Servicemembers honor former commander in chief

  • Published
  • By Kathleen T. Rhem
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Servicemembers nationwide are working to honor a former commander in chief this week.

The death of former President Ronald Reagan on June 5 set into motion a plan that will end up involving countless servicemembers from all the armed forces.

As a past commander in chief, President Reagan is being afforded many military honors, officials from the U.S. Army's Military District of Washington said. The military district is responsible for coordinating arrangements for the many events leading up to President Reagan's official state funeral here June 11.

Traditionally, the president directs the secretary of defense to oversee funeral arrangements. This responsibility is further delegated through the secretary of the Army to the military district’s commanding general.

In this role, the military district’s commander, currently Army Maj. Gen. Galen B. Jackman, will escort President Reagan's immediate family members during the formal events.

A military honor guard will provide security for President Reagan's remains during periods of lying in state, until 6 p.m. PDT June 8 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., and at the U.S. Capitol for 24 hours beginning 8:30 p.m. EDT June 9.

At every point in the journey, a joint-service honor guard performs an arrival or departure ceremony to honor the fallen president.

After President Reagan's remains are moved to the East Coast, they will be carried at least part of the way to the Capitol by a military caisson from the 3rd U.S. Infantry, the Army's ceremonial "Old Guard" from Fort Myer, Va. The caisson is a converted transport wagon for a 75 mm cannon drawn by six horses of the same color.

A riderless horse will follow the caisson. "A pair of boots are reversed in the stirrups of the empty saddle to symbolize that the warrior will never ride again," according to information on the district’s Web site.

Also as part of honors owed to a previous president upon his death, all U.S. flags flown on government installations will be flown at half-staff for 30 days from the date of death.