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.