Spent all day yesterday prepping the Army Caisson team for the funeral today. Gonna be one for the record books for this team. We’re rolling out ALL the horses, normally we take just 4. Today, it’s all 8. We even had retired CSMs and even a star yesterday helping us prep everything. It’s a massive undertaking for any funeral but with this roll out, it was even more. Which is appropriate considering this NCO spent the last years of his life rebuilding this team into being respectable and active again.
It’s also the first time in the 50+ year history of both our Caisson and Arlington’s that the CAP horse, the riderless horse that carries just a saddle and a pair of boots, will actually be carrying the riding boots of our fallen NCO.
We also took the unprecedented step of meeting with the family at the showing last night. It’s gonna be a rough one today boys and girls.
I also get the added honor(pressure) of driving these horses to the funeral, something the man we are honoring today, always did. Hauling such prized and large draft horses is considered a very trusting and honorable position within our team so lots riding on this obviously.