Arlington National CemeteryJun 28, 2010
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Ceremony preparing the Casson
Ceremony continues
Preparing Casson and Riderless horse on right
We have put our motorhome in storage and moved Melissa from Charlotte to Fairfax, but I wanted to share with you our experience today. We were honored to attend the funeral in Arlington National Cemetery of Lt. Colonel Richard Beason and his wife, Lanis. It was a very moving experience beyond words, but I will try to convey to you some of the things we saw and felt. After gathering in the Industrial Building in the cemetery, we got in our cars and drove a short distance. We then exited our cars to watch the ceremony of preparing the caisson. We then could either follow behind in our cars or walk behind the caisson to the gravesite. We all decided to walk. I remember seeing the riderless horse from JFK's funeral and was in awe that I was able to participate in this experience today. We arrived at the gravesite with the band playing the Marine hymn. There were more formalities and music. The Bisop spoke some very kind words, taps were played and then the 21-gun salute. The flag was folded and presented to the family along with the shell casings from the 21-gun salute. One of the things the Bishop said was that in all his conversations with Dick Beason throughout the years that he knew him, he doesn't remember one where Dick didn't express his love for the Marines and his service. I saw that same love and devotion today on the faces of those young Marines performing this ceremony. I said it when I visited Parris Island and I'll say it again, these are America's finest and they gave a beautiful tribute to two very special people that I was privileged to know.
