Latest news with #Caissons
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How Arlington National Cemetery became a sacred site to honor our fallen military
It's one of the most solemn places in the United States, a sacred site that is the final resting place for the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Arlington National Cemetery is hallowed ground, a peaceful spot to remember those who died in the chaos of war and combat. Its 639 acres include the graves of more than 400,000 U.S. service members and their family members, from every war and conflict fought by Americans since the Revolutionary War. In that way and in many others, the history of Arlington National Cemetery is our history, telling our story in rows upon rows of white gravestones, monuments and memorials. Its grounds abide across the ages the same way its trees − some older than the United States, some memorializing the service and sacrifice of the people buried there − continue to stand sentinel. And it's where we pay special tribute as a nation each year on Memorial Day to our fallen troops. Memorial Day "is not about barbecues or sales or the opening of the swimming pool," said Allison Finkelstein, senior historian at Arlington National Cemetery. "Memorial Day is a solemn day, a day of mourning and remembrance," Finkelstein said. "We trace it to the Civil War, a conflict that tore our nation apart," killing more than 600,000 soldiers and affecting the United States in ways that continue to reverberate today. As we mark Memorial Day, here are some things to know about our national cemetery. More: The Army's ultimate memorial honor: Horse-drawn Caissons funerals to resume at Arlington First called Arlington Estate, the site was established by George Washington Parke Custis, the step-grandson of the first president. In 1931, Custis' daughter Mary married Robert E. Lee, then a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Custis left Arlington to Mary, and then to her oldest son. Lee, who would later lead the Confederate Army, was the executor of Custis' will, but never owned the property. The Lees abandoned the property as the Civil War broke out, and the U.S. Army seized the site to defend Washington, D.C. Three forts were built on the strategically important site, as was a refugee camp for freed and escaped enslaved people, Freedman's Village. The first person buried at what is now Arlington National Cemetery was not a soldier, a general, a war hero or even a veteran. It was George Washington Parke Custis' cousin Mary Randolph, who died in 1828. Randolph drew on her experience running a plantation when she wrote "The Virginia House-Wife," published in 1824 and considered the first American regional cookbook. Her recipes drew on African, Native American and European culinary traditions, and helped define what came to be known as Southern cuisine. Private William Christman was the first military member to be buried at Arlington, on May 13, 1864. Brigadier General Montgomery Meigs, the Army's Quartermaster General, ordered the site be used as a cemetery, as the existing national cemeteries in the area − Soldiers' Home (now called Soldiers' and Airmen's Home) and Alexandria National Cemeteries − were running out of space. Burial in a national cemetery was not initially seen as a means of honoring veterans and war dead. Instead, it was a way to ensure that service members whose families could not afford to bring them home for a funeral were given a proper burial. Decoration Day, May 30, 1868, was held at Arlington National Cemetery, which was just one of 74 national cemeteries established after the Civil War. Called "Decoration Day" because of the tradition of adorning gravesites with flowers, the observances at Arlington had become popular enough by 1873 that an amphitheater was built to accommodate ceremonies. By the late 19th century, the terms "Decoration Day" and "Memorial Day" were used interchangeably, though it wasn't until 1971 that Memorial Day was officially designated as the last Monday in May. Originally 200 acres, Arlington has changed and grown as our nation has. "You can explore every aspect of American history at Arlington," said Finkelstein, the cemetery historian. Changes that happened in the country have been reflected there, like desegregation. Like many cemeteries, and all national cemeteries at the time, Arlington was initially segregated by race. Section 27 had been the area for Black soldiers and free Black people, and more than 1,500 Black soldiers and 3,800 free Black people are buried there. Arlington remained segregated by race and by rank until 1948, when President Harry S. Truman desegregated the military. Initially, the only women buried at Arlington were widows and wives of servicemen. But in the late 19th century, Finkelstein explained, women who'd worked as nurses during the Civil War, even though not part of the Union or Confederate armies, lobbied for and won the right to be buried at Arlington. Contract nurses who'd served in the Spanish-American War, many of whom had died from disease, are also buried there. And, of course, said Finkelstein, "as time progressed and more women were given the opportunity to serve in the military, more of them gain the right to be buried in Arlington as well." "Any topic that someone is interested in, any community they come from, we have a story for you at Arlington," Finkelstein said. "We may surprise you with all we have to offer." There are astronauts from the failed Apollo I mission buried at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as three from the Space Shuttle Columbia. Two U.S. Presidents — John F. Kennedy and William Taft — are buried at Arlington. Robert F. Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., Edward (Ted) Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis are buried there as well. Robert Todd Lincoln, the oldest son of President Abraham Lincoln, is buried there, though President Lincoln is buried in Springfield, Illinois. Secretaries of State, including Colin Powell, John Dulles, Alexander Haig and George Marshall are interred at Arlington. Child star Jackie Cooper Jr. (Navy), actors Charles During (Army), Lee Marvin (Marines), Audie Murphy (Army), Maureen O'Hara (whose husband was an Air Force general), and Arctic explorer Robert Byrd (Navy) are also in Arlington. Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers (Army), early baseball pioneer Abner Doubleday (Army), boxer Joe Louis Barrow (Army) and several Supreme Court Justices are also among those buried at Arlington. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Arlington National became the place to honor our fallen military
USA Today
26-05-2025
- General
- USA Today
The Army's ultimate memorial honor: horse-drawn Caissons funerals to resume at Arlington
The Army's ultimate memorial honor: horse-drawn Caissons funerals to resume at Arlington Show Caption Hide Caption Historic caisson unit back to Arlington National Cemetery this Summer According to the DOD, the tradition was properly introduced in 1948 and is steeped in military tradition and honors. ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY — At 6:30 a.m., the scrape of manure shovels and the shuffling of horse hooves echoed through the red-brick stable at Ft. Myer. Soldiers from the caisson detachment in blue jeans, black shirts and white cowboy hats mucked out stalls. Kennedy, Lance and Truman – statuesque, dark horses – poked their heads between steel bars, eyes wide. The unit is in its final days of practice, preparing for the return June 2 of carrying deceased troops by horse-drawn caisson wagon to their graves, a tradition that dates to the 19th century. USA TODAY had access to the soldiers and horses of the caisson detachment, part of the Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as 'The Old Guard,' during one of their final rehearsals. 'It's been two years since we've taken part in a funeral,' said Lt. Col. Jason Crawford, a veterinarian and former rodeo rider who commands the unit. 'We're getting that muscle memory back.' For decades, soldiers had been providing funeral services at the cemetery with caissons, wagons that once hauled supplies to the front and brought fallen troops home. That stopped in May 2023 after two of the unit's horses, Mickey and Tony, died after gravel they'd eaten fouled their guts. An Army investigation found four horses had died in a year, the Army's herd had grown old and their training and facilities were outdated. Since then, the Army has spent more than $28 million to upgrade stables, rehabilitate horses, buy new and younger ones and hire experts to advise on their care and training. Their equipment, from rubber mats to cushion their hooves to custom-made saddles for their backs, has been improved, too. More: Horse-drawn Army caissons to roll again for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery The caisson detachment passed its first major test in January, carrying the casket of former President Jimmy Carter to the White House during his state funeral. In the following months, soldiers acclimated the horses to Arlington National Cemetery's winding, hilly roads and the vehicles and people who visit the nation's premier military burying ground. With two squads of soldiers and horses trained, Army officials believe they can conduct two caisson funerals per day, said Maj. Wes Strickland, an Army spokesman. That number will increase as more soldiers and horses are trained. It hasn't all gone smoothly. Earlier this spring, something spooked the horses, and a few bolted about 100 yards before they could be controlled, Strickland said. A soldier's leg was broken, and one horse required rest to recover from the chaos. Nor, in the opinion of an influential senator, should the Army have paused the time-honored tradition at all. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, a veteran of the Old Guard who helped conduct army funerals as a young officer, said in an interview that while it was appropriate to improve the caisson program he was 'saddened and frustrated' that the funeral tradition was suspended for two years. 'The caisson platoon has operated for decades without shutting down and frankly, horses have been pulling wagons since the dawn of history,' Cotton said. 'This is not a complicated task.' The Army needs to care for the horses properly and accept that some will be injured or killed, he said. 'We have to be realistic that horses are going to pass away and horses are going to be injured,' Cotton said. 'That's just the nature of the work they do. Just like elite horses on racetracks, we want to care for these horses. And I can promise you that no one cares for these horses better than the young horsemen soldiers who have trained with them and lived with them for years.' The unit's soldiers do appear diligent about their horses' care. They shovel poop from the stalls into wheelbarrows, sweep the last wood chip from the aisle and set down fresh bedding. No grousing, instead soft, soothing words to the horses and pats on their flanks. Sgt. Natalee Silva, 23, talked about the morning ritual: cleaning the stall, filling water bowls, stocking up hay and inspecting the horses for any bumps or cuts. She grew up in Gillette, Wyoming, around the animals, and enjoys spending time with them. Lance is her favorite. 'Me and him have a connection,' she said, scratching Lance's neck where she once found a tick. Across the way, Truman sprawled out on a fragrant bed of fresh wood shavings. 'He knows he'll be working in a few hours. You have to be patient with him; he can be a morning grouch,' said Private 1st Class Joshua Allen, 19, from Houston. 'We'll be getting him ready for the mission soon.' Soldiers like Allen and Silva apply for the caisson detachment. About half the candidates make the cut after interviewing, slinging a bale of hay and displaying calm with horses. Then training begins: a 12-week basic horsemanship course followed by six-week boot camp at an equestrian sports facility in Ocala, Florida. Experience with horses is great but not required, said Sgt. 1st Class Trevor Carlin. About two-thirds of the unit's soldiers, including Allen, didn't grow up around them. He looks for soldiers who ask questions and want to learn. Core strength is key, too. Carlin said, as soldiers need to guide their horses while keeping erect posture. 'We need very independent, super-fit soldiers,' said. A soldier like Staff Sgt. Isaac Melton. He led the rehearsal, riding ahead on what is called the section horse. That's Truman, age 5, who was last seen lounging in his stall. Now Truman stood tall, a gold heart on his breast plate. All business. 'Truman and I have similar personalities,' said Melton, 34, from McKenzie, Louisiana. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall adjoins Arlington National Cemetery. Melton brought Truman and the caisson team through the gate into the shade of oak trees that tower over row upon row of white marble tombstones. Six horses, three with riders, tow the caisson. At a moderate walking pace, the horses clip-clopped up the hill past Arlington House, the 19th century home built as a memorial to George Washington and later inherited by Robert E. Lee. Tourists snapped photos and the horses pressed on. Melton stopped the procession on a shady stretch, a designated rest stop with green metal hitching posts for the horses. The unit is ready to conduct funerals, he said. 'One hundred percent,' Melton said. 'We've been training for a long time and have left no stone unturned. Every day the horses settle in a little more. They're in their own vibe.' At the stable after the practice run, under fans suspended from its gabled roof, soldiers washed down the horses. They cleaned and stowed equipment and Kennedy gnawed at fresh hay. Cotton said the caisson ceremony holds special meaning for relatives of the fallen. The first funerals with caissons will be limited to troops killed in action, recipients of the Medal of Honor or Prisoner of War Medal and high-ranking service members. About 25 service members whose families have waited during the two-year pause will also be carried to their graves by caisson. 'It's something that I think solemnifies the moment even more for those families,' Cotton said.
