"To the Colors" is a

bugle call A bugle call is a short tune, originating as a military signal announcing scheduled and certain non-scheduled events on a military installation, battlefield, or ship. Historically, bugles, drums, and other loud musical instruments were used fo ...

honoring the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

used when there is no band present, when the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...

(

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

) cannot be played or when the national anthem has been played already but honor is to be rendered again. The

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

requires the same courtesies to "To the Colors" as to the national anthem. Note that the call To the Colors is named and employed differently between US Military Branches. In the US Army, To the Colors is sounded at the moment the flag begins to be ''lowered in the evening'', and is immediately preceded by "Retreat" which marks the end of the working day. In the US Navy, "Morning Colors" (the same call as To The Colors) is sounded the moment the flag is ''raised in the morning''. The previously mentioned Retreat is named "Evening Colors" by the US Navy, and is played by itself. See Manual for Buglers, U.S. Navy, articles 35 and 75 pertaining to Morning and Evening Colors calls. In the Boy Scouts of America, To The Colors is recommended for both raising ''and'' lowering the flag (preceded by Retreat in the evening as per the US Army protocol). The Boy Scouts of America offer a Bugling Merit Badge, requiring a Scout to properly sound a choice of ten of fifteen named bugle calls, of which To the Colors is one.

References

Bugle calls North American anthems {{US-mil-stub

See also

References