A coal-black Morgan-American Quarter Horse cross, Black Jack served in the Caisson Platoon of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). Named in honor of General John J. (Black Jack) Pershing, he was the riderless horse in more than 1,000 Armed Forces Full Honors Funerals (AFFHF), the majority of which were in Arlington National Cemetery. With boots and stirrups reversed, the horse was a symbol of a fallen leader. Black Jack participated in four state funerals:
Black Jack also had the honor of being the last government-issued horse in the US Army. After his death on 6 Feb 1976, he was cremated, with his remains being laid to rest in a plot at Fort Myer, Virginia, on Summerall Field; his final resting place lies 200 feet northeast of the flagpole in the southeast corner of the parade field. He is one of only two horses in United States history to be buried with Full Military Honors, the other being Comanche.[1]
Notes
- ^ Belcher, Nancy Hoyt. (http://www.aaa.com/aaa/006/EnCompass/2004/jun/jun_GuardingHistory.html) "Guarding History and Tradition." EnCompass, Volume 78, Issue 4, July-August 2004.
External links
- Black Jack's burial site (hybrid satellite image/street map from WikiMapia)
