“Day is done - gone the sun - from the lake, from the
hill…” Listen, can you hear it? The faint sound of a
trumpet drifting across the gently sloping hillside dotted
with white crosses. The hazy mist makes it seem far away.
Hear it? If you’re a veteran or related to a veteran, you
know that sound. TAPS. The final farewell.

My first job with the Army was developing the logistics
support plan for the Burial of the Unknown Serviceman from
Vietnam, a State Funeral. The desired outcome: solemn and
ceremonious burial executed flawlessly to honor the fallen
and the veterans of an unpopular conflict.

The Third Infantry, the Old Guard, planned everything from
the operational perspective. Our job was supporting them,
hundreds of very important persons, including some who wore
the Medal of Honor, and the public. Our planning included:
the caisson to carry the casket, military drivers and cars
for the cortege, press stands for the media at the Capitol,
transportation for the masses who would go to the cemetery
for the interment, comfort stations along the route of the
funeral procession. It all depended on us.

We identified requirements. Who needed what, where, and
when? Were they entitled to it? How would we get it where it
was needed on time and in sufficient quantity? Things are
not always as simple as they seem. Planning is one thing;
execution is another. Putting comfort stations,
port-a-johns, around the District of Columbia, for instance,
is no simple task!

Finally, 5:00 a.m. Sunday before Memorial Day, 1984, we were
on the steps of the US Capitol building with Major General
John L. Ballantyne, Commander of the Military District of
Washington, ready to rehearse. A chill ran through me.
“Am I dreaming? Here I am a civilian woman from Texas about
to participate in this historical national event.”

The events unfolded on the national scene on schedule: the
arrival of the remains at Andrews Air Force Base where they
were met by disabled veterans in wheelchairs, General
Westmoreland, and other dignitaries and then lying in state
in the Capitol Rotunda for three days.

The day of the burial, there was a change in plans. Has that
ever happened to you? You plan and rehearse, and then things
change. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided to
walk in the funeral procession. At the last minute we had to
turn the lead cars around and get them away from the Capitol
building. Everything else went with precision.

The cold white marble seats in Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington
National Cemetery filled quickly. The empty seats reserved for
the POW and MIA families silently witnessed their protest to the
burial. At last, President Reagan’s speech and his immortal
closing words: “May God cradle you in His loving arms.”

We moved to the plaza of the east entrance to the
Amphitheater and climbed the stairs to watch the finale.
Looking down beyond the Tomb, we saw the Vietnam Veterans in
uniforms, waving their flags. It was over. No more protests.
A final salute in gratitude to those living and deceased
servicemen and women who bore the burdens their nation
placed upon them.

Planning and execution on this grand scale was great
training for life in general: Look ahead. Plan. What is
needed to reach your objective? Where is it needed and when?
What can go wrong? How will you prevail? The execution of
plans rarely goes precisely as envisioned. Flexibility is
key. Contingency planning is a must.

Planning for and participating in the Burial of the Unknown
Serviceman from Vietnam was the most satisfying thing I’ve
done in my life.

***********
Although the remains of that serviceman have
since been identified, the importance of the ceremonial
burial has not diminished. It provided an opportunity to
recognize the sacrifices of the thousands of U.S. citizens
who had been called to arms in an unpopular military action
in the Republic of Vietnam.
___________
I later became a supervisor at Army Headquarters
in the Pentagon and graduated from the US Army War college.
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