Question for Navy vets: Flag customs?

So all this talk about the flag and customs has got me to thinking about something and I wanted to ask the Navy vets on the board about this.

Back in August, wife and I were in San Diego for an event. One evening, we took a stroll around the waterfront area (where the USS Midway is). Coronado Island Naval Base is across the bay from there. Around 7:30 (1930) I heard what I thought was the bugle call "retreat."

So my question is, what are the flag raising and lowering customs at Naval bases? In the Army it's pretty much the same everywhere: At 0600 (or 0630 on some stateside installations) the color guard will fire a cannon and then raise the colors as "reveille" plays.

In the evening - most places I've been it's 1700 (5:00 pm) but I think there are some installations where it might be 1730 or even 1800 there are two bugle calls. The first one is "retreat", then a pause, and during the pause the color guard will again fire the cannon, followed by "to the colors" played as the flag is lowered. At some installations, "Taps" is played at 2100 or 2200 (9:00 or 10:00pm) but not all (for example I don't recall hearing "Taps" at Fort Bragg.)

The reason I'm asking is that 7:30 pm seemed an odd time to hear a bugle call. Seemed to be too late to lower the colors for the day and too early for taps. Just wondering what the customs are in the Navy (AFAIK USAF is the same as the Army except that I don't think USAF color guards normally fire cannons. For that matter, in the Army the only time we had cannons was at stateside posts, I don't remember hearing any in Germany or Korea.)

"Colors" 0800 - dusk

https://www.parrisisland.com/805/pi0...ould-i-attend/
http://www.tecom.marines.mil/News/Ne...-circumstance/

Quote:

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According to the Royal Navy National Archives, the present ceremony of hoisting colors each morning was instituted by Lord St. Vincent in 1797. The first mention of a time regulation for morning colors was in the 1843 Rules and Regulations for the Government of the Navy, if sunset was after 6 p.m. morning colors would be at 8 a.m. and if sunset was before six, colors would go at 9 a.m. Since 1876, morning colors was set at 8 a.m. in all cases.

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For civilians; face direction of flag (POI) with hand over heart, remove cover (can hold over heart). If driving, pull over the right of the road, hands on knees (sitting POI), although few do this.

During colors all activity should stop.

Not Navy but I've always been under the impression that it's sunrise to sunset (or thereabouts) so 1930 in August doesn't seem unreasonable to me. Per the US Flag Code, the flag shouldn't be flying in the dark so they should be retiring it before sunset unless they have a light shining on it. Some installations will retire the colors earlier than dusk because most of the work population is gone before dusk.

COLORS

At commands ashore and aboard ships of the Navy not under way, the ceremonial hoisting and lowering of the national flag at 0800 and sunset are known as morning and evening colors. Every Navy shore command, and every ship not under way, performs the ceremony of colors twice a day.

You will render honors as follows:
• If you are in ranks, you will be called to attention or order arms.
• If you are in uniform but not in ranks, face the colors and give the hand salute.
• If you are driving a vehicle, stop and sit at attention but do not salute.
• If you are a passenger in a boat, remain at attention, seated or standing. The boat officer or coxswain salutes for the boat.
• If you are in civilian clothes or athletic uniform, face the colors at attention and salute by placing your right hand over your heart.

http://www.courses.netc.navy.mil/cou.../14325_ch9.pdf

There is usually a bugle call for attention before colors starts and one to carry on after it ends.

When I swapped over to the Air Force from the Navy, the first time I heard retreat I held my salute for an extra 30 seconds waiting for the carry on bugle. I confused the hell out of a couple of A1Cs that were walking behind me. [ROFL1]

Fort Stewart would blast off bugle calls whenever and as often as they damned well pleased it seemed like.

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/xf-nvtd.html

Evening Colors

Approximately five minutes before sunset, the word is passed First Call, First Call to Colors (aboard ship) or the bugle call "First Call" is sounded.
The guard of the day and band are paraded.
The bugle call "Attention" is sounded or one blast is sounded on the ship's whistle.
At sunset, the word is passed EXECUTE (aboard ship), and the National Anthem or the bugle call "Retreat" is played. The ensign is started down at the beginning of the music and lowered slowly timed to be fully lowered at the last note. Aboard ship, the union jack is lowered simultaneously. If the ensign is at half-mast, it and the jack are run smartly up to the peak or truck at the beginning of the music, then lowered slowly. All within earshot face the ensign and salute during the playing of "Retreat" or the National Anthem.
The bugle call "Carry on" is sounded or three blasts are sounded on the ship's whistle.
When evening colors are made ashore during a parade or review with troops and band present, the sequence is "First Call," "Attention," "Retreat," the National Anthem, and "Carry On," with the ensign being lowered during the National Anthem.