whom I could contact to arrange this. Any information you could provide would be helpful. Thank you & thank you for your service.

Ms. Pierron,

Your local police department, sheriff’s office, fire department, veteran group, and high school JROTC are all liable to have a color guard each.

RE: White Gloves

I’ve heard that white gloves are only to be worn with long sleeve uniform. I’ve also heard that they may be worn with short sleeve as well. Which is it? Both? Is there a proper white glove etiquette?

Traditionally, military members have always presented the colors in the Class A or ceremonial uniform and both only have long sleeves. This is probably where the “white gloves are only worn with long sleeves” idea comes from. There’s no rule that I’m aware of. It is best, however, to tuck the sleeve of the glove into the the hand so that the glove’s crease is at the wrist. That presents a professional image. DM

I belong to a Veterans Group and we are having our 40th. Anniversary. I need some help on placing the following flags

American Pow/Mia Org flag Agent Orange

Any assistance would be so appreciated.

Mr. Davison,

As you look at the flags (audience’s perspective), the American will be on your left, (state flag goes here, if you choose to display it,) the organization’s flag is next (at the American’s left, viewer’s right), the Agent Orange flag, and then last is the POW/MIA flag.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

I am the clerk of the school board for a school system in Virginia. Our board holds twice-monthly meetings. We have five high schools in our county, so on a rotational basis we have a high school JROTC color guard unit come in to present the colors for our Pledge of Allegiance at each board meeting.

I have no military background myself, so please forgive my ignorance about protocols. My question for you is this: How should I refer to the color guard unit’s presentation? Is it “posting” of the colors or is it “presentation” of the colors? (Or something else?)

We’re located next door to Quantico. Out of respect for our local military families, I want to be accurate in how I refer to the color guard presentation on our meeting agendas. Thanks in advance for your help.

Sir/Ma’am,

I very much appreciate you wanting to use the correct terminology. I just updated the article to include that information and I’ll provide it for you here.

All colors presentations are a Presentation. When the occasion is more formal, the colors are posted. Your meetings are not in the formal category, so your announcement would be, “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation of the colors by XYZ high school Junior ROTC.”

Again, thank you for your attention to detail!

At the beginning of our University’s Women’s Basketball game, it has been customary that an ROTC Color Guard enter the Arena, formally, and present the Colors, followed by the National Anthem. During the first game of this season, the Color Guard entered , as usual. The PA announcer directed the audience to join in the playing of the Black Anthem, which was followed by the National Anthem. The audience was standing, holding their right hands on their hearts, expecting the National Anthem. The Black Anthem is a beautiful song with inspirational lyrics, but is it expected that the audience be showing the same respect by standing as if the National Anthem was being played?

Thank you for your question. From a protocol standpoint, the public is asked to stand for national anthems. These anthems represent nations and not just people based on any other factor (language, skin color, etc.). It is respectful to stand for the anthems of friendly foreign countries at sporting events in the USA where a Canadian or Mexican team might play an American team. The foreign anthem is played first and the home anthem, our Star-Spangled Banner is this case, is played last.

The announcer can say, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Black Anthem.” After it is finished the announcer should say, “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise, (men remove your hats, and place your right hand over your heart) for the Star-Spangled Banner.” Here is where the color guard would go to Present Arms and the anthem would then begin.

I hope you find this helpful. Protocol and military standards are both very specific.

Hi DrillMaster,

First, thanks for a wonderful website and your time in effort maintaining it.

I am an adult leader and our Boy Scout Troop has been asked to provide the color guard to present the colors for the Veteran’s Day opening day ceremony of our chartered organization school. I’ve read about what you describe as a Show-n-Go, which is what they are asking for. This will take place in the school courtyard where no colors are previously posted. Our Scouts (both Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts) will be in Class-As.

Our color guard would use our American flag on our flag pole. They would enter from audience front left, walk to the center, pivot right, go up some stairs and then use Every Left On to present the colors on the right of the speaker. The Cub Scouts would lead in Pledge of Allegiance, then the school would sing the Star Spangled Banner. Finally we would exit.

I’ve only previously posted colors for our weekly Troop meetings or seen color guard posting colors at Summer Camp.

How does this sound? Anything to improve or change? What would an example script look like for something like this look like?

Thanks for your help!

Sir, Excellent plan!! I’m very impressed that you have read so much of my website and then formulated the process that fits your situation best. Well done! The script might go:

Announer: ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation of the colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the (playing/singing of the) Star-Spangled Banner.

Colors enter and post.

Pledge and anthem. (Note, both are not necessary. The anthem takes precedence.)

Colors depart.

Announcer: please be seated.

I hope that’s helpful and that you and your Scouts have a great time.

Our Girl Scout troop is excited to participate in their school’s Veterans Day program and has the honor of being the Color Guard. This will be the girls second time and they take this very seriously. The teacher responsible for coordinating the program has requested they both raise the flag and present the Colors. My concern is there is no official “protocol” for this and we may inadvertently offend someone or disrespect the flag/Veterans in attendance in some way by doing this.

Is there a protocol for this? Or should we respectfully push back on doing both? Your guidance is greatly appreciated.

Girl Scout troop leader

Ms. DeLoach,

What a great opportunity for your girls!

There isn’t a protocol problem with having both, but it is out of the norm.

For the colors presentation, the Star-Spangled Banner is played and for the flag raising (called a Flag Detail), the anthem is also played. I suggest only the Flag Detail for this reason.

You can present the colors, have the team remain, bring the Flag Detail in, but if you don’t have enough members to do both simultaneously, the color guard can present and depart.

Please let me know if you require any information specific to the color guard or Flag Detail. I’m more than happy to assist.

I am the director of a community youth choir and we are presenting a Veteran’s Day Concert in a few weeks. I have invited a color guard to present the flags to open the program. I am planning to follow with the Star Spangled Banner. Should the flags be presented in a quiet auditorium or with music in the background? Also, once the flags are on stage should they be retired at the end of the program since this is not a formal event? I’ve read many comments but wasn’t sure. I was wondering about having taps played at the end of the program following a song which honors our veterans. The reason was to honor friends and family of our veterans who may no longer be with us. A veteran told me this should be all right. Is this appropriate (I understand Memorial Day is in memory of those we’ve lost) and should taps be played before flags are retired if at all? I am putting the program together and wanted to make sure we were following correct protocol. Thank you!

Ms. Hesinch,

What a thoughtful question. I appreciate it when my fellow Americans care about doing the right thing.

Here is my suggestion for you to begin the program: Announcer: “Ladies and gentlemen, we will begin in just a few minutes. Please silence all cell phones.” The color guard posts to their staging position and stands at Parade Rest. At the scheduled time: “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation (posting) of the colors.” This is the cue for the color guard to come to Attention, Carry Colors, and to march forward to center on the audience (on stage). Background music is not appropriate but the Trio section of National Emblem is a great military standard. You can find it here: href=”https://youtu.be/xJGATbPTy7E” title=”Trio to National Emblem” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”> the link opens a new tab in your browser. Playing this section of the march (this slowly) can be very awkward for color guard members who do not have experience. If the team has not marched to music before, I suggest silence.

When the team commander gives “Present Arms!” (it needs to be a loud command), that’s when the Star-Spangled banner is played. When then the music finishes, the team can depart if an American flag is already in view, or they can post the flags in stands on the stage. Once the team posts the flags, they depart and the announcer tells the audience: “Please be seated.”

The lack of formality of the event requires the flags to not be formally retired. The color guard can informally gather the flags after the event is finished. Flags are only retired at “white tie” type events and those are quite rare.

Veterans Day recognizes living veterans, we do not collectively mourn the loss of veterans who have died on this day. It is inappropriate to sound (not play) Taps for the event. The veteran who told you it would be alright is incorrect. Taps is sounded for deceased veterans at their funerals, they are recognized then. As you noted, Memorial Day is for the veterans who did not return home alive and Taps is appropriate then.

Please let me know if you have any further questions and, again, thank you for being diligent in seeking to follow protocol.

Thank you! Your response is very helpful and much appreciated!

Is it ok to present the colors in a uniform other than dress uniform? For example OCPs (Operationl Camouflage pattern)?

The color guard should be in the same uniform as the official party. On a military installation, presenting in the utility uniform can be perfectly accessible. Off base, it’s not a good choice. Class A should be the standard.

What would be the appropriate way to present an Armed Forces Color Guard and a foreign national flag at an event.

The Army, Air Force, and Space Force, according to their regulations, can include the foreign national flag in the formation.

The Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard, according to their regulations, must have a separate three-man team to carry the foreign national flag.

So, whichever standards you follow, or, if you are a mixed (veteran) group, choose to follow, you are covered.

Thank you for the response. To elaborate it is an active duty Armed Forces Color Guard (9 Person with all services). I’ve heard that with joint service teams the senior service manual is used, however I haven’t seen any clear guidance or regulations for Joint Service Color Guards.

The joint service color guard made up of the service honor guard units in and around Washington DC use the Army ceremonial techniques.

The same goes for any time two or three teams perform at the same ceremony. The senior service always leads.

From this we can take note that the senior service is the one to follow.

Hello, we are wanting to have a flag posting for the first day of school, we have two options for an outdoors ceremony: Have color guard advance with folded standard which is then presented and then hoisted, recite pledge, and then sing school song. OR; Have standard posted on outdoor pole, and then have color guard advance with U.S. flag and school flag, present the colors, say pledge, sing school song, and then dismiss flags, then carry on the rest of the ceremony. Which would be the best alternative? And perhaps the wording of the best alternative-“please stand for the presentation of the colors”, etc.

Mrs Peterson,

Thank you for your question. What great ideas!

Your first idea is for a Flag Detail (not called a color guard). The flag detail brings in the national (state, school) with one bearer per flag and two team members to work the halyard. I would stick with just raising the national on one pole if you have separate poles and then raise the others after the ceremony or, if you have one pole and two flags, that would work just as easily. The procedure would be: Announcer- “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the advancement and raising of our national flag (nation’s colors).” Everyone stands, flag detail enters, attaches flag, commander gives “Present, ARMS”, flag is raised to the top, halyard secured, halyard bearers salute, commander gives “Order, ARMS”. Flag Detail remains at pole (can be dismissed, but adds to the timing and can seem awkward for what follows). Announcer-“Please join in the Pledge of Allegiance.” Recitation. Sing school song. Dismissal. If you are going to have the color guard, same procedure as above except for the following. Announcer- “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation of the colors.” Color guard is centered and facing the audience, commander gives “Present, ARMS”. Pledge, song. Announcer- “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the dismissal of the colors.”

If everyone is standing and no one is seated, then the announcement could be, “Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the front (flag pole) for the…”

I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Our City is organizing a 9/11 event and would like our Color Guard team to perform. We are always first up to start off any event we attend. They have us scheduled for the end. What is your take on that? Thank you!

MSgt Piccolo,

Thank you for your question. I first thought you were going to say that the team would be second, maybe third, but last?

It’s quite possible that another color guard will formally present the colors for the anthem and that your team will have a special presentation (akin to retrieving the colors possibly) to close out the event.

I know that many event organizers try to include as many local organizations as possible and even rotate through these organizations for yearly events.

I do think you should contact those in charge and see what their thinking is and how your team fits in as presenting last is unusual. You want to guard against thinking that puts the honor of the flag and the team at risk.

Please let me know what happens as I am quite curious!

Dear sirs We are having a family reunion and would like to have a flag presentation of some kind. We have no scout troops and no one in uniform. What would be acceptable.

May I suggest either mount the flag on a building or post or have a pole, permanent or temporary, in the ground and raise the flag and have everyone recite the Pledge.

OK US Flag is prePosted at stage on left about fron left of table-podium with Eagle facing away from assembly. To present or is it Post the colors, they rotate the Eagle towards the assembly. And we salute during the Turning saying “PRESENT ARMS” then when done say “TWO”.

We are being told that US Flag should be PUSHED BACK away from Podium-Table to RETIRE IT?

Where is this WRITTEN as FLAG ETIQUETTE? To Move US FLAG forward to Front of Podium-Table at beginning of a Meeting and then Push it Back to RETIRE it? This has caused some negative comments as to what is the right way to PRESENT prePosted US Flag and then to RETIRE a PrePosted US FLAG???? I trust my questions about situation makes sense as to how to CORRECTLY prsent and retire a prePOSTED US FLAG. Thanks.

Neither rotating nor pushing a posted flag back and forth has anything to do with flag etiquette. Whoever thought this up did just that- thought it up. It has no basis in reality as far as protocol is concerned.

Posting a flag means to bring it before an audience, present it with the Star-Spangled Banner, post it and have the individual depart. The Pledge can be a substitute, but is usually for civilian audiences. Military audiences use the national anthem since our oath covers us for life.

To retire the colors means the opposite: to retrieve the flag, salute it, and have the flag leave the presence of the audience.

The commands for rendering a salute are: “Present, ARMS!” and then “Order, ARMS!” that is the Army, Air Force, and Space Force technique. “Hand, SALUTE!” followed by “Ready, TWO!” are the commands that the Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard use. You are mixing the two and using an incomplete command.

Having a preposted flag is just fine. It should not be rotated, pushed forward, or pushed backward. As long as the flag has a prominent place during your meetings, you are following protocol. Any other time, the flag can be less prominent- pushed back to the rear of the stage.

I hope this helps. DM

Hello, Recently I was at a High School Graduation and the U.S. Flag was present on stage along with the state flag. Before the graduation started the color guard marched in with the U.S. Flag and state. The National Anthem was played and the color guard marched out with the U.S. Flag and state. Is this proper, to have two U.S. Fags present?

This is a great question, thank you for it.

I have recently found out that some believe having two American flags at the same ceremony is somehow inappropriate. I don’t know where this idea comes from but it’s not true.

What you saw is called a show-n-go in the ceremonial drill world and is perfectly acceptable. It’s performed when posting the colors would be too formal and a school graduation is not a formal enough occasion.

I hope this answers your question satisfactorily.

We may have an event where one set of flags (American flag and two organizational flags) will be pre-posted and one will be posted by the color guard. I am directing the color guard, but I am *very* low pay-grade, and this is a national organization. Our Administrator will be there. I am urging a show-and-go, but I’m not optimistic. If we *must* post the colors, where should the pre-posted colors be, and where should we post? I’m thinking pre-posted on their own left and posting on their own right. There will be a stage. Would it be better to have the pre-posted flags on the stage? If so, do we post to the left or would splitting be better (American on its right on one side of the stage; organizational flags on the other side)?

I feel your pain here. If you are unable to show-no-go (so glad you are aware of that!), I think your split post idea on the stage sounds like your best option. As I picture it in my mind, the split would have less of an impact on everyone noticing that org flag(s) will already be there. It’s bad protocol to not post all flags, but you have to work within your parameters.

Does the Color Guard dip the Service Flag when taps are being played?

Mr. Koehmlein,

Yes. Taps requires a salute when played at a funeral.

If you are posting colors at an organizational event but the aisle is not very wide, would it be appropriate to line up single file, American Flag in the front and Organization banners bringing up the rear?

Yes, that is called column formation. It is most appropriate!

I FEEL LIKE A FOOL, BUT WHAT DOES THE HONOR GUARD DO AND WHAT DOES THE COLOR GUARD DO. I HAVE TO PLAN A MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT FLAGS THE COLOR GUARD CARRIES. WE HAVE CG, ARMYNG, MAARNG, AIR FORCE, 6W SPACE SQUADRON AT OUR SERVICE. WHICH FLAGS DO WE ASK TO BE PRESENT?

Hello sir, Many people get the terms honor guard and color guard confused. An honor guard is a ceremonial unit, a team of individuals. This unit breaks down into the three ceremonial elements: color guard, pallbearers, and firing party. Team members also perform a variety of other ceremonial duties: cordon, personak escort, Missing Man Table, Flag Detail, etc. The flags of each service present would be appropriate. Depending on the ceremony, you could have all six departmental flags posted on the stage (or just the American and state flags) and have the color guard bring in the flags of the services present for a presentation only and not have them posted. That would be the easiest.

JROTC in my child’s High School practices presenting colors in the morning (by the parking lot where students get dropped off) with the USA flag fully flying. Is flying the colors during practice appropriate? I’ve been out of the military for a while, but it seems disrespectful to fly the colors during practice and see cars and students casually walk by the colors without saluting it. Seems to me that practicing presenting colors should be done with just a flag pole.

I understand how you feel about this and I wholly agree your assessment. Only the Marine Corps Order (governing the Marine Corps, navy, and Coast Guard) states that practice should be accomplished with a furled and cased flag.

The issue we come across is muscle memory. Cadets practice and rehearse the exact procedures for a color guard in competition. The techniques they use require full access to the flag for the realism of practice so that nothing is a surprise when they step onto the competition deck. TO that end, it’s my opinion that color guards should practice with two state flags or practice flags made specifically for this situation.

The last thing we want is to have the presence of the American flag to be seen as commonplace and ignored. We may be too late in that regard.

Thank you very much for your comment.

How do one person post the US Flag inside?

You would enter into the room, stand centered on and facing the audience for the Pledge or anthem, and when either (not both) is finished, turn and post the flag. It’s not ideal, but it is a situation that some are forced into.

Is it allowed for the Color Guard to prese.t the colors to any other song then the national anthem?

Just to be sure, a color guard never dips the American flag, it remains vertical or slightly angled forward, depending on the service (See “The Why of the Color Guard” series of articles for more information). A color guard carrying one or more US military service colors only dips those colors in salute to the national anthems of the US and friendly nations. These requirements are spelled out in AR 840-1, MCO 5060.2, and AFI 34-1201 and apply to all services. All state flags are dipped to the anthems as well. There is no other music where dipping flags would be appropriate.

We post the colors at our Catholic Church every Memorial Day. Usually we have two of us in Class A uniform. I will be in uniform and a Knights of Columbus in uniform. I will be in class A uniform and carrying the Flag and he will carry the church Flag. We mean no disrespect, and honor Memorial Day. There is limited space, We pray that the critics will have a soft heart , we stand for the Flag and kneel for the Fallen

Mr. Zimmerman,

I have done the same thing on past Memorial Days, it’s just been me in uniform posting the American flag. The other veterans in my congregation have at least 20 years on me and have been happy to let me do it. You work with what you have and if you have just the two of you, all that matters is the intent behind your actions. Thank you for stepping up to serve our country years ago and now honor our fallen brothers- and sisters-in-arms.

I think I know the answer but want to clarify. During the Covid thing we are dealing with, my veterans org has been asked to do a color guard for a Memorial Day service. The current policy of the organization (all vets orgs in this state at the moment) is that we do not do color guards, so that means uniforms are out. If I am reading this correctly, color guards are done in class A’s, period. Am I correct in assuming that I will be disappointing the guy putting this together? IMHO, doing it wrong is more disrespectful than not doing it. It might be a moot point due to the short notice I may not get enough people anyway but I would like to know.

I don’t understand why your organizations would not perform colors presentations. Have we in the military not stood up in times of need?

Orders from a government official are not enforceable law.

Class A or B is appropriate for colors, A being preferable.

This may be a moot question, as it pertains to a fictional situation, but I like to have my writings as accurate as possible, despite it being science fiction.

The situation is a wedding. The Bride is a RAAF Flight Lieutenant, the Groom a USSF Captain. The ceremony takes place in an ecumenical chapel on a privately-owned, UN-administered island in the South China Sea. (Ceded from a future Chinese government for the establishment of an international space launch center.)

I’d like to begin the ceremony with positing of colors, with one flag bearer and one guard from each service. Would this be proper, given the circumstances? And would this happen before or after the entry of the mother of the Bride (the traditional signal for the start of a Christian wedding ceremony)?

Please and Thank You.

Mr. Harris,

Posting the colors before the whole ceremony would be perfectly acceptable but only on the fourth Monday of June in a year ending with an even number if the moon was in it’s 3/4 waxing state and there was a partial solar eclipse the following Thursday afternoon between 1343 and 1427. :-)

Seriously, colors are not presented or posted for weddings. If colors are present in the chapel, they are pre-posted and only the two national colors are authorized in this situation. The Christian flag could also be displayed.

Oh, and China would never give up any land whatsoever for any kind of use.

Is there a standard size, ie 5×8, for the colors being presented in a Show-n-Go? Also, do the colors have to have a fringe? I’m inquiring about a color guard that will be composed of Boy and Girl Scouts.

Thanks, Dimitra

Hello Dimitra,

Thank you for your question.

For Scouting programs I suggest the 3’x4′ flag on an 8′ staff. If you were to follow the Army standard, which most do, all flags are required to have gold colored fringe.

I hope that is helpful and am happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Copy all and thanks. The colors will not be presented at scouting events. They will be presented at Township functions such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day and parades. The older scouts will be carrying them. Should they be larger given their purpose?

Good copy and thanks. The colors will be presented at Township events such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day and parades. They will be carried by our older scouts. They are not for scouting events. Given their purpose would I require larger flags?

Not at all. In the ceremonial drill world, you would want 9’6″ staffs with 4’4″x5’6 flags. It’s not necessary to go all out for Scouts, not that Scouts cannot handle it, it’s just not necessary to “go big” when the smaller flags and staffs would fit the bill.

Thanks again. Last set of questions. Is the following flagpole hardware appropriate for our colors: Eagle for the US flag and military spear for the Township and State flags? Or does the hardware have to be uniform, ie all colors have military spears. Lastly, most of our events are outdoors, so which flagpole type is more appropriate wood or aluminum pole?

I would suggest the light ash wood guidon staffs topped with the Army Spearhead finial for all flags. Having said that, I can only recommend. The guidon staffs are built to last when maintained properly (use graphite on all the screws and joints and regularly ensure that the screws are tight).

Dear Drillmaster,

I am in the process of ordering flags and equipment for our boy scout color guard to be used primarily at our Township Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies. I have decided with the flag sizes of 4′.3” x 5′.5” in accordance with the flag code for the US, State and Township flags. I read your blog on To Fringe or not to Fringe and tend to agree with you that nothing should be attached to the US flag as per the code, although I understand this requirement varies by each branch of service. For my purposes, what do you advise? Keep it simple and use flags with no fringes? Or include the fringes?

Hello Dimitra! I really appreciate your research into this, it makes the process so much easier and you end up spending money on the right equipment. Well done! I say, forget the fringe. Whole it may have served a purpose a hundred-plus years ago, it’s no longer necessary, nor appropriate, even. If you would, please send me a photo of your your troop with their new equipment, I would very much enjoy seeing and posting about a leader who has done things the right way. By the way, http://www.colonialflag.com is your best friend in this situation. Let them know I sent you.

I seek a practical reality check about long distance marching with the flag. Just as a matter of physical activity doing 10-20 miles several days in a row is a lot different than hiking with a pack. Obviously a color guard would want to work up to this, as athletes train for any event. I’d appreciate insight as to knowing whether such a goal is a reasonable one in the first place? Between the weight, the size, the length of the staff, the terrian and the weather there are obviously many factors. Do you experienced flag marchers have any insights or rules of thumb etc to share?

When our city has a parade, they have a chorus stand in front of the color guard and sing the national anthem. Many of us think that is wrong. We think the chorus should stand behind the color guard. What is the proper way to do this or doesn’t it matter?

The colors should be front and center for presentations. The choir needs to be heard, not seen. The color guard is what needs to be seen. While our Flag Code does not specifically address this type of situation, we can get a sense of color guard location from reading the guidelines set forth in it: the flag is always to have the position of honor and dignity. It is to be seen clearly by as many people (in this case) as possible.

Thank you very much for your question, I hope this helps shed light to help your community better honor the flag.

Yes, thank you. It was just what I was looking for.

Drill Master,

I’m the MC for an upcoming Veterans Day Ceremony which consists of Presentation of Colors and the playing of the National Anthem.The event will be outdoors at a Veterans Park Memorial. The scouts will be carrying the colors. The scoutmaster is prior service like myself and we both want to introduce some military protocol with the civilian scout commands. The mayor will be speaking at the event. Is it appropriate at an outdoor event prior to posting the colors for the scoutmaster to report ‘The Colors are Present’ to the mayor since she is highest ranking? Or is it more appropriate to present the colors to the audience, present arms, National Anthem is played, colors are posted? Similarly, before the colors are retired is it appropriate outdoors to request permission to retire the colors?

Great questions! What you are talking about is an Army procedure of reporting to the commander at a dining-in (for instance). The commander would know exactly what to do and say. Since you are dealing with a civilian for your ceremony, the mayor, I would suggest not introducing something that is accomplished in a military setting. On a similar note, I truly appreciate the scoutmaster and you wanting the scouts to be more aware of colors standards! One last suggestion – have a set of flags already posted and the scouts present a second set colors and march out. What we in the ceremonial drill world call a Show-n-go. The reason being is that posting the colors is for more formal occasions and indoor settings. So, the sequence of events would look like this: announcement to stand, colors brought forward, salute, Anthem, back to Carry/Port, depart, continue with the ceremony.

Thank you for your prompt and thorough response. I have one follow up question. I’m falling in on a program which always involved posting and retiring the colors and the program has been printed with this protocol. I never questioned it until I started to research the protocol since I am the MC. Even if we don’t execute a show-n-go is it proper to post and retire outdoors? I read in the FM that this protocol is reserved for indoors but can it still be executed outdoors? We also don’t have two sets of colors unless the scouts have a presentation set. The American, State and Township colors will be borrowed from the courthouse.

Having the program already printed presents a challenge for you this year. Since you don’t have two sets of colors, you might have to follow the program, however here us an idea: pre-post the US, state, & township colors and then borrow another US and state (& township) from a local police or fire department, sheriff’s office, or even the local staties for the scouts. The presentation would be easily glossed over instead of having the scouts post. No problem there except for wording. The retirement of the colors (really only accomplished on *very* formal occasions- black tie/mess dress) could be substituted with the Pledge or skipped with an announcement like, “That concludes our Veterans Day ceremony, thank you for attending.” or something similar.

Thank you very much. I think we can make that happen. The reference to retiring of the colors is at the very end In small font. There is no reference to posting in the program, only Presentation of the Colors. I could white out retiring of the colors if necessary. I’m having a meeting with the scout leader prior to our rehearsal next week where I expect to flush all this out. Thanks again. Your advise is very helpful. Dimitra

My pleasure, I’m glad I could help.

At the beginning of a football game, a local group of Boy Scouts will be unfurling a large US flag on the field. What is proper protocol for color guard ? thank you

Stand on the side where the bottom of the flag will be and present to that side of the stadium. The crowd on that side should see the large American flag opened so that the canyon is in the upper left corner.

DrillMaster–thank you very much for getting back to me so quickly. Will do!

I was wondering I see the USAF Honor Guard shouldering their rifles on their outside shoulders. Where is that exactly written?

The USAF Honor Guard, including the base-level teams use their own manual but it is based off of AFMAN 36-2203 where you see both rifle guards at the outside shoulder.

In a parade, does a national veterans service organization colorguard, such as the VFW, have a higher precedence (order of unit line up) than a non-veteran color guard such as the Shriners?

Great question. I would say yes, but a parade lineup doesn’t necessarily have precedence, although it can. The organizers can and do place entrants however they wish.

RE: The Pledge and National Anthem DO NOT go together. It’s one or the other. DO not use both. Can you elaborate? What reference establishes this protocol or instruction to which, or all, Services?

I’ve seen many ceremonies with the color guard presenting arms for the anthem, then port arms and wait for the pledge before retiring with the colors.

I’ve seen several ceremonies where both happen as well, doesn’t make it right.

Each set of service manuals (drill and ceremonies, protocol, and flag) explains when to dip the American flag, ceremonies are explained with reference to the Star Spangled Banner sung or played. We do not add to or take away from the protocols for these ceremonies and that includes recitation of the Pledge. We, in the military, do not have the Pledge as a part of any ceremony due to our oath. Too many people, wholly ignorant of service standards and traditional want to make things “specialer” or “ceremonialer” by adding their own selfish personal touch, making the ceremony about them. You won’t find the negative of what I have stated in a service manual, my statement is mix of the intent of several manuals.

Pingback: 2019 Firecracker 5K for the Troops – JT Running DC

I recently attended a funeral – the PGR provided honors…during the ceremony, the PGR Flag Line held the American Flag in the left hand and when “Present Arm’s” command was given, each and every flag holder followed the command and rendered the hand salute via their right hand. Is this a proper, rendering a hand salute while bearing the flag?

Mr. Rudell,

Saluting while holding the flag is not proper. Even though the people holding the flags are not part of a color guard complete with rifle guards, they are still color bearers and considered “armed” (the flagstaff is a modern modification of the ancient spear). When your hand is occupied with a flag, you do not salute. Most likely the majority of PGR members are former military and should know better.

When standing a Flag Line at a funeral as an American Legion Rider, standing at attention with U.S.A flagstaff vertical in right hand, bottom of flagstaff on the ground to the right of foot and the VFW Honor Guard caller gives the command “present Arms”, should we raise our flag staff, or just stand there with no action?

Mr. Murphy,

Thank you for your question and continued support as an ALR.

On the command, you and the other flag bearers would remain at Attention. I’m do glad that you are holding the flag properly in the right hand. Many, hold it in the left and render a hand salute, which is incorrect.

While you and the others may want to do more, I can assure you that your presence at funerals is the “salute” that every patriot appreciates.

Good Morning, we are having a July 4th parade are want to make sure we are doing things right. The Navy Color Guard will be front of the parade. When they arrive at the grand stand the national anthem will be sung by a young girl. When is the apporiate time to start singing?

Hi Paul, At the appointed time of the parade start, the MC could say, Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the National Anthem.” At that point the commander of the color guard, the National Ensign bearer, should give a loud,” Present, ARMS!” and then the singing can begin. At the end of the music, the color guard commander can give “Order, ARMS!” and then “Forward, MARCH!” At that, the festivities begin!

Drill master, I just posted colors for an event there was four of us we had two rifles the American flag bearer and the Washington State flag bearer. When we posted flags into their stands I was under the understanding that when they seated the flags then dress them that they took one step back and the person with the American flag was the only one to render a salute and then they both marched off what is the procedure for this and?

That’s one technique and that’s fine. There are several different ways to post the colors and you seem to have accomplished the mission with honor.

When posting flags what is the proper location of the American flag, does the American flag get posted by it self and all others to the opposite side of the speaker

Mr. Pinkman,

This is a great question! I wrote an article, https://thedrillmaster.org/2017/10/03/the-logical-separation-of-colors/ and have updated the article above to include this.

If you have any further questions, please ask!

What is your experience when it comes to presenting colors for an event and one of the members is a no-show or is dropped last second due to an injury. What would you do if there is no backup and it is go time? I would think go with no secondary flag and present colors with the national flag bearer and two guards??? Or would it be a situation you just do not perform and inform the event coordinator we can’t perform the event?

Hi Carlos, If you have two guards and an American flag bearer, you are good to go. It’s not usual, but three is the minimum and quite appropriate for military, first responders, explorers, and cadet organization color guards.

our flag should always have guards alongside even not armed but with axes and or just personnell alongside her

Mr. Farrington,

It all depends on the unit. Military color guards are required to be armed with rifles except in a chapel, then they are uncovered and unarmed. Church-based color guards do not have armed guards. Firefighters use the ceremonial fire axe or a rifle, depending on their location/tradition. I’ll be writing an article soon about this.

Current situation,

Have a scout group carrying a folded national standard for hoisting at the beginning of a Memorial Day service…

Service flags in procession to follow for posting in stands around fixed pole.

Was considering the following order of events

BS Unit hoists Colors GS Unit leads pledge National Anthem (now contraindicated by your page information)

Would it be appropriate to have BS hoist while playing “To the Colors” then GS lead pledge?

To the Colors and Pledge sound like the makings of a great ceremony!

For US Army ceremonies (Relief in Place/Transfer of Authority) should a pre-posted National Color be displayed if the ceremony has a Color Guard “posting” another set of colors?

The color guard can enter and formally present the colors and then depart while a set of colors is pre-posted for the ceremony. If the team is actually going to post the colors, no other flags should be in the stands. I hope that helps. If not, I’ll email you or we can talk on the phone.

Preface: I am not military or Law Enforcement. Just looking for some advice so we do the right thing in parades and ceremonies. I belong to a Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (an Irish/Catholic benevolent Order). When we march, we can carry up to six flags and to pikes. We always put the American flag in the proper place of honor, on its own right. However, there always seems to be confusion on where to place the remaining flags. They are as follows: Current Irish flag (tri-color), Old Irish flag (green field with gold harp), Catholic flag, NY State flag, and the Irish provincial flag (represents the four ancient provinces of Ireland). I know the pikes go on the outsides to “guard” the flags. In what order, starting from the American flag, should the rest be placed?

Hello Patrick,

What a great question! Here’s my take on the order (and the reason why):

1. Right guard 2. American (on American soil) 3. Current Irish (foreign national) 4. NY state (states come after national) 5. Catholic (organizational flag) 6. Old Irish (previous foreign national not officially used) 7. Irish Provincial (ancient foreign national not officially used) 8. Left guard

I hope this helps.

Thank you very much. That is most helpful! Ignore the email I sent you. It was just incase this was not the appropriate place for this question.

Hello and thank you for this informative article. Question: is it appropriate to post the colors while wearing a bowtie? Uniform for upcoming ROTC ball requires the bowtie but I have seen elsewhere that only the straight tie would be appropriate for the posting/retiring of colors. Thanks for your help.

Great question! Simple answer: No. The color guard is dressed in the service dress/Class A or a ceremonial-type of uniform. What you are describing is a mess dress uniform and that is not authorized to be worn for presenting the colors. Mess dress does not include a cover (hat) and a color guard is covered (wears hats) in all situations except inside a chapel.

My JROTC Color Guard has been requested to present/post the Colors at an affair. The host wants us to post the Puerto Rican Flag as well. I’ve never seen this done before. How do we go about it?

If your JROTC is Army or Air Force, the PR flag is included in the formation and posted with the other colors. If your JROTC is Marine Corps, Navy, or Coast Guard, you form another three-man color guard for the PR flag with two guards. The PR and other US territory flags are considered foreign national flags when it comes to flag protocol. Don’t forget your departmental/JROTC flag as well. My recommendation is, if it is an informal occasion, have a full set of colors preposted and come in to formally present the colors and depart. If you cannot do that, post what you have.

Is it appropriate to have a ceremonial rifle as part of the honor guard in a church? I think weapons are not appropriate in churches.

Thank you for your great question. You will want to read this recent article, https://thedrillmaster.org/2016/09/27/weapons-inside-a-chapel/

color members with weapons, is there any requirement to have them on opposite shoulders when marching? one member is at right-shoulder arms, the other is left shoulder arms.

It depends on which service manual you follow. Army has both guards at Right Shoulder. All other services and United States Certified Ceremonial Guardsmen place rifles or axes on the outside/outboard shoulder.

Pingback: Presenting the Colors by The DrillMaster | SportsAnnouncing.com

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

• Partners: Bloggers
• Partners: Podasters
• Partners: Virtual Event Hosts
• Partners: Toastmasters Clubs
• Partners: Bookstores & Live Venues
• Partners: Sponsors
• Digital Press Kit
• What people are saying …
• Interior Art
• Acknowledgements
• Other Books by Carma
• Featured Speakers
• The Public Speaking Superhero’s Journey
• Individual Speaker Coaching
• Public Speaking Super Powers for Live Video
• Persuasive Speaking with Confidence
• Developing Your Leadership Skills
• Video Marketing Super Pack
• Wedding Speech Templates
• Creating Your Ideal Audience Avatar
• Public Speaking Superhero’s Journey
• Training & Mastermind Program
• Boost Your Self-Confidence 7-Day Challenge
• Speaking Palooza! 2019
• Recommended Reading
• For Book Clubs
•         - ORDER NOW!
•                 - Partners: Bloggers
•                 - Partners: Podasters
•                 - Partners: Virtual Event Hosts
•                 - Partners: Toastmasters Clubs
•                 - Partners: Bookstores & Live Venues
•                 - Partners: Sponsors
•         - Digital Press Kit
•         - What people are saying …
•                 - Cover Art
•                 - Interior Art
•         - Acknowledgements
•         - Other Books by Carma
•         - Contact
•         - Excerpt
•         - The Public Speaking Superhero’s Journey
•         - Speaker
•         - Individual Speaker Coaching
•         - Public Speaking Super Powers for Live Video
•                 - Persuasive Speaking with Confidence
•                 - Developing Your Leadership Skills
•                 - Video Marketing Super Pack
•                 - Wedding Speech Templates
•                 - Creating Your Ideal Audience Avatar
•                 - Public Speaking Superhero’s Journey
•                 - Training & Mastermind Program
•         - Boost Your Self-Confidence 7-Day Challenge
•         - Speaking Palooza! 2019
•         - Podcast
•         - Recommended Reading
•         - For Book Clubs

Types of Speeches: Presenting an Award

At some point in your life, you’ll probably have the opportunity to formally reward someone for a job well done. When you do this in front of others it increases the perceived value of the honor.

If you decide to become a professional speaker or use speaking as an integral part of your marketing strategy, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the various types of speeches you might be asked to give. In this series of posts, I’ll give you the basics of a variety of types of presentations you can prepare. At the end of this post, I’ve listed previous articles in this series.

When presenting an honor or award, you need to accomplish two things:

1. Highlight the award Make sure that the recipient, as well as the audience, understands the importance of the award. What does it stand for? How does someone earn it? What are the traditions associated with this honor?

2. Highlight how the person earned the award Now that you’ve built up the award, you need to build up the person receiving it. What did this person do to deserve the award? How did they meet the criteria better than anyone else who was up for the award?

There are ways to make this sort of presentation more effective.

Tips for effectively presenting an award

Tell a story People are more engaged with stories. So highlight the award and the honoree in the form of a story.

Introductions first Call on the awardee last … nothing is more awkward than having to stand there and wait while you do your presentation. Tell your story first, then, when you are ready to hand over the award, call the awardee up to the lectern.

Mind your Ps and Qs Make sure that you know how to pronounce the name of the award and the person receiving it. Also, make sure your facts are correct. Nothing will spoil the honor more than mispronouncing someone’s name or announcing information that is totally wrong.

Be humble You may have been on the selecting committee, but this presentation is about the person being honored … not you. The presentation should be mostly about how wonderful the honoree is and why they are so deserving of this honor.

Demonstrate the award’s worth Hold the award as if it were a treasure. Make eye contact with the recipient, smile warmly and hand over the award with reverence.

Resources for effectively presenting an award

• Toastmasters International : Presenting an Award
• Flat World Knowledge: Presenting or Accepting an Award
• Buzzle: Presenting an Award Speech
• eHow: How to Present an Award
• Certificate Street: How to Present an Award Certificate with Style

Did you miss these?

Here are the previous posts in this “Type of Speeches” series:

• The Keynote Address
• The Training Session
• The Motivational Speech
• The Entertaining Speech
• The Demonstration
• The Information Dump
• The Inspirational Speech
• The Q & A
• The Persuasive Speech
• The Impromptu Speech
• The Acceptance Speech
• The Commencement Speech
• The Interpretive Reading

The next post in this series is Accepting an Award .

Did you like this post? Please share!

About the author

Carma Spence, is author of Public Speaking Super Powers. She is fiercely committed to guiding women to Owning their Superpowers and turning their knowledge and interests into a profitable business. She is masterful at helping her clients see what is possible for them and supporting them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be, releasing the Mind Goblins of self-doubt, self-sabotage and second-guessing that keep them stuck.

With 20+ years experience in marketing communications and public relations, natural intuitive skills and certification in using some of the most effective transformational coaching tools available, Carma’s mission and commitment is to unleash the inner power every woman entrepreneur possesses so they can boldly go out into the world, transforming the fabric of people’s lives in meaningful and positive ways.

You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Google+ and LinkedIn . Her website is CarmaSpence.com .

15.7 Presenting or Accepting an Award

Learning objectives.

• Discuss the purpose of an award.
• Describe the process of presenting an award.
• Describe the process of accepting an award.

There is nothing more gratifying than recognition from your peers and colleagues for a job well done. We all strive for acceptance, and recognition is a reflection of belonging, a basic human need. Schutz, W. (1966). The interpersonal underworld . Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior Books. In this chapter we will discuss how to present or accept an award tactfully, graciously, and professionally.

First, make sure that you have all the information correct before you get up to speak: the honoree’s correct name and how it is pronounced, the correct title of the award, and the details about the honoree’s accomplishments that you are about to share. The spotlight will be on you, and your accurate delivery will be crucial to the happiness of the occasion.

When presenting an award, the key is to focus attention on the honor and the person receiving it—not on yourself. You may have been part of the committee that chose the winner, or involved in some other way, but your role should never upstage that of the person being honored.

You can focus the attention on the recipient in two ways: surprise or direct acknowledgement. In the surprise approach, you mention characteristics of the person receiving the award without initially mentioning their name—allowing the audience to start guessing who it might be. You may mention a list of accomplishments, or perhaps a positive story. With the surprise approach, you share the information that is sure to reveal the recipient’s identity right before you present the award.

You may prefer, however, a direct acknowledgement of the honoree’s performance or service and simply announce his or her name. The direct acknowledgement approach is typically followed by the reasons for choosing this person to receive the award, or include his or her past accomplishments. This direct strategy may be preferred if the audience is not familiar with the recipient.

Table 15.5 "Presenting an Award" summarizes the process of presenting an award.

Table 15.5 Presenting an Award

If you are the award recipient, be aware that the acceptance of an award often provides a moment of influence on the audience that can serve to advance your position or cause. Use of the limelight is an important skill, and much like any speech or presentation, it requires planning and preparation. You don’t want to be caught speechless, and you want to project a professional presence that corresponds to the award or recognition.

If you know you are being considered for an award, first consider what the award recognizes within your professional community. An award A symbol of approval, recognition, or distinction that honors the recipient in public. is a symbol of approval, recognition, or distinction that honors the recipient in public. As the recipient, it is your role to convey recognition of that honor with your gracious acceptance.

Perhaps you have seen an awards ceremony on television, where a producer, composer, actor, or musician has received public recognition. Sometimes the acceptance unifies the community and serves as an inspiration to others. Other times the recipient stumbles, talks as fast as they can to list all the people who helped them reach their goal (often forgetting several, which can hurt feelings), or they use the spotlight to address an unrelated issue, like a political protest. They may mumble, and their nervousness may be so obvious that it impacts their credibility. Accepting an award is an honor, an opportunity, and a challenge.

The first step in accepting an award is to say thank you. You can connect with the audience with your heartfelt emotional displays and enthusiasm. Raised arms, clasped hands, and a bow are universal symbols of respect and gratitude. Note that rambunctious displays of emotion such as jumping up and down or large, sweeping gestures are better left for the athletic fields. An award ceremony is a formal event, and your professionalism will be on display for all to see.

Next, you should consider giving credit where credit is due, noting its relevance to your field or community. If you name one person, you have to be sure to not leave anyone out, or you run the risk of hurting feelings and perhaps even making professional enemies. If you confine your credit list to a couple of key people, it is wise to extend the credit beyond the individual mentions by saying something like, “There are so many people who made this possible. Thank you all!” You should link your response to the award organization and your field, industry, or business. Don’t apologize or use terms that can be interpreted as negative. The acceptance of an award is a joyous, uplifting affair, and your role is to maintain and perpetuate that perception.

You may also consider linking your award to a motivational anecdote. A brief, personal story about how a teacher or neighbor in your community motivated you to do better than you thought you could and how you hope this can serve to motivate up-and-coming members to strive for their very best, can often stimulate an audience. Don’t exaggerate or stretch the story. The simple facts speak for themselves and the award serves as a powerful visual aid.

Say “thank you again” as you leave the stage, facilitating the transition to the next part of the ceremony while acknowledging the honor. You may need to take note where previous recipients have exited the stage to proceed without error, or simply return to your seat. Your brief comments combined with a graceful entrance and exit will communicate professionalism. Table 15.6 "Accepting an Award" summarizes the steps we have outlined.

Table 15.6 Accepting an Award

Key Takeaway

Awards are public recognitions of success, and tact and grace are required both in presenting and receiving them.

• Who needs to be prepared to present an award in a business and why? Discuss your ideas with the class.
• This can be a fun two-minute oral communication exercise. In the exercise, you will alternate between the role of the award announcer and the recipient. You will be paired up into teams where you will need to create a business or industry award, prepare a brief script and notes on acceptance, and then demonstrate your results for your class. The introduction of the speaker should last no more than thirty seconds and the acceptance should also be completed in less than a minute. If you are at a distance from your class, you may be assigned a particular role that fits your situation. Record your performance and post it in class.
• Find one example of an award acceptance speech that you perceive as particularly effective. Indicate why and share the link. Compare with your classmates.
• Find one example of an award acceptance speech that you perceive as particularly ineffective. Indicate why and share the link. Compare with classmates.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

14 Ceremonial Speaking

Learning objectives.

• Understand the different types of ceremonial speeches.
• Explain how to deliver a strong ceremonial speech in different contexts.

There are many occasions in which one may be called to speak that do not focus on informing or persuading an audience in the ways we’ve already discussed. Special occasions mark life events, celebrate milestones, and commemorate people and situations. The speeches delivered at these types of events provide perspective on the occasion, help the audience make sense of its significance, and can become a lasting part of the memories formed from the event. Whether you are standing up to give an award speech, a wedding toast, or a eulogy, knowing how to deliver speeches in a variety of different contexts is an important skill of public speaking. In this chapter, we will explore the functions of special occasion speeches, as well as several specific types of special occasion speeches, and four key items to remember when you are asked to deliver one these speeches at an event.

Functions of Special Occasion Speeches

Chris Hill – Chris Hoy – Acceptance Speech – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Entertain and Celebrate

While speeches intended to entertain an audience may be either informative or persuasive, the rhetorical situation often provides a clear indication of when a speech falls into the special occasion category. Consider roasts and toasts; both entertain and celebrate, albeit in different ways. An awards banquet and weddings are examples of special occasions that call for a speaker to present an upbeat, light speech designed to amuse the audience while celebrating a person, event, or situation.

Commemorate

When we think of a speech crafted to commemorate something or someone, perhaps a eulogy is the first type to come to mind. That is likely because a commemorative speech is one of tribute, and often remembrance, such as a eulogy or when a speaker recalls an anniversary or a milestone event. Speeches of commemoration can also include building or monument dedications that are designed to honor the memory of the person or situation that inspired the site.

Often the rhetorical situation calls for a speaker to present words of wisdom and guidance based upon their personal experiences or what they’ve learned through shared experiences of the audience they are addressing. Examples of this kind of inspirational speaking include one you’ve all likely already witnessed, the commencement speech. Another example is a keynote address at a conference or convention. An inaugural address is another type of speech designed to inspire audiences through the promise of the speaker’s vision for the future.

This textbook is dedicated to encouraging students to stand up and speak out and this type of special occasion speech encompasses the speeches in which individuals do just that. Speeches of advocacy focus on goals and values. They are often cause-oriented or crafted to impact policy-setting or change in some way. Speakers present advocacy speeches at special occasions such as fundraisers, campaign rallies, and even protests or marches.

Types of Special Occasion Speeches

If we consider the functions of special occasion speeches we’ve just reviewed, chances are we could come up with a myriad of different types of speeches that could be included in this section. For our purposes, we are going to focus on several special occasion speeches that you are likely to encounter in your academic, professional, and personal lives. By looking at common types of speeches, we hope to enable you with the tools to stand up and speak out in events and situations in which you may find yourselves given a platform to deliver a speech.

Speeches of Introduction

The first type of speech is called the speech of introduction. A speech of introduction is a short speech that introduces another speaker. There are two main goals of an introduction speech: to provide a bit of context, including who the speaker is and why that speaker will be giving a speech at the particular event, and to entice the audience to pay attention to what the speaker has to say.

Just like any other speech, a speech of introduction should have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The information should be delivered as concisely but informative as possible. For an introduction, think of a hook that will make your audience interested in the upcoming speaker. Did you read a news article related to the speaker’s topic? Have you been impressed by a presentation you’ve heard the speaker give in the past? You need to find something that can grab the audience’s attention and make them excited about hearing the main speaker.

The body of your speech of introduction should be devoted to telling the audience about the speaker’s topic, why the speaker is qualified, and why the audience should listen (notice we now have our three body points). First, tell your audience in general terms about the overarching topic of the speech. You may only have a speech title and maybe a paragraph of information to help guide this part of your speech. Remember, your role is to be concise and to the point. The speaker is the one who will elaborate on the topic. Next, you need to tell the audience why the speaker is a credible speaker on the topic. Has the speaker written books or articles on the subject? Has the speaker had special life events that make him or her qualified? Think about what you’ve learned about building ethos and do that for the speaker. Lastly, you need to briefly explain to the audience why they should care about the upcoming speech.

The final part of a good introduction speech is the conclusion. The conclusion is generally designed to welcome the speaker to the lectern. Many introduction speeches will conclude by saying something like, “I am looking forward to hearing how Joe Smith’s advice and wisdom can help all of us today, so please join me in welcoming Mr. Joe Smith.” We’ve known some presenters who will even add a notation to their notes to “start clapping,”  “shake the speaker’s hand,” or “give the speaker a hug” depending on the circumstances of the speech.

Speeches of Presentation

The second type of ceremonial speech is the speech of presentation. A speech of presentation is a brief speech given to accompany a prize or honor. A speech of presentation could be as simple as saying, “This year’s recipient of the Schuman Public Speaking prize is Wilhelmina Jeffers,” or could last up to five minutes as the speaker explains why the honoree was chosen for the award.

When preparing a speech of presentation, it’s always important to ask how long the speech should be. Once you know the time limit, then you can set out to create the speech itself. First, you should explain what the award or honor is and why the presentation is important. Second, you can explain what the recipient has accomplished in order for the award to be bestowed. Did the person win a political race? Did the person write an important piece of literature? Did the person mediate conflict? Whatever the recipient has done, you need to clearly highlight their work. Lastly, if the race or competition was conducted in a public forum and numerous people didn’t win, you may want to recognize those people for their efforts as well. While you don’t want to steal the show away from the winner (as Kanye West did to Taylor Swift during the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards ( https://vimeo.com/173170491 ), you may want to highlight the work of the other competitors or nominees.

Speeches of Acceptance

The complement to a speech of presentation is the speech of acceptance. The speech of acceptance is a speech given by the recipient of a prize or honor. For example, in the above video clip from the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards, Taylor Swift starts by expressing her appreciation, gets interrupted by Kanye West, and ends by saying, “I would like to thank the fans and MTV, thank you.” While not a traditional acceptance speech because of the interruption, she did manage to get in the important parts.

There are three typical components of a speech of acceptance: thank the givers of the award or honor, thank those who helped you achieve your goal, and put the award or honor into perspective.

First, you want to thank the people who have given you the award or honor and possibly those who voted for you. We see this done every year during the Oscars, “First, I’d like to thank the academy and all of the academy voters.” Second, you want to give credit to those who helped you achieve the award or honor. No person accomplishes things in life on their own. We all have families, friends, and/or colleagues who support us and help us achieve what we do in life. A speech of acceptance is a great time to graciously recognize those individuals. Lastly, put the award in perspective. Tell the people listening to your speech why the award is meaningful to you.

Speeches of Dedication

The fourth ceremonial speech is the speech of dedication. A speech of dedication is delivered when a new store opens, a building is named after someone, a plaque is placed on a wall, a new library is completed, and so on. These speeches are designed to highlight the importance of the project and those to whom the project has been dedicated.

When preparing the speech of dedication, start by explaining your connection to the project and why you’ve been asked to speak. Next, you want to explain what is being dedicated and who was involved with the project, who made it possible. If the project is a new structure, talk about the people who built the structure or designed it. If the project is a preexisting structure, talk about the people who put together and decided on the dedication. You also want to explain why the structure is important and the impact it may have on the local community. For instance, if the dedication is for a new store, you could talk about how the store will bring in new jobs and shopping opportunities. If the dedication is for a new wing of a hospital, you could talk about how patients will be served and the advances in medicine the new wing will provide the community.

It is likely that if you haven’t yourself given a toast at this point in your life, you’ve witnessed one at a social event. A toast is a speech designed to congratulate, appreciate, or remember. Toasts can be delivered for the purpose of congratulating someone for an honor, a new job, or getting married. You can also toast someone to show your appreciation for something they’ve done. We also toast people to remember them and what they have accomplished. Think about a time when you may have heard someone exclaim “let’s raise our glass!” in honor of someone who may or may not be present at that moment.

When preparing a toast, the first goal is always to keep your remarks brief. Toasts are generally given in the course of some festivity (e.g., wedding, retirement party, farewell party), and you don’t want your toast to take away from the festivity for too long. Second, the goal of a toast is to focus attention on the person or persons being celebrated—not on the speaker. As such, while you are speaking you need to focus your attention on the people you are toasting, both by physically looking at them and by keeping your message about them. You should also avoid any inside jokes between you and the people being toasted because toasts are public and should be accessible for everyone who hears them. To conclude a toast, simply say something like, “Please join me in recognizing Joan for her achievement.” While that will verbally signal the conclusion of the toast, some occasions may also call for you to physically raise your glass in the direction of the honoree. This action will invite the audience to join in the toast.

A roast is an interesting and peculiar speech because it is designed to both praise and good-naturedly poke fun at a person being honored. Generally, roasts are given at the conclusion of a banquet in honor of someone’s life achievements. The television station Comedy Central has created a series of celebrity roasts which showcases public figures jokingly insulting other well-known figures in front of a live audience.

In this clip ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSE_saVX_2A#action=share ), watch as Stephen Colbert, television host of The Colbert Report, roasts President George W. Bush.

How does one prepare for a roast? You want to think about the person who is being roasted. Do they have any strange habits or amusing stories in their past that you can discuss? When you think through these things, you want to make sure that you cross anything off your list that is truly private information or will really hurt the person. The goal of a roast is to poke fun at them, not embarrass them or tarnish their reputation. When selecting which aspects to highlight in your roast, you want to make sure that the items you choose are widely known by your audience. Roasts work when the majority of people in the audience can relate to the jokes as these are intended to create a fun atmosphere for all. It is up to the speaker to ensure neither the individual being roasted or the audience, is left feeling uncomfortable. Always remember the point of a roast is to honor someone. While the jokes are definitely the fun part of a roast, you should leave the roastee knowing that you truly do care about and appreciate them.

A eulogy is a speech given in honor of someone who has died. If you are asked to deliver a eulogy, it’s important to understand the expectations of this type of speech and ensure you are prepared. You need to be prepared both for the sake of the audience as well as your own. Watch the following clip ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRsH92sJCr4&feature=youtu.be ) of then-Senator Barack Obama delivering a eulogy at the funeral of civil rights activist Rosa Parks in November of 2005.

In this eulogy, Senator Obama delivers the eulogy by recalling Rosa Park’s importance and her legacy in American history. When preparing a eulogy, first you need to know as much information about the deceased as possible. The more information you have about the person, the more personal you can make the eulogy. While you can rely on your own knowledge if you were close to the deceased, it is always a good idea to ask friends and relatives of the deceased for their memories. Other people’s input may add important facets that may not have occurred to you. Of course, if you were not very close to the deceased, you will need to ask friends and family for information.

Second, although eulogies are delivered on the serious and sad occasion of a funeral or memorial service for the deceased, it is very helpful to look for at least one point to be lighter or humorous. In some cultures, in fact, the friends and family attending the funeral will expect the eulogy to be highly entertaining and amusing. While eulogies are not roasts, one goal of the humor or lighter aspects of a eulogy is to relieve the tension that is created by the serious nature of the occasion.

Lastly, remember to tell the deceased’s story. Tell the audience about who this person was and what the person stood for in life. The more personal you can make a eulogy, the more touching it will be for the deceased’s friends and families. The eulogy should remind the audience to celebrate the person’s life as well as mourn their death.

Speeches of Farewell

A speech of farewell allows someone to say goodbye to one part of their life as they move on to the next part of life. Maybe you’ve accepted a new job and are leaving your current job, or you’re graduating from college and entering the workforce. Whatever the case may be, periods of transition are often marked by speeches of farewell. Watch the following clip ( https://youtu.be/HJrlTpQm0to ) of Derek Jeter’s 2008 speech saying farewell to Yankee Stadium, built in 1923, before the New York Yankees moved to the new stadium that opened in 2009.

In this speech, Derek Jeter is not only saying goodbye to Yankee Stadium but also thanking the fans for their continued support. When preparing a speech of farewell, the goal should be to thank people and let them know how much you appreciate them as you make the move to your next role in life. In Derek Jeter’s speech, he starts by talking about the history of the 1923 Yankee Stadium and then thanks the fans for their support. You will also want to express to your audience how much the experience has meant to you.

A farewell speech is a time to commemorate and think about the good times you’ve had, not recount any less pleasant aspects. It’s a good idea to end on a high note. Derek Jeter concludes his speech by saying, “On behalf of this entire organization, we just want to take this moment to salute you, the greatest fans in the world!” At this point, Jeter and the other players take off their ball caps and hold them up toward the audience.

Inspirational Speaking

The goal of an inspirational speech  is to elicit or arouse an emotional state within an audience. Although other speeches we’ve already explored can incorporate inspirational messages, we will now look at two specific types of inspirational speeches: goodwill and speeches of commencement.

Speeches to Ensure Goodwill

Goodwill is an intangible asset that is made up of the favor or reputation of an individual or organization. Speeches of goodwill are often given in an attempt to get audience members to view the person or organization more favorably. Although speeches of goodwill are persuasive, they try not to be obvious about the persuasive intent. They are often delivered as information-giving speeches that focus on an individual or organization’s positive attributes.

Speeches for Commencements

The second type of inspirational speech is the speech of commencement, which is designed to recognize and celebrate the achievements of a graduating class. Nearly all of us have sat through commencement speeches at some point in our lives.  Perhaps you just finished high school and earned your degree, or you recently attended a commencement for a sibling or other family member. If you have not yet attended a commencement ceremony, you will soon as you work toward earning your college degree. Numerous celebrities and politicians have been asked to deliver commencement speeches at colleges and universities. One famous commencement speech was given by famed Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling at Harvard University in 2008 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkREt4ZB-ck ).

J.K. Rowling’s speech has the perfect balance of humor and inspiration, which are two of the main ingredients of a great commencement speech.

If you’re ever asked to deliver a commencement speech, there are some key points to think through when deciding on your speech’s content.

• If there is a specific theme for the graduation, make sure that your commencement speech addresses that theme. If there is not a specific theme, come up with one for your speech. Some common commencement speech themes are commitment, competitiveness, competence, confidence, decision making, discipline, ethics, failure (and overcoming failure), faith, generosity, integrity, involvement, leadership, learning, persistence, personal improvement, professionalism, reality, responsibility, and self-respect.
• Talk about your life and how graduates can learn from your experiences to avoid pitfalls or take advantages of life. How can your life inspire the graduates in their future endeavors?
• Make the speech humorous. Commencement speeches should be entertaining and make an audience laugh.
• Be brief! Remember, the graduates are there to get their diplomas, and their families are there to watch the graduates walk across the stage.
• Remember, while you may be the speaker, you’ve been asked to impart wisdom and advice for the people graduating and moving on with their lives, so keep it focused on them.
• Place the commencement speech into the broader context of the graduates’ lives. Show the graduates how the advice and wisdom you are offering can be utilized to make their own lives better. 
Overall, it’s important to make sure that you have fun when delivering a commencement speech. Remember, it’s a tremendous honor and responsibility to be asked to deliver a commencement speech. Take the time to really think through and prepare your speech.

Keynote Speaking

Acumen_ – Keynote Speech – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The last type of special occasion speech we will examine is the keynote speech. A keynote speech is delivered to set the underlying tone and summarize the core message of an event. People who deliver keynote speeches are typically experts in a given area who are invited to speak at a conference, convention, banquet, meeting, or other kinds of events with the purpose of setting a specific tone for the occasion. As mentioned, keynote speeches often are meant to inspire an audience. This inspiration can anything from motivating staff at a sales convention to discussing organizational values and imparting wisdom on a group with a shared goal or purpose.

Some keynote speakers will work for a speakers bureau, an agency that represents celebrity and professional speakers. One important organization for all aspiring keynote speakers is the National Speaker’s Association, or NSA. ( http://www.nsaspeaker.org ). In the world of professional public speaking, there are two common types of keynotes: after-dinner speeches and motivational speeches. Let’s look at each of these unique speeches.

After-Dinner Speeches

Ironically, an after-dinner speech does not have to occur after a formal dinner, though it does get its name from the idea that these speeches historically followed a meal of some kind. After-dinner speakers are generally asked (or hired) to speak because they have the ability both to effectively convey a message and to make people laugh. This characteristic does not mean its only goal is to entertain. The after-dinner speech could serve any of the functions previously detailed in this chapter, and all the basic conventions of public speaking discussed in this text apply to after-dinner speeches. However, the overarching goal of these speeches is to entertain and create a light-hearted, jovial atmosphere.

After-dinner speaking is a challenging type of speaking because it requires a balance of entertainment and humor by providing substantive insight into the topic of the event or situation. Finding this balance will allow speakers to deliver a rewarding speech that leaves a lasting impact on the audience. For an example of an after-dinner speech, read the following speech delivered by Mark Twain on his seventieth birthday: ( https://www.pbs.org/marktwain/learnmore/writings_seventieth.html ).

Here are some things to consider when preparing an after-dinner speech.

First, use all that you have learned about informative or persuasive speeches to prepare for this speech, and then consider the four items of note we will outline later in this chapter for creating a successful special occasion speech. You must prepare, consider the occasion, understand your audience, and be mindful of time constraints surrounding your speech and the event.

Second, remember that this is not an opportunity to try your hand at stand-up comedy. The after-dinner speech has a specific goal or purpose, which you must identify and attempt to accomplish. Doing so requires that your speech has a recognizable structure like your more formal speeches: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. While you ideally want to entertain and amuse your audience, you also want to be sure you achieve your speech goal in the given timeframe.

Motivational Speaking

The second common form of keynote speaking is motivational speaking. A motivational speech is designed not only to make an audience experience emotional arousal (fear, sadness, joy, excitement) but also to motivate the audience to do something with that emotional arousal. Whereas a traditional persuasive speech may attempt to influence listeners to purchase a product or agree with an ideology, a motivational speech helps to inspire people in a broader fashion, often without a clearly articulated end result in mind. As such, motivational speaking is a highly specialized form of persuasive speaking commonly delivered in schools, businesses, or religious, club, and group contexts. The Toastmasters International Guide to Successful Speaking lists four types of motivational speeches: hero, survivor, religious, and success (Slutsky & Aun, 1997).

The hero speech is a motivational speech given by someone who is considered a hero in society (e.g. military speakers, political figures, and professional athletes). Just type “motivational speech” into YouTube and you’ll find many motivational speeches given by individuals who can be considered heroes or role models. The following clip ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMlmbz8-_Xg ) presents a speech by Steve Sax, a former major league baseball player.

In this speech, Sax talks about his life as a baseball player, along with issues related to leadership, overcoming obstacles, and motivation.

The survivor speech is a speech given by someone who has survived a personal tragedy or who has faced and overcome serious adversity. In the following clip ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NasfjwL8wTc ), Becky Olson discusses her life as a cancer survivor.

Becky Olson goes all over the country talking with and motivating cancer survivors to beat the odds.

The final type of motivational speech is the success speech, which is given by someone who has succeeded in some aspect of life and is giving back by telling others how they too can be successful. In the following clip ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E52eIa1VSgQ ), the then CEO of Xerox, Anne Mulcahy, speaks before a group of students at the University of Virginia discussing the spirit of entrepreneurship.

In this speech, Mulcahy shares the leadership lessons she had learned as the CEO of Xerox

Review of the Types of Special Occasion Speeches

A speech of introduction is a short speech that introduces another speaker.

A speech of presentation is a brief speech given to accompany a prize or honor.

The speech of acceptance is a speech given by the recipient of a prize or honor.

A speech of dedication is delivered when a new store opens, a building is named after someone, a plaque is placed on a wall, a new library is completed, and so on. These speeches are designed to highlight the importance of the project and those to whom the project has been dedicated.

A toast is a speech designed to congratulate, appreciate, or remember.

A roast speech is designed to both praise and good-naturedly poke fun at a person being honored.

A eulogy is a speech given in honor of someone who has died.

A s peech of farewell allows someone to say goodbye to one part of their life as they move on to the next part of life.

An inspirational speech  elicits an emotional state within an audience. Inspirational speeches include speeches to ensure goodwill and commencement addresses.

A keynote speech is delivered to set the underlying tone and summarize the core message of an event. Keynote speeches include after-dinner and motivational speeches.

Delivering Your Special Occasion Speech

Special occasion speeches may be common, but that doesn’t mean they don’t require effort and preparation. A frequent trap is that people often do not consider the impact these speeches can have on the occasion. For instance, a wedding toast not only leaves a lasting impression on the couple getting married but also all of the guests in attendance (not to mention it will likely be recorded and posted on social media). As a result, one may not prepare seriously but instead, stand up to speak with the idea that they can “wing it” by acting silly and telling a few jokes. Rather than being entertaining or commemorating the occasion, the speech appears ill-prepared and falls flat. To help us think through how to be effective in delivering special occasion speeches, let’s look at four key items to remember: preparation, adaptation to the occasion, adaptation to the audience, and mindfulness about the time.

First, and foremost, the biggest mistake you can make when standing to deliver a ceremonial speech is to be underprepared or simply not prepare at all. We’ve stressed the need for preparation throughout this text, so just because you’re giving a wedding toast or a eulogy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think through the speech before you stand up and speak out. If the situation is impromptu, even jotting some basic notes on a napkin is better than not having any plan for what you are going to say. Remember, when you get anxious, as inevitably happens in front of an audience, your brain doesn’t function as well as when you are having a relaxed conversation with friends. You often forget information. By writing down some simple notes, you’ll be poised to deliver a more thoughtful speech that matches the needs of the occasion.

Consider the Occasion

Not all content is appropriate for all occasions. If you are asked to deliver a speech commemorating the first anniversary of a school shooting, then obviously using humor and telling jokes is not appropriate. But some decisions about adapting to the occasion are less obvious. Consider the following examples:

• You are the maid of honor giving a toast at the wedding of your younger sister.
• You are receiving a Most Valuable Player award in your favorite sport.
• You are a sales representative speaking to a group of clients after a mistake has been discovered.
• You are a cancer survivor speaking at a high school student assembly.

How might you adapt your message and speaking style to successfully mark each occasion in front of the various audiences in attendance? 
Remember that being a competent speaker is about being both personally effective and socially appropriate. Different occasions will call for different speech functions. As a speaker, it is important to understand the needs of the occasion and adapt your content accordingly. One of the biggest mistakes speakers can make is to deliver one generic speech to different groups without adapting the speech to the specific 
occasion. In fact, professional speakers always make sure that their speeches are tailored to each specific occasion by asking questions and investigating the details of each event or situation. When we customize our speech for the special occasion, people are more likely to remember the speech than if we give a generic speech.

Consider Your Audience

Understanding your audience remains one of the most critical aspects of preparing your speech for any occasion. Different audiences will respond differently to speech material. The more you know about your audience and the more you are able to adapt your content to their needs and wants, the more likely your speech will have an impact and you will effectively achieve your speaking goal. One of the coauthors of this text was at a conference specifically for teachers of public speaking. The keynote speaker stood and delivered a speech on the importance of public speaking. Remember, a function of keynote speaking is to inspire the audience. Though this particular speaking was highly informed on the topic and even entertained the audience, the speech did not go over very well with the audience. Why do you think this was? Speaking to an audience of public speaking instructors, a safe assumption is that they already believe in the importance of the subject. Thus, we can also assume that the speaker may not have considered the audience when preparing the speech, and therefore it is likely the keynote did not fulfill its function of inspiring them.

Be Mindful of the Time

There are very few times in life, whether it be academic, professional, or personal, that you will be given an infinite amount of time to do anything. This is an important consideration to keep in mind when preparing your special occasion speech (as well as your informative and persuasive speeches!). Special occasions often consist of more than just speeches. Each has its own conventions and rules with regard to time. Acceptance speeches and toasts, for example, should be relatively short (typically under five minutes). A speech of introduction should be extremely brief, just long enough to tell the audience what they need to know about the person being introduced and prepares them to appreciate that person’s remarks. Conversely, commemorative speeches, commencement speeches, and keynote addresses tend to be longer as they include more content and have different goals.

When it comes to speech timing, the other three items we’ve discussed in this section can come in very handy. With preparation and practice, you can ensure your speech adheres to a specific timeframe. Considering your occasion and understanding your audience will also help you when crafting your speech and determining an appropriate amount of time for speaking. Think about a wedding you’ve attended when a toast honoring the couple has gone on and on and on, and everyone, including the happy couple, just wanted to get up and dance. There are also examples of instances when an audience may have been eager to be inspired and motivated but left disappointed when the speaker presented a quick and vapid speech. It can go either way, and that’s why it is important to be prepared, consider the occasion, and understand your audience.

It is also perfectly acceptable to ask questions about the expected time frame for a speech. Either ask the person who has invited you to speak, or you can do some quick research to see what the average speech times in the given context tend to be.

Slutsky, J., & Aun, M. (1997). The Toastmasters International® guide to successful speaking: Overcoming your fears, winning over your audience, building your business & career. Chicago, IL: Dearborn Financial Publishing.

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2017 by Josh Miller; Marnie Lawler-Mcdonough; Megan Orcholski; Kristin Woodward; Lisa Roth; and Emily Mueller is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

• Recognition Practices
• Recognition Programs

Show Me How To Give an Effective Award Presentation

By roy saunderson, ma, crp.

A wards are wonderful things. 

They are the most valuable possessions in the world to the people who receive them. 

Awards straddle between recognition and rewards in that they recognize an individual or team and may include a trophy and a reward. For what we will discuss here, they also provide a means to publicly honor the best of the best either through earned merit, length of service, or through an adjudication of a nomination.  

People will dress up for award events. They may even take the day off to prepare. People look forward to awarding ceremonies for weeks ahead.

You should know by now that award presentations are a big deal and so you had better get them right. Here’s how to prepare to give an effective award presentation. 

Your goal with any award event and presentation is to orchestrate as much as you can to make it an experience to remember for each award recipient. 

Whether it is a sales award, a career milestone award, or an award of excellence, you must plan out how you will honor the award recipients. 

Focus on the Award Purpose  

You need to answer the “why” question. Ask yourself, and your award committee members, why are we honoring these employees we are presenting awards to?

When you know the purpose of the awards and the event, this will help everyone be better prepared. And when you are presenting the award, rivet the reason for it in your mind.

It will cause you to think about what you should remember to make the award presentation a special event. 

For example, an employee’s length of service has been their life’s contribution to making a difference. What investigative digging can you do ahead of time to learn about their contributions.

With a formal award of excellence, you have people’s concentrated efforts to comply with and meet all the criteria associated with the area of expertise the award represents. That’s a big deal. Make sure you tell the story on the stage.

Find out the positive attributes of the individual being awarded. Share these within the presentation.

It is also important to discover what is most meaningful in the award recipient’s work and to honor them for it. They are winners for lots of reasons. You need to highlight these strengths for others to emulate. 

Show The Proof of Award Winners  

Most employees in your organization have never paid attention to what it takes to win an award. 

Before presenting the award, tell everyone the criteria for meriting this award. Focus on the main achievements and qualities needed to persevere and win the award. 

People need to understand why this person’s contributions or performance are above and beyond. Give people a chance to see how their work has shown a level of excellence for the organization.

Briefly explain the award nomination criteria and the challenge judges have on adjudicating nominations. Show how the individual’s or team’s nomination was exceptional. This helps guide the quality of future submissions. You can even share pertinent comments from the judges on what stood out for them. Describe how their performance and award activities benefit the organization. 

Make No Small Plans  

Part of the successful presentation of employee awards at ceremonies and award events is the planning that goes into them. It will take a team of people. Create templates and checklists to replicate this again. And always be willing to improve upon and make changes. 

Consider who to invite to the award ceremony. Are there important past colleagues to invite? Should you include and reach out to family and friends? 

Think about and ask what the honoree would like to have happen. Some of these factors, along with more virtual work scenarios, may dictate the best place to hold the awards event.

Foremost is checking with the award recipient to see if they are okay with this being a public event or not. For example, some people just prefer a small private affair.

Finding the right place and setting can add to the whole award experience. No matter if in person or online, remember to capture this special occasion on camera or video and send the award recipient copies afterward. 

Do Everything To Personalize Awards  

The intent of every award event is to make people feel special. One important way to do that is to use the award recipient’s preferred name versus their given name on the books. A person’s name is music to their ears. Make sure you have the correct spelling and pronunciation, too.

Work with leaders and colleagues ahead of time to learn the individual’s history with the organization. There might be a backstory tale to tell in those gems you discover. 

It can be the little things that make an award presentation meaningful. Like finding out why they selected their particular award gift for their career milestone award. 

You can make an occasion magical by getting just the “right” person to attend and make the presentation. In most case it will be their immediate manager or an organizational leader. Your task is the make this a memorable experience for the recipient. So, if finding a leader or manager from their past to be on stage will do it, make it happen. 

Getting Down to the Presentation  

You cannot be a boring stuff shirt when presenting someone their award. This should never be a shake and grin event where people receive the award shake hands and leave. The award recipient should be on cloud nine when they walk off the stage or off the screen. 

Think about this concept: What is one thing you can do to turn this award event into a celebration versus a presentation ?

Connect this person’s contributions to the organizational values and thank them for their example. Make sure you are well prepared with what to say and do. Sincerely and specifically, thank the individual for all that they have done for the organization and for specific individuals or teams. 

Everything about this award hinges on how you present it. Presenting this award can make a lasting impression on a person. Or it can ruin everything they hold dear to them about the organization.

The task you face in presenting an award is making positive memories with everything you do for this honoree. Treat them as a star celebrity, because on the day you present their award, they really are the hero being celebrated. 

Always remember to acknowledge the award winner or recipient’s achievements and acknowledge the grand difference they have made to specific people and the organization at large.

Presenting an award to someone is no small order. Yet, with this opportunity, you have the chance to make it the most memorable and motivational experience in someone’s life. That has to be the best job anyone can look forward to. 

Recognition Reflection: Do you consistently evaluate your award presentations and change them as needed?

Roy is no longer writing new content for this site (he has retired!), but you can subscribe to Engage2Excel’s blog as Engage2Excel will be taking Roy’s place writing about similar topics on employee recognition and retention, leadership and strategy.

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

100% Customer Satisfaction or Your Money Back

Login to my account

Enter your e-mail and password:

New customer? Create your account

Lost password? Recover password

Recover password

Enter your email:

Remembered your password? Back to login

Create my account

Please fill in the information below:

Already have an account? Login here

Your cart is empty

How to Present Plaques and Awards

So, you’ve browsed our collection of award plaques and found the perfect one to customize. Now it’s time to figure out just how you’re going to present these trophies and awards.

Acknowledging someone (or multiple someones) with an award is a special gesture. It should be celebrated as such with a planned event or ceremony. Whether the occasion is a fancy affair or an intimate get-together, it should be organized and thought out. But unless you’ve done it before, planning how to present an award to someone can be a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be all that scary or stressful.

Follow our easy tips for how to present an award and you’ll be calm, cool and collected all ceremony long, right up until the final round of applause.

1. Schedule a Time in Advance to Present the Award

Whether your awards ceremony is honoring one person or 50, you need to prepare well enough in advance so that potential or already announced recipients can attend to accept their plaques .

Consider all the details:

• Where will the event take place?
• What is the dress code?
• What kind of food or beverages will be served?
• How many people will be invited?

It’s a nice gesture to try to include as many people as possible for the event. Whether you allow award recipients to invite their own guests or you invite their loved ones as a surprise, it will mean a lot to any honoree. Having friends, family, team members or fellow employees at the event for support is a nice, caring touch and will make the award winner feel that much more special.

2. Write a Short Award Presentation Speech and Practice

Take some time to really consider the person or people that you’re honoring. Write down what you want to say, keeping it brief and enthusiastic. Make sure to include the reason each person is receiving the plaque or award and explain what it represents.

Then, when your speech or notes are complete, practice…and practice some more. Present it to family and friends to get their reactions and opinions. Allow yourself enough time to make any needed changes or rewrites. You can even film yourself to assess your speech and polish any potentially rough edges.

3. Designate Someone to Take Pictures

This one is extremely important. Make sure to designate a reliable person to take pictures of the award recipient(s) as they accept their award(s). It’s a nice gesture to make sure your honorees have photographs to remember the occasion. It also allows the recipient's friends and family to relax and fully support them as they receive their awards, rather than fumbling with a camera during the excitement and missing the moment.

By taking photographs, you or the honoree(s) can share the ceremony with those who may not have been able to attend, or you can even include the photos in a newsletter, the local newspaper or an email.

4. Invite the Recipient to Stand Next to You When Making the Presentation

No matter who is being honored, if you’re handing out sports plaques or professional awards, you should invite each recipient to stand next to you when you make your presentation. This detail allows the honoree to feel even more special on their big day.

5. Shake Their Hand or Give Them a Hug

Make sure to end the award presentation with a handshake or hug with each recipient. It’s one final acknowledgement of their accomplishments and a nice way to show that they’re appreciated within the office, team or community.

K2 TIP : For a fun way to share the awards ceremony, make sure people take photos to capture the event and tag K2 Awards on social media. You can even create your own custom hashtag that attendees can use for the ceremony!

Leave a comment

All comments are moderated before being published

On-Time Delivery

Guaranteed to be there when you need it!

Handled With Care

Every order is processed by skilled designers!

Top-Notch Service

No such thing as an order too big or too small!

Secure Payments

Order awards with confidence!

• Opens in a new window.

• Who Is Eligible
• Services Provided
• Funeral Director's Information

Flag Presentation Protocol and Flag Folding

A United States flag drapes the casket of deceased veterans to honor the memory of their service to the country. The ceremonial folding and presentation of the flag is a moving tribute of lasting import to the veteran's family.  The flag is placed on a closed casket so the union blue field is at the head and over the left shoulder of the deceased.  After Taps is played, the flag is carefully folded into the symbolic tri-cornered shape.  A properly proportioned flag will fold 13 times on the triangles, representing the 13 original colonies. The folded flag is emblematic of the tri-cornered hat worn by the Patriots of the American Revolution. When folded, no red or white stripe is to be evident, leaving only the blue field with stars.  It is then presented as a keepsake to the next of kin or an appropriate family member.  The Flag Presentation Protocol is as follows:

• Stand facing the flag recipient and hold the folded flag waist high with the straight edge facing the recipient.
• Lean toward the flag recipient and solemnly present the flag to the recipient.

Effective April 17, 2012, the Department of Defense standardized the flag presentation verbiage for military funeral honors ceremonies. The following verbiage will be used when presenting the American flag during the funeral service:  'On behalf of the President of the United States, (the United States Army; the United States Marine Corps; the United States Navy; or the United States Air Force), and a grateful Nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service.'  The United States Coast Guard is invited to use the same verbiage.

• Awards & recognition

Awards & recognition

Volunteers give a part of themselves. They invest their time, energy and skills to make a difference in their communities. Recognizing a person’s value and investment is key to retaining members — and motivating them to stay invested in your club. You can recognize exceptional members with any of the following awards.

Ruby K Award Honor Kiwanians who invite five or more new members during their Kiwanis career with a Ruby K Award, free of charge. Ruby K pins recognize members for inviting new members — from five to 100 people. (Further Ruby K awards are given for multiples of 25 over 100.) The award is cumulative, so previous recipients are eligible for a new Ruby K when they invite additional members.  Submit an application.

Distinguished members and clubs Kiwanis International gives “distinguished” awards to individual Kiwanians and clubs that meet established criteria demonstrating special dedication to service, membership strength and Kiwanis education. Distinguished members receive a lapel pin. Distinguished clubs receive lapel pins for the president and secretary, along with a patch for the club’s banner.

• 2022-23 Distinguished criteria for districts and clubs
• 2023-24 Distinguished criteria for districts and clubs

Life membership Thank a member who has demonstrated exemplary commitment to  The Objects of Kiwanis and the mission of Kiwanis International with life member status. A gold-tone membership card, desktop award, distinctive lapel pin and lifelong exemption from Kiwanis International dues are some of the ways life members are honored. Submit an application .

Legion of Honor Honor members who have served in Kiwanis for 25 years or more with the Legion of Honor award. They deserve recognition for helping to make Kiwanis the great organization it is today. Certificates signed by the Kiwanis International president and executive director, as well as lapel pins that reflect the highest office held by the honoree, are available for presentation.  Purchase Legion of Honor award material from the Kiwanis Family Store . Please provide the recipient’s name, the number of years he or she has been a Kiwanian and the highest club office he or she has held.

Robert P. Connelly Medal of Heroism The Robert P. Connelly Medal of Heroism is awarded by Kiwanis clubs to individuals who have risked or given their lives to save someone else. In addition, clubs can award a Connelly certificate to individuals who risk their personal safety to protect another person’s well-being. A 34-year-old member of the Kiwanis Club of Lisle, Illinois, U.S., Connelly lost his life in 1966 while attempting to rescue a woman who had fallen into the path of a passenger train. Connelly medals and certificates are available in the Kiwanis Family Store.

Marc H. Litwack Legacy of Leadership Award Nomination 2024 The Marc H. Litwack Legacy of Leadership Award was established to commemorate the legacy of Marc Litwack , the esteemed former Kiwanis International governor, Circle K International leader and Key Club International leader. This prestigious award recognizes individuals who exemplify extraordinary leadership qualities and have made significant contributions to their professions and communities. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, March 8, 2024. For more information visit: https://keyclubalumni.kiwanis.org/f/marc-h-litwack-legacy-leadership-award-nomination-2024 .

For additional information on these forms of recognition, call Kiwanis International at 1-800-KIWANIS (U.S. and Canada) or +1-317-875-8755 (worldwide), ext. 411. Or email  [email protected] .

How to introduce a speaker or honoree

by Margot Lester | Dec 20, 2012 | Best Practice

Updated June 2023

There's one sure-fire way to put a damper on an otherwise solid event and that's bad introductions. The worst offender is introductions that a read from a raft of bios that are already printed in the event program. By the third or fourth person, side conversations break out in the audience, audible sighs let out and eyes rolled (hopefully) imperceptibly. And it's not just the audience who suffers. As a speaker, I always feel like the introducer is phoning it in if they just read what's been sent out in the event email and printed in the event program. It doesn't take much to do better. Yet so few do. Don't be one of them. Join the ranks of expert introducers!

4 tips for making introductions

1. share your perspective..

Explain why you're excited this person is being honored or to hear what s/he has to say. Talk about something they've done that's impressed or effected you directly. And when in doubt, ask the person directly. Show your enthusiasm and respect.

2. Quote the speaker/honoree.

I was recently introduced by someone who shared some things I'd written in articles , on this blog and on Twitter about the topic of the day. This was fun way to establish my cred, hint at take-aways, and get the audience ready to go. You can also do this with honorees and speakers who aren't published by asking them for a few key points about themselves, like words to live by, a surprising fact, their most important lesson learned, etc.

3. Set the stage.

Tell us why this speaker/honoree was chosen in your own words and why we should care-- in your own words or through comments of others. Anything but a direct reading from the stock bio. What has this person done to merit this honor or speaking slot? How has s/he earned it? Help the audience get revved up about the value of the session.

This really only works with speaker introductions: If you're not comfortable with the previous ideas, cut to the chase with something like this: "You came to see Becca. I came to see Becca. So, I'm going to turn the mic over to Becca Jones, author of Better Introductions."

Related Content

• How to write better bios
• How to endorse a political candidate
• Writing online reviews and recommendations

Recent Posts

• Our best advice of the year (so far)
• Drop everything and do this right now
• Struggling readers can be strong writers
• Be a Writer Like…
• Best of Our Blog
• Best Practice
• Blogs & Blogging
• Content & Content Operations
• E'ship
• Guest Posts
• Marketing, Advertising & Promotion
• Public Relations/PR practice
• Social Media
• Training & Workshops
• Uncategorized
• Work Samples from Margot Lester & The Word Factory Team
• Writing/How to Write

Mobile Menu Overlay

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by President   Biden at Presentation of the Medal of   Honor

11:35 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, General.  Please be seated.  Please be seated.

Well, welcome to the White House.  You know, this is a day that I — I, quite frankly, think being President is inadequate because there are so many brave women and men in here and so many people we’re honoring today.

Mr. Secretary, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, senior military officers, thank you all for being here.

 Yesterday marked the 246th anniversary of this nation’s independence.  Two hundred and forty-six years of struggle and sacrifice to uphold the principles so dear to the character of our nation: liberty, democracy, the God-given rights of every individual. 

It’s a journey that has never finished, and it never will be fully finished.  It’s a work that requires us to look ahead to the future — the future we want to build — and to look carefully at our past to understand fully where we have come from. 

For each of those 246 years, American patriots have answered our nation’s call to military service.  They stood in the way of danger, risked everything — literally everything — to defend our nation and our values. 

However, not every service member has received the full recognition they deserve.  Today, we’re setting the record straight.  We’re upgrading the awards of four soldiers who performed acts of incredible heroism during the Vietnam conflict to respect the conspicuous gallantry and intrepidi- — how — and the intrepidability [sic] of their service.  I mean, it’s just astounding when you hear what each of them have done.

They went far above and beyond the call of duty.  It’s a phrase that I always use, but it’s — it just — it takes on life when you see these men.

To the late Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro to Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell to Specialist Five Dennis M. Fujii and to Major John Duffy, I’m proud to finally award our highest military recognition, the Medal of Honor, to each of you — one posthumously. 

It has been a long journey to this day for those heroes and their families, and more than 50 years have passed — 50 years — since the jungles of Vietnam, where, as young men, these soldiers first proved their mettle. 

But time has not diminished their astonishing bravery, their selflessness in putting the lives of others ahead of their own, and the gratitude that we as a nation owe them. 

December 1, 1966.  Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro was an infantry squad leader.  His platoon was navigating toward what seemed to be a peaceful village.  It was an ambush. 

A vastly superior force of North Vietnamese troops was concealed within the village, protected by fortified bunkers, underground tunnels, and a big trench that ran through the entire village. 

As Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro led his squad to the east of the village, two other squads headed straight in, where the enemy opened fire on them with machine guns and small arms fire, killing the platoon leader, the point man, and pinning down the two squads. 

Hearing the battle unfold, Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro moved his squad toward the sound of the firing, where he quickly jumped into action. 

The machine-gun fire suppressing his platoonmates was coming from a big trench.  It had to be stopped. 

He ordered his men to take cover, and then he advanced alone toward the enemy position, armed with six grenades and his M-16. 

Lying flat on the ground, Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro hurled his first grenade.  It sailed directly through the aperture of the bunker, taking out the machine gunner on the first throw. 

He then jumped into the trench alone, moving along the trench for 35 mener- — 35 meters, clearing the enemy as he went, as he — as his head would emerge above the trench, as he yelled, “Grenade!”  And then his platoon would lose sight of him and ex- — and hear it explode. 

By the time he was done, the two other squads were able to stand up, collect their dead and injured, and recogni- — and reorganize to fight, and successfully withdraw from the village. 

According to the eyewitness’s account of the battle from Sergeant — Staff Sergeant Hask- — Haskett, Kaneshiro’s bravery in single-handedly clearing the trench averted what might have been, quote, “a disaster for the whole platoon.”

Born and raised in Hawaii, the son of Japanese immigrants, a proud husband and father of four, Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro continued his service with his unit in Vietnam until he was killed in action by hostile gunfire on March 6, 1967. 

Today, his memory lives on in the lives he saved, in the legend of his fearlessness, and in the hearts of the family he left behind. 

John, Naomi, Tom, thank you for being here today.  And thank you, too, for your sister Doris as well, who could not be with us. 

And, John, thank you for your military service.  Your family sacrificed so much for our country.  I know that no award can ever make up for the loss of your father, for not having him there as you grew up.  But I hope today you take some pride and comfort in knowing his valor is finally receiving the full recognition it has always deserved. 

January 31, 1968.  It was an opening assault that would come to be known as the Tet Offensive, a particularly bloody period of the Vietnam War. 

North Vietnam for- — North Vietnamese forces launched an attack on a strategically located airbase in Sai- — near Saigon.  The first American unit called to respond was that of Specialist Five Dwight Birdwell. 

Unknown to the approximately 100 men in C Troop, they were moving to be taking on a full regiment of Viet Cong, likely to be more than 1,000 strong. 

They arrived.  The troop engaged the Viet Cong forces.  Specialist Birdwell’s unit took the main brunt of the attack, with many tanks and vehicles disabled.

When his tank commander was hit and gravely wounded, Specialist Birdwell got him to a place of safety and then took command.  He knew his vehicle was on the first line of defense, so Birdwell stood in his commander’s hatch — at times half exposed; at times standing entirely out of the tank, fully exposed — laying down suppressive fire on the enemy. 

He used the tank’s cannon.  He used the tank’s machine gun.  He used his personal rifle.  He sustained fire, drove back the attackers, and created a place of relative safety for injured men behind the tank to take cover.  He provided battlefield updates to his commanders until the enemy shot the communication system right off of his helmet. When he ran out of ammunition, he ran to retrieve an M-60 machine gun and ammo off the helicopter that had been downed in flight to keep firing on the enemy.  And even when that M-60 was hit by enemy fire, causing it to explode and send shrapnel into Birdwell’s face, chest, arms, and hands, he remained on the battlefield. When he was ordered to load onto the Medevac helicopter, he complied — this I find amazing — only to crawl right back off the other side — (laughter) — and to keep on fighting.  That’s what you call “taking orders and causing trouble.”  (Laughter.)  God love you. Only after reinforcements arrived and only after he helped treat the evacuees — his fellow wounded — did Specialist Birdwell agree to evacuate himself. At the time, Birdwell received a Silver Star for his outstanding heroism on the battlefield.  It took decades for his commanding officer — then, General Glenn Otis — to realize Birdwell had not received the full honor he had earned. But in retirement, General Otis made sure to correct the record and fully document Birdwell’s actions to make this day possible. A member of the Cherokee Nation, Birdwell credits the Cherokee veterans who came before him and encouraged him to serve when he called. And I might note, Native American communities — a larger percentage serve in the United States Armed Forces at a higher percentage rate than any other cohort in America — than any other cohort in America. After leaving the Army, Birdwell continued to build a legacy of service in his community in Oklahoma.  He started his own law firm, served for 12 years on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court, and he passed that legacy of service down to his daughter, Stephanie Birdwell, who is with him today and serves as the Director of the Office of Tribal Relations at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Specialist Five Birdwell, thank you.  Thank you, thank you.  And to your wife, Virginia, who I know wishes she could be here with you today, give her our love as well. I’m grateful for all you’ve given to our country and that at long last — at long last, your story is being honored as it should have been always. February 18, 1971.  Specialist Five Dennis Fu- — excuse me — Fujii, who was serving his second tour in Vietnam as a crew chief on a helicopter ambulance, conducting a rescue operation in Laos.  They were there to evacuate wounded allied Vietnamese military personnel.  But as their chopper attempted the land, it became the target, sustaining heavy damage that caused them to crash-land in the middle of the conflict. When a second American helicopter managed to land nearby minutes later, it was able to evacuate all the downed crewmen, except Specialist Fujii. Rather than risk the lives of his crewmates, Specialist Fujii waved off the helicopter, told them to depart, remaining behind as the only American on the battlefield. Several attempts were made to rescue him before Specialist Fujii could find a radio and call off further attempts — call off further attempts.  It was too dangerous, he said. He stayed behind, ignoring his own wounds, while helping tend to wounded Vietnamese allies on the field. The next night, the enemy force renewed their assault on the allied lines with heavy artillery.  For more than 17 consecutive hours, Specialist Fujii called in American gunships to help repel the attack. He repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire in order to better observe enemy positions and direct airstrikes against them. On the radio, his fellow Americans knew him as “Papa Whiskey” — clear-eyed, level-headed soldier, directing air strikes so precisely they were able to drive back the forces that had come within 15 to 20 meters of a friendly camp. When an American helicopter was finally able to retrieve him, wounded and severely fatigued, two days after his air — his air ambulance had crashed, he ma- — he made it only about four kilometers before it crash-landed. Specialist Fujii had to wait two more days for [at] another South Vietnamese base before he was able to leave the area and receive the medical assistance for his wounds. Speaking to the press shortly after his experience, Specialist Fujii downplayed his own contributions and honored the skills of the allied Vietnamese troops he fought with, simply saying, and I quote, “I like my job.  I like to help other people who need help out there.”  It’s amazing. Today, Specialist Five Fujii, we remember and we celebrate just how many people you helped.  And I want to thank you and your wife, Ray, who couldn’t be here with you today, and your brother, Edwin, for all your family has done for this nation.  We will forever honor your commitment to your crew, your allies, and to your country. April 14, 1972.  The Battle of Fire Support Base Charlie.  A lone American on the base serving as a senior advisor to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam was Major John Duffy.  They called him “Dusty Cyanide.”  (Laughter.)  That was his call name. Those days, leading up to April 14th, the battalion command post had been destroyed.  Major Duffy had already been twice wounded, refusing evacuation.  Efforts to resupply the base had failed, and FSB Charlie was surrounded by the battalion-sized element. For hours, American gunships, guided by Dusty Cyanide, took airstrikes on enemy positions.  Major Duffy repeatedly exposed himself to danger in order to direct the gunships’ fire and keep the battalion from being overrun.  He even called in one strike “extreme danger close” to his own position in order to drive back an advancing attack.  And when he was wounded again, he again refused evacuation. He worked side by side to organize the defense of the base with the Vietnamese commander, Major Me — Me Le, who is here today.  Major, where are you?  Major, thank you for being here.  Thank you for your service.  (Applause.)  It’s an honor to have you here.

When they finally had to abandon the base, Major Duffy volunteered to lead the rear squad and cover their retreat.  And when the withdrawing soldiers were ambushed early on April 15th, and many of the injured troops scattered, Major Duffy remained with those who were wounded, rallying them to make it to an established evacuation zone, despite being constantly pursued by the Viet Cong.

Upon reaching the exfiltration site, Major Duffy again made sure he was the last to board the helicopter.  And then finally, as the airship was ready to depart, one of his Vietnam al- — Vietnamese allies was shot in the foot, causing him to fall backwards out of the helicopter.  But Major Duffy caught him and dragged him back in on board with him, saving one more life along the way.

Major Duffy served in the Army until 1977, completing three tours in Vietnam, numerous Special Force assignments, and 20 years of faithful service to our country — after which he went on to a successful career as an author and was even nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for poetry.  He is the definition of a warrior poet, enduring devotion to those he served with and those who serve our nation still.

Thank you, Major Duffy, for all that you’ve inspired in others.

And as Commander in Chief, I know this is not only for those who wear the uniform of our nation who serve, it’s your families as well.  So, Mary, thank you for all that you sacrificed over the years as well.  And to Marcus and Judd, I want to emphasize what you already know: Your grandpa is a hero — flat-out, unadulterated hero.

We’re able to take these actions today to upgrade the awards and properly honor the duty and devotion of those soldiers, thanks — thanks to the individual dedication of those who served with them and because of a congressionally ordered review of the heroic action of Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders who were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during the Korean and Vietnam wars to make sure we properly honor the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and their service they’ve made over the years.

We did a similar review of World War Two-era awards.  It resulted in 22 Medal of Honors being awarded to Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders service members who had previously been underrecognized, including a very close friend of mine — one of my closest friends and benefactors in the United States Senate: Danny Inouye, a United States Senator.

So I want to also thank the members of Congress who helped make this possible to ensure that the United States lives up to our promises that for those who give their best for our country, we’ll always, always give our best to you.

I also want to take a moment to recognize three other Medal of Honor recipients awarded for their heroic actions in Vietnam who are with us today. 

Walter Marm.  Walter, where are you?  There you go.  Stand.  Walter, thank you, pal.  (Applause.) 

And James McCloughan.  (Applause.)

And Brian Thacker.  (Applause.) 

Thank you for being here to help us recognize these newest honorees. 

And I want to also note that last week we lost a giant in this community.  Hershel Woody Williams passed away at the age of 98.  The last Medal of Honor recipient of World War Two, honored by President Harry Truman for his valor during the Battle of Iwo Jima, Woody Williams will soon lie in honor in the United States Capitol.  And his passing is a reminder of what so many Americans of our greatest generation sacrificed to preserve liberty, democracy, and for our nation and for the world.

Now it’s my great honor to ask for the citations to be read as we award the Medal of Honors to the late Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro, Specialist Five Dwight D. [W.] Birdwell, Specialist Five Dennis M. — excuse me — Fujii, and Major — and Major John J. Duffy.

Thank you all, and may God protect our troops.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 

Can my staff come up. 

MILITARY AIDE:  John Kaneshiro, accepting on behalf of his father, Staff Sergeant Edward Kaneshiro. 

Attention to orders.  The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3rd, 1863, has posthumously awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

Staff Sergeant Edward Kaneshiro distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Infantry Squad Leader with Troop C, First Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division near Phu Huu 2, Kim Son Valley, Republic of Vietnam, on 1 December 1966. 

Not knowing that the village was heavily fortified with a fully bunkered and concealed trench system and garrisoned by the North Vietnamese troops and vastly superior forces, two squads of the platoon had deployed to its center while Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro and his squad scouted the more than open terrain to the east of the village.

Sensing the opportunity to ambush the infantry squads, the entrenched enemy force erupted with machine gun and small arms fire against the two squads at the center of the village, killing the platoon leader and the point man, wounding four others, then successfully suppressing the surviving soldiers.

Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro moved with his men to the sounds of the fire.  Swiftly reading the situation, seeing that the fire from the trench had to be stopped if anyone was to survive, he first deployed his men to cover, then crawled forward to attack the enemy force alone.  He began by throwing grenades from the parapet while flattened to the ground, successfully throwing the first grenade through the aperture of the bunker, eliminating the machine gunner who had opened the action.

With five grenades remaining and his rifle to sustain the assault, Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro jumped into the trench to sweep its length where it fronted the two pinned squads.  Over the distance of about 35 meters, he worked the ditch alone, destroying one enemy group with rifle fire and two others with grenades. 

By the end of his sweep, the able-bodied survivors of the two squads were again standing and preparing to move the dead and wounded.  Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro’s actions enabled the orderly extrication and reorganization of the platoon, which ultimately led to a successful withdrawal from the village.

Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro’s conspicuous gallantry and uncommon heroism under fire are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

Signed Joseph R. Biden, the President of the United States.

(The Medal of Honor is presented.)  (Applause.)

Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell. 

Attention to orders.  The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty.

Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with C Troop, Third Squadron, Fourth Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division in the Republic of Vietnam on 31 January, 1968.

On this date, C Troop was ordered to move south to help repel an enemy attack on Tan Son Nhut Airbase.  As the C Troop column of tanks and armored personnel carriers approached the West Gate of Tan Son Nhut Airbase, it became under intense enemy fire from a building at its right.

Unbeknown to C Troop, it had driven directly into an enemy force consisting of three battalions.  The column tried to push through the initial attack, but the lead tank, crippled by rocket-propelled grenade explosions, was blocking the way forward.  C Troop immediately came under heavy enemy fire from both sides of the road. 

Specialist Five Birdwell, upon seeing that his tank commander was wounded by enemy fire, immediately went to his aid.  Upon intense — under intense enemy fire, he lowered the injured tank commander to the ground and moved him to safety.

Specialist Five Birdwell then, with complete disregard for his own safety, mounted the tank and assumed the tank commander’s position.  Standing in the tank commander’s hatch with the upper half of his body exposed to heavy enemy fire, Specialist Five Birdwell used the enemy tank’s .50-caliber machine gun and 90-millimeter main gun to suppress the enemy attack.

With ammunition for the 90-millimeter main gun exhausted, he continued to fire the .50-caliber machine gun until it overheated.  At this point, Specialist Five Birdwell, rather than abandoning his position, continued to engage the enemy with his M -16 rifle, sometimes exposing his entire body to fire in order to engage the enemy from a better vantage point.

When a U.S. helicopter crashed nearby, Specialist Five Birdwell, under withering enemy fire, dismounted and moved to the helicopter where he retrieved two M-60 machine guns and ammunition.  After giving one M-60 and ammunition to a fellow soldier, he remounted his tank and used the other M-60 to again engage the enemy.

Specialist Five Birdwell continued to engage the enemy with complete disregard for his own safety until the M-60 he was firing was hit by enemy fire.  Specialist Five Birdwell — now wounded in the face, neck, chest, and arms — dismounted the tank but refused to be medically evacuated.  Instead, Specialist Five Birdwell, under enemy fire, rallied fellow soldiers to advance toward the front of the armored column, where they set up a defensive position by a large tree. 

From this position, he and the other soldiers engaged the enemy with M-16 fire and grenades.  As the enemy fire lessened, Specialist Five Birdwell gathered ammunition from disabled vehicles and helped wounded soldiers move to safer positions. His leadership and tenacity under fire inspired the other C Troop soldiers to continue fighting against the superior enemy force and directly contributed to the enemy’s ultimate defeat.

Specialist Five Birdwell’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. 

Specialist Five Dennis M. Fujii. 

Attention to orders.  The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Specialist Five Dennis M. Fujii, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty. 

Specialist Five Dennis M. Fujii distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity abo- — beyond the call of duty while serving as crew chief aboard a helicopter ambulance during the rescue operations in Laos, Republic of Vietnam, during the period of 18 to 22 February, 1971. 

Specialist Five Fujii was serving with the 237th Medical Detachment, 61st Medical Battalion, 67th Medical Group.  The team’s mission was to evacuate seriously wounded Vietnamese military personnel from the midst of a raging battlefield. 

The aircraft’s primary approach to the bullet-infested landing zone was thwarted by heavy volumes of enemy fire directed at the specialist’s helicopter.  As the pilot made a second landing attempt, the enemy concentrated a barrage of flak at the air ambulance, which damaged the craft and caused it to crash in the conflict area, injuring Specialist Five Fujii.

Moments later, another American helicopter successfully landed near the wreckage of the specialist’s airship and extracted all the downed crewmen except for Specialist Five Fujii, who was unable to board the helicopter due to intense enemy fire directed at him. 

Rather than further endanger the lives of his comrades aboard the second helicopter, Specialist Five Fujii waved the craft out of the combat area and remained behind as the only American on the battlefield.  Subsequent attempts to rescue the specialist were aborted due to the violent anti­-aircraft fire.

Specialist Five Fujii finally secured a radio and informed the aviators in the area that the landing zone was too hot for further evacuation attempts. During the night and all through the next day, Specialist Five Fujii disregarded his own wounds as he administered first aid to the allied casualties. On the night of 19 February, the allied perimeter — perimeter came under ruthless assault by a reinforced enemy regiment supported by heavy artillery. Once again obtaining a radio transmitter, Specialist Five Fujii called in American helicopter gunships to assist the small unit in repelling the attack. For a period of over 17 consecutive hours, Specialist Five Fujii repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire as he left the security of his entrenchment to better observe enemy troop positions and to direct airstrikes against them. At times, the fighting became so vicious that Specialist Five Fujii was forced to interrupt radio transmissions in order to place suppressive rifle fire on the enemy while at close quarters. Though wounded and severely fatigued, by 20 February, the specialist bore the responsibility for the protection and defense of the enemy — excuse me — the friendly encampment until an American helicopter could land and attempt to airlift him from the area. As his air ambulance left the battlefield, it received numerous hits and was forced to crash-land at another South Vietnamese Ranger base approximately four kilometers from the specialist’s original location. The totally exhausted Specialist Five Fujii remained at the allied camp for two more days until yet another helicopter could return him to Phau Bai for medical assistance on 22 February. Specialist Five Fujii’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in the keeping of the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. 

Signed Joseph R. Biden, the President of the United States. 

Major John J. Duffy. Attention to orders.  The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3rd, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Major John J. Duffy, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

Major John J. Duffy distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the Senior Advisor to the 11th Airborne Battalion, 2nd Brigade, Airborne Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam in the Republic of Vietnam, during the period of 14 to 15 April 1972. In the two days preceding the events of 14 to 15 April 1972, the commander of the 11th Airborne Battalion was killed, the battalion command post was destroyed, and Major Duffy was twice wounded but refused to be evacuated.  Then on 14 April, Major Duffy directed the defense of Fire Support Base Charlie, which was surrounded by a battalion-size enemy element. In the morning hours, after a failed effort to establish a landing zone for resupply aircraft, he moved close to the enemy anti-aircraft positions to call in airstrikes. At this time, Major Duffy was again wounded by fragments from a recoilless rifle round and again refused medical evacuation. Shortly thereafter, the enemy began an artillery bombardment on the base, and he remained in an exposed position to direct gunships onto enemy positions which eventually silenced the enemy fire.

Following the bombardment, Major Duffy assessed the conditions on the base and personally ensured the wounded friendly foreign soldiers were moved to positions of relative safety and the remaining ammunition was appropriately distributed to the remaining defenders.

Shortly thereafter, the enemy resumed indirect fire on the base, expending an estimated 300 rounds.  Nevertheless, he remained in an exposed position to direct gunship fire on the enemy positions. 

In the late afternoon hours, the enemy began a ground assault from all sides of the firebase, and Major Duffy moved from position to position to adjust fire, spot targets for artillery observers, and ultimately to direct gunship fire on a friendly position which had been compromised.

As the evening wore on, it became clear that the defenders could not withstand the overwhelming enemy forces, and he began to organize an evacuation of the firebase under the cover of night.

With the goal — with the goal of a complete withdrawal, Major Duffy was the last man off base, remaining behind to adjust covering fire from gunships until the last possible moment.

When the acting battalion commander was wounded, he assumed command of the evacuation and maintained communication with the available air support direct — to direct enemy — fire on the enemy.

In the early morning hours of 15 April , the enemy ambushed the Battalion, inflicting additional casualties and scattering some of the able-bodied soldiers.  Major Duffy organized defensive positions during the ambush and ensured the friendly foreign forces could successfully repulse the enemy.

After withstanding the ambush, he led the evacuees, many of whom were significantly wounded, to an established evacuation area, despite continually pursued — being pursued by the enemy.

Upon reaching the exfiltration site, Major Duffy directed gunship fire on the enemy positions and marked a landing zone for the helicopters.  Only after ensuring all of the evacuees were on board did Major Duffy board while also assisting a wounded friendly foreign soldier in with him.

Once on board, he administered aid to a helicopter door gunner who had been wounded during the evacuation.  Major Duffy’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

Signed Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States.

(A prayer is recited.)

THE PRESIDENT:  I think we’re dismissed.  (Laughter.)  It’s a great honor.  Thank you all so very much.  (Applause.) 

Q    Mr. President, do you plan to go to Highland Park, sir?  Do you and the First Lady plan to visit Chicago?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m not sure yet.

12:13 P.M. EDT

Stay Connected

We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.

Opt in to send and receive text messages from President Biden.

About  Search

George Bush

Remarks at a ceremony for the posthumous presentation of the medal of honor to corporal freddie stowers.

Welcome to the White House. I salute the Vice President and Mrs. Quayle, and Secretary Cheney, other members of our Cabinet, General Vuono, distinguished Members of Congress who are with us today, and former Congressman Joe DioGuardi. I'm especially glad Joe's with us here today. To the former Medal of Honor recipients, I salute each and every one of you. To Georgiana Palmer and Mary Bowens -- the sisters of today's honoree are with us, and don't they look lovely. We are just delighted.

And a note of more than trivial passing: the honoree's great-grandnephew, Staff Sergeant Douglas Warren, of the 101st Airborne -- he returned -- he looks a little jet-lagged to me, but he returned just last night from Saudi Arabia. And I want to welcome you home.

And we also -- to do equal time to the Air Force, why, we salute you, Mr. Stowers, also back here. He's at Langley.

So, it's a lovely day here, and we welcome each and every one of you to the White House. We want to honor a true hero, a man who makes us proud of our heritage as Americans, a man who, in life and death, helped keep America free. I speak of Corporal Freddie Stowers, to whom posthumously we present our highest military award for valor: the Medal of Honor. It's an award for bravery and conscience, the compendium we call character.

Today, Corporal Freddie Stowers becomes the first black soldier honored with the Medal of Honor from World War I. He sought and helped achieve the triumph of right over wrong. He showed, as this year has proved again, that an inspired human heart can surmount bayonets and barbed wire.

Seventy-three years ago, the Corporal first was recommended for a Medal of Honor, but his award was not acted upon. In 1987, then-Congressman Joe DioGuardi and my friend the late Mickey Leland, known to many here, from Houston, discovered the Stowers case while conducting other research. And the Army took up the case. And last November, the Secretaries of the Army and Defense recommended that Corporal Stowers receive the Medal of Honor. I heard his story, accepted their recommendation enthusiastically.

It's been said that the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge. On September 28th, 1918, Corporal Freddie Stowers stood poised on the edge of such a challenge and summoned his mettle and his courage.

He and the men of Company C, 371st Infantry Regiment, began their attack on Hill 188 in the Champagne Marne Sector of France. Only a few minutes after the fighting began, the enemy stopped firing and enemy troops climbed out of their trenches onto the parapets of the trench, held up their arms and seemed to surrender. The relieved American forces held their fire, stepped out into the open. As our troops moved forward, the enemy jumped back into their trenches and sprayed our men with a vicious stream of machine gun and mortar fire. The assault annihilated well over 50 percent of Company C.

And in the midst of this bloody chaos, Corporal Stowers took charge and bravely led his men forward, destroying their foes. Although he was mortally wounded during the attack, Freddie Stowers continued to press forward urging his men on until he died.

On that September day, Corporal Stowers was alone, far from family and home. He had to be scared; his friends died at his side. But he vanquished his fear and fought not for glory but for a cause larger than himself: the cause of liberty.

Today, as we pay tribute to this great soldier, our thoughts continue to be with the men and women of all our wars who valiantly carried the banner of freedom into battle. They, too, know America would not be the land of the free, if it were not also the home of the brave.

The soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coastguardsmen of Desert Storm -- a group that includes Staff Sergeant Warren -- all these valiant Americans are heirs to the legacy of Corporal Stowers and the men of Company C. No nation could be more proud of its sons and daughters than we are of them.

Today, we celebrate their achievements, but we also heed these words echoing over the centuries: Only the dead have seen the end of war. We owe it to Freddie Stowers and those who revere his legacy to defend the principles for which he died and for which our great country stands.

In that spirit, I am honored to welcome two of his sisters -- Georgiana Palmer, of Richmond, California, and Mary Bowens, of Greenville, South Carolina. They will accept the award on behalf of their late brother, the text of which I will now ask Sergeant Major Byrne to read the citation.

[At this point, the citation was read.]

I think that concludes the service, but I'd like to ask the Vice President and Secretary of Defense and General Vuono and General Powell to come up and thank our recipients. And maybe the other members of the Joint Chiefs would join us. I think it would be most appropriate.

Note: The President spoke at 3:08 p.m. in the East Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Vice President Dan Quayle and his wife, Marilyn; Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney; Gen. Carl E. Vuono, Army Chief of Staff; former Representatives Joseph J. DioGuardi and Mickey Leland; Georgiana Palmer and Mary Bowen, sisters of Corporal Stowers, and S. Sgt. Douglas Warren and T. Sgt. Odis Stowers, his great-grandnephews; Secretary of the Army Michael P.W. Stone; Sean Byrne, Army Aide to the President; and Gen. Colin L. Powell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

George Bush, Remarks at a Ceremony for the Posthumous Presentation of the Medal of Honor to Corporal Freddie Stowers Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/266276

Filed Under

Simple Search of Our Archives

Report a typo.

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the purpose of an award.
• Describe the process of presenting an award.
• Describe the process of accepting an award.

There is nothing more gratifying than recognition from your peers and colleagues for a job well done. We all strive for acceptance, and recognition is a reflection of belonging, a basic human need (Schutz, W., 1966). In this chapter we will discuss how to present or accept an award tactfully, graciously, and professionally.

First, make sure that you have all the information correct before you get up to speak: the honoree’s correct name and how it is pronounced, the correct title of the award, and the details about the honoree’s accomplishments that you are about to share. The spotlight will be on you, and your accurate delivery will be crucial to the happiness of the occasion.

When presenting an award, the key is to focus attention on the honor and the person receiving it—not on yourself. You may have been part of the committee that chose the winner, or involved in some other way, but your role should never upstage that of the person being honored.

You can focus the attention on the recipient in two ways: surprise or direct acknowledgement. In the surprise approach, you mention characteristics of the person receiving the award without initially mentioning their name—allowing the audience to start guessing who it might be. You may mention a list of accomplishments, or perhaps a positive story. With the surprise approach, you share the information that is sure to reveal the recipient’s identity right before you present the award.

You may prefer, however, a direct acknowledgement of the honoree’s performance or service and simply announce his or her name. The direct acknowledgement approach is typically followed by the reasons for choosing this person to receive the award, or include his or her past accomplishments. This direct strategy may be preferred if the audience is not familiar with the recipient.

Table 15.5 “Presenting an Award” summarizes the process of presenting an award.

Table 15.5 Presenting an Award

If you are the award recipient, be aware that the acceptance of an award often provides a moment of influence on the audience that can serve to advance your position or cause. Use of the limelight is an important skill, and much like any speech or presentation, it requires planning and preparation. You don’t want to be caught speechless, and you want to project a professional presence that corresponds to the award or recognition.

If you know you are being considered for an award, first consider what the award recognizes within your professional community. An award is a symbol of approval, recognition, or distinction that honors the recipient in public. As the recipient, it is your role to convey recognition of that honor with your gracious acceptance.

Perhaps you have seen an awards ceremony on television, where a producer, composer, actor, or musician has received public recognition. Sometimes the acceptance unifies the community and serves as an inspiration to others. Other times the recipient stumbles, talks as fast as they can to list all the people who helped them reach their goal (often forgetting several, which can hurt feelings), or they use the spotlight to address an unrelated issue, like a political protest. They may mumble, and their nervousness may be so obvious that it impacts their credibility. Accepting an award is an honor, an opportunity, and a challenge.

The first step in accepting an award is to say thank you. You can connect with the audience with your heartfelt emotional displays and enthusiasm. Raised arms, clasped hands, and a bow are universal symbols of respect and gratitude. Note that rambunctious displays of emotion such as jumping up and down or large, sweeping gestures are better left for the athletic fields. An award ceremony is a formal event, and your professionalism will be on display for all to see.

Next, you should consider giving credit where credit is due, noting its relevance to your field or community. If you name one person, you have to be sure to not leave anyone out, or you run the risk of hurting feelings and perhaps even making professional enemies. If you confine your credit list to a couple of key people, it is wise to extend the credit beyond the individual mentions by saying something like, “There are so many people who made this possible. Thank you all!” You should link your response to the award organization and your field, industry, or business. Don’t apologize or use terms that can be interpreted as negative. The acceptance of an award is a joyous, uplifting affair, and your role is to maintain and perpetuate that perception.

You may also consider linking your award to a motivational anecdote. A brief, personal story about how a teacher or neighbor in your community motivated you to do better than you thought you could and how you hope this can serve to motivate up-and-coming members to strive for their very best, can often stimulate an audience. Don’t exaggerate or stretch the story. The simple facts speak for themselves and the award serves as a powerful visual aid.

Say “thank you again” as you leave the stage, facilitating the transition to the next part of the ceremony while acknowledging the honor. You may need to take note where previous recipients have exited the stage to proceed without error, or simply return to your seat. Your brief comments combined with a graceful entrance and exit will communicate professionalism. Table 15.6 “Accepting an Award” summarizes the steps we have outlined.

Table 15.6 Accepting an Award

Key Takeaway

Awards are public recognitions of success, and tact and grace are required both in presenting and receiving them.

• Who needs to be prepared to present an award in a business and why? Discuss your ideas with the class.
• This can be a fun two-minute oral communication exercise. In the exercise, you will alternate between the role of the award announcer and the recipient. You will be paired up into teams where you will need to create a business or industry award, prepare a brief script and notes on acceptance, and then demonstrate your results for your class. The introduction of the speaker should last no more than thirty seconds and the acceptance should also be completed in less than a minute. If you are at a distance from your class, you may be assigned a particular role that fits your situation. Record your performance and post it in class.
• Find one example of an award acceptance speech that you perceive as particularly effective. Indicate why and share the link. Compare with your classmates.
• Find one example of an award acceptance speech that you perceive as particularly ineffective. Indicate why and share the link. Compare with classmates.

Schutz, W. (1966). The interpersonal underworld . Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior Books.

Business Communication for Success: Public Speaking Edition Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Business Presentations in Action

Presenting or accepting an award, learning objectives.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Discuss the purpose of an award.
• Describe the process of presenting an award.
• Describe the process of accepting an award.

When presenting an award, the key is to focus attention on the honor and the person receiving it—not on yourself. You may have been part of the committee that chose the winner, or involved in some other way, but your role should never upstage that of the person being honored.

You can focus the attention on the recipient in two ways: surprise or direct acknowledgement. In the surprise approach, you mention characteristics of the person receiving the award without initially mentioning their name—allowing the audience to start guessing who it might be. You may mention a list of accomplishments, or perhaps a positive story. With the surprise approach, you share the information that is sure to reveal the recipient’s identity right before you present the award.

You may prefer, however, a direct acknowledgement of the honoree’s performance or service and simply announce his or her name. The direct acknowledgement approach is typically followed by the reasons for choosing this person to receive the award, or include his or her past accomplishments. This direct strategy may be preferred if the audience is not familiar with the recipient.

Table 15.5 “Presenting an Award” summarizes the process of presenting an award.

Table 15.5 Presenting an Award

If you are the award recipient, be aware that the acceptance of an award often provides a moment of influence on the audience that can serve to advance your position or cause. Use of the limelight is an important skill, and much like any speech or presentation, it requires planning and preparation. You don’t want to be caught speechless, and you want to project a professional presence that corresponds to the award or recognition.

If you know you are being considered for an award, first consider what the award recognizes within your professional community. An award is a symbol of approval, recognition, or distinction that honors the recipient in public. As the recipient, it is your role to convey recognition of that honor with your gracious acceptance.

Perhaps you have seen an awards ceremony on television, where a producer, composer, actor, or musician has received public recognition. Sometimes the acceptance unifies the community and serves as an inspiration to others. Other times the recipient stumbles, talks as fast as they can to list all the people who helped them reach their goal (often forgetting several, which can hurt feelings), or they use the spotlight to address an unrelated issue, like a political protest. They may mumble, and their nervousness may be so obvious that it impacts their credibility. Accepting an award is an honor, an opportunity, and a challenge.

The first step in accepting an award is to say thank you. You can connect with the audience with your heartfelt emotional displays and enthusiasm. Raised arms, clasped hands, and a bow are universal symbols of respect and gratitude. Note that rambunctious displays of emotion such as jumping up and down or large, sweeping gestures are better left for the athletic fields. An award ceremony is a formal event, and your professionalism will be on display for all to see.

Next, you should consider giving credit where credit is due, noting its relevance to your field or community. If you name one person, you have to be sure to not leave anyone out, or you run the risk of hurting feelings and perhaps even making professional enemies. If you confine your credit list to a couple of key people, it is wise to extend the credit beyond the individual mentions by saying something like, “There are so many people who made this possible. Thank you all!” You should link your response to the award organization and your field, industry, or business. Don’t apologize or use terms that can be interpreted as negative. The acceptance of an award is a joyous, uplifting affair, and your role is to maintain and perpetuate that perception.

You may also consider linking your award to a motivational anecdote. A brief, personal story about how a teacher or neighbor in your community motivated you to do better than you thought you could and how you hope this can serve to motivate up-and-coming members to strive for their very best, can often stimulate an audience. Don’t exaggerate or stretch the story. The simple facts speak for themselves and the award serves as a powerful visual aid.

Say “thank you again” as you leave the stage, facilitating the transition to the next part of the ceremony while acknowledging the honor. You may need to take note where previous recipients have exited the stage to proceed without error, or simply return to your seat. Your brief comments combined with a graceful entrance and exit will communicate professionalism. Table 15.6 “Accepting an Award” summarizes the steps we have outlined.

Table 15.6 Accepting an Award

KEY TAKEAWAY

• Who needs to be prepared to present an award in a business and why? Discuss your ideas with the class.
• This can be a fun two-minute oral communication exercise. In the exercise, you will alternate between the role of the award announcer and the recipient. You will be paired up into teams where you will need to create a business or industry award, prepare a brief script and notes on acceptance, and then demonstrate your results for your class. The introduction of the speaker should last no more than thirty seconds and the acceptance should also be completed in less than a minute. If you are at a distance from your class, you may be assigned a particular role that fits your situation. Record your performance and post it in class.
• Find one example of an award acceptance speech that you perceive as particularly effective. Indicate why and share the link. Compare with your classmates.
• Find one example of an award acceptance speech that you perceive as particularly ineffective. Indicate why and share the link. Compare with classmates.
• Communication For Business Success. Authored by : anonymous. Located at : http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/communication-for-business-success/ . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Real estate award named for longtime UNI professor Art Cox

DES MOINES, Iowa –  UNI’s Wilson College of Business and Department of Finance is proud to establish the Arthur T. Cox Real Estate Champion Award, which will recognize UNI alumni who have given back to the  real estate program and helped it become a fixture in the industry. UNI has the only four-year real estate program in the state of Iowa.

The award is named for Art Cox, the longtime director of the UNI Center for Real Estate Education, who worked at UNI for more than 25 years before retiring in 2021. While leading the program, he was well known for his extensive connections in the real estate industry and with alumni, a strength he used to grow the program into what it is today.

“It’s not hard to see the influence he had on the real estate program,” said Brett Olsen, head of the UNI’s  Department of Finance . “You go anywhere in the state and talk about UNI’s real estate program, 90% of them say Art Cox. He’s one of those people who knows everyone, and everyone knows him. This is a testament to what he’s meant to the program and to real estate throughout the Midwest.”

The creation of the Arthur T. Cox Real Estate Champion Award will be commemorated at the upcoming UNI Real Estate Alumni Reception and Award Presentation, hosted at the DMACC Urban Campus on Thursday, April 11. The inaugural recipient of this honor will be selected in 2025.

“Art Cox did a phenomenal job of staying connected to industry professionals,” said 1997 UNI graduate Chad Hade, now a leader at Principal Real Estate in Des Moines. “I think this event is a great way to honor his work and bring in people who are in the process of growing their connections while also helping people understand all the great things that UNI does for students and alumni.”

To learn more about the UNI Real Estate Alumni Reception and Award Presentation or to register, please visit  business.uni.edu/real-estate-gala . 

Media Contact: Adam Amdor

[email protected], uni’s pilkington recognized for lasting impact on the cedar valley.

UNI students make a difference, one tax return at a time

UNI’s Rialto Dining Center hosts annual takeover with local food entrepreneurs