When I arrived at the stable at Fort Meyer on Thursday morning, it was dark and rainy. The ceremony wasn’t until 7:15AM, but it takes a while to get on an Army post these days, so I arrived early. Phil Godfrey, who I had gone to high school with, and several other members of the Old Guard Association had just arrived as well. Most had served in the Caisson section of the Old Guard back in the mid-70s, and were going to make a special presentation that morning to the current members of the Caisson Platoon. In a side note, one of the Association members present was Andy Carlson, who led the riderless horse  (It is called the caparisoned horse) at JFK’s funeral in 1963.

The Caisson Platoon is made up of the soldiers and horses who provide the escort for soldiers and veterans as they go to their final resting place at Arlington Cemetery. On this day, like most days, they have been up since 4:00AM, getting their horses and equipment ready for their detail that day. There are two teams, and each team provides a final escort for up to four different funerals on any given day. This day would be no different, and both soldiers and horses were all business. The horses had been fed and groomed well before we arrived. They were now being bridled and saddled.

Before the 7:15 ceremony, we had the chance to talk to some of the platoon, while trying to stay out of their way. For many of the younger soldiers, this is their first assignment in the Army. For the Noncoms, most have 7-12 years in the army and It was interesting to hear their histories. If they were in 7-8 years, that usually meant 3 tours overseas in either Afghanistan, or Iraq. If they had served 9-10 years in the Army, most had at least 4 tours between Iraq and Afghanistan. This assignment at Ft Meyer was their “down” or more relaxing tour.

While most of the funerals they work are for WWII and Korean veterans, there are an increasing number from the Viet Nam era, and of course, some from our current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the wars where the NCOs from the Caisson Platoon have served as well.

The ceremony took place, and a presentation was made of the new belt buckles the Association had commissioned. Phil spoke, as did the battalion commander, the Colonel, and the Sargent Major. The buckles are nice, and they recognize the history of the unit. They will become a permanent part of their uniform. I think they were appreciated.

After the ceremony, the soldiers went back to work and finished harnessing up the horses. They then led them to the two waiting caissons, and after a brief inspection, they were moving off to the first of the 8 funerals they would escort that day.  They do this all year long – rain, sleet, snow, high heat and humidity….  They are there, doing their jobs and honoring the fallen. 

I felt honored to be at the ceremony, and have nothing but the deepest respect for these soldiers. I almost felt embarrassed at the workload they are putting in, not only to guarantee the safety of this great country of ours, but also to help us honor our fallen soldiers and veterans. I know we talk about the World War II generation being “The Greatest Generation”, but these soldiers of today are second to none. We should count ourselves lucky that they are willing to sacrifice so much for us.

God bless them, and this great country of ours.

Diversity in 2016…
Bigotry is a horrible thing. Black, white. Mexican. Gay, Straight. Misogyny. Muslim, Christian.  Good Cops, Bad Cops. ‘Foreigners’. I don’t understand it. Where does this hatred come from? Why do we have this inability to embrace people and the diversity of our great country?

I guess you learn about diversity the same way some people learn to hate. From your parents, your coaches, your friends, your coworkers….I’m not sure I understand the world now, and the hatred that seems to have grown all around us. I think back through my life, the lessons I’ve learned, and the experiences I’ve had, and I am thankful for them . While institutional activities have grown (and continue to grow) to support diversity over the years, it’s the small, personal encounters that I recall and that make a difference.

I remember as a grade school kid, there was a young African American couple that moved in across the street. It caused a bit of consternation at the time, because the “black neighborhood” was down off of Third Avenue. What did Dad do? I remember to this day. The guy was out watering his lawn, and Dad crossed the street, went over and shook his hand, and welcomed him to the neighborhood. If he needed anything, don’t hesitate to ask…

A few years later, my cousin married a “Mexican Girl”. The wedding? One of the most fun I’ve ever been to, and, I think it was the best food I had at any wedding I’ve attended. By the way, they’re still married, 40-some years later

At my own wedding, one of our groomsmen happened to be African American. I didn’t think anything about it, as Chuck was a good friend and classmate from West Point. 30 some years later, I was talking with some friends back home and one of them said “ya know, that was pretty brave of you Back then.” And I said, “what was pretty brave?” And he answered back “you know…having a black guy in your wedding.” …really?

Half way through my time at West Point, the decision was made to admit women. Before the decision, there was much angst and fighting about the issue. After the decision was made, the Superintendent made a presentation to the entire Corps of Cadets. He said, “If there are female soldiers, and female officers, why wouldn’t we want women to attend West Point, one of the premier leadership schools in the world?” And all of a sudden the issue disappeared, or at least it did for me.

Over time, other happenings….

Several years ago, we were with a friend who was trying hard to tell us something, he was tearful while doing so. Finally it comes out “I’m gay” he says. And we say “so? We love you no matter who you are”. And then he was crying tears of happiness, because he wasn’t sure how we would react.

Or the coworker and office mate I had while working on the Pentagon Renovation, who is one of the smartest engineers I’ve ever known. Sajeel was the lead engineer for all of the new Information Technology (IT) in the Pentagon. He also happened to be Muslim. Guess who led all of the IT reconstruction efforts at the Pentagon after the events of 9/11?

Or a former boss who is Vietnamese, and was stranded in this country when South Viet Nam fell. After stints teaching at UCal and Georgetown, he started an IT company and has grown it to over $200M in annual revenue through hard work and persistence.

Or your sister-in-law and brother-in-law adopt a little girl from Guatemala.   And the love in that family is totally color blind.

Or the lesbian friend and coworker who is the best operations person I’ve ever seen. After she and her wife were married, they had a little boy. If you see the three of them together, I defy you to find a better family, or see more loving parents.

These are just a few of the countless examples throughout my life. Look around people – I’m sure you have many of the same in your own life, if you just take the time to look. I’m not trying to be Pollyanna – I know that bad things happen as well. But I have to believe that the good in people out-weighs the bad.

Hatred and bigotry? They have no place in my life. Life is too precious, and too short to waste time on them. I’ve always thought our diversity is what makes us such a great country. Each of us needs to do what we can to end bigotry and I’m convinced it can only happen at a personal level.

Make A Difference. You can. Embrace diversity and take a stand against bigotry today, and everyday.  Diversity…Really.

    Who gets to decide, 

    Which is a flower? 

     And what is a weed?

     I see bush and vine In my neighbor’s yard.

    Both look pretty to me.

The photo shows a knockout rose bush, and (probably) an Autumn Clematis. It’s in our neighbor Bill’s yard (he hasn’t had much time to pay attention to his plants lately).

I know that if left unattended, the vine will eventually encompass the bush. And maybe that makes the difference.

Maybe one is native and one is not, but I’m not sure.

I just asked my wife Cathy, she of the green thumb, the answer, and she laughed, and then said “a weed is something unwanted, and unplanned in a garden. It robs the wanted plant of sunlight, nutrients and water. Some people think of the dandelion as a plant, but I don’t”

According to the Chicago Tribune, “In broad terms, a weed can be characterized as any specimen that a gardener feels is an unwelcome and annoying plant”…..hmmm, that’s a little harsh.

Maybe there’s no totally common definition of what makes a weed, but in nosing around on the Internet, I likes Ralph Waldo Emerson’s definition:

        “What is a weed?  A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”