U.S.: The State Funeral for President Reagan

I'm watching the State Funeral for President Reagan on Fox. Nancy Reagan has been looking like she's in deep pain, which she is, of course. The crowd in DC have greeted her with whistles, cheers, applause, cries of "We love you, Mrs. Reagan," and that seems to have boosted her and lifted her spirits. You can't look at the woman without thinking of love, courage, devotion, strength, and all these positive and wonderful things. She has set a positive example of what it really means to stand by your man, and it is one that other women would do well to emulate.

A man just shouted, "God Bless you, Nancy!" My sentiments, exactly. God bless and keep you, Nancy Reagan.

As the procession proceeds, it seems people are greeting the casket on the caisson with applause. What a fitting send off to a lovely man; he had made contact with the people while he lived. Now, they are showing their recognition and appreciation as he goes by.

President Reagan's empty boots are planted backward in the stirrups of a riderless black horse, thus signaling that a great warrior is on his final journey. The caisson with his casket is borne by six caparisoned horses. The horses on the right side are riderless -- a part of military tradition. Apparently, during the Civil and earlier Wars, the caisson was used to take cannons to and from the battlefield. The horses on the right were always unoccupied so that they could bear provisions on the way out and dead bodies on the way back in.

President Reagan's funeral is accompanied by 16 marching units and an escort of 3 bands and 3 commanders. The horses come from Illinois, Virginia, Texas, and Oklahoma (?). The USAF will later do a 21 ship flyover, in which 1 jet will lead 5 groups of 4. It is only fitting that a president who did much to rebuild the military and restore American pride in that military is attended by the nation's warriors at the end.

It is a tremendously moving ceremony. To see the warriors marching; to hear the hymn being played by the bands; to hear the rhythmic beat of the drums; to see Mrs. Reagan waving to acknowledge the crowd.

It's hot and muggy in D.C., you can tell because there is this haze, but the people are there for the man who was there for them.

The military music is sounding very upbeat -- God Bless America, one of President Reagan's favorites -- and that is so apropos for the man who defined hope and optimism.

The casket will be taken to the U.S. Capitol where President Reagan will lie in state.

Molly Henneberg says that all the buildings along the route are chock full of people. Thousands have come out for the funeral. She says the crowd is about 5 or 6 people deep at the fence lining the street.

The marching band has preceded the cortege into the Capitol. All you can hear now is the sound of the drums and orders of the military as you watch the slow procession of the caisson.

It could be that what I took for applause was the sound of the horses pulling the caisson. Actually not. People are applauding, very briefly, from what I see of the hands of some.

Now here's the 21 ship flyover by the USAF. It's a powerful roar overhead, and they're flying the "missing man maneuver." There's more applause by the crowd again.

The funeral procession is approaching the Capitol inside the Rotunda of which senior members of cabinet are positioned. The casket has to be taken up about 100 plus steps into the Capitol.

When the casket arrives at the Capitol, VP Cheney will give the eulogy; the chaplain will give an opening prayer; and, there will be a wreath laying ceremony.

Brian Wilson says those who lined the procession-way are now making their way into the Capitol area. He says they number in the thousands and thousands. He doesn't figure that they will be able to get inside the Captiol until 11PM tonight.

Extended applause and whistles from onlookers as the caisson goes by.

Fox announcers are doing us the favor of staying quiet as the caisson comes to the Capitol building.

The honor guard are unstrapping the casket in preparation for taking it up the 100+ steps to the Capitol itself. The casket is supposed to weigh about 700lbs in all.

Now a 21 gun salute is supposed to occur from the north side of the Capitol. The guns are gleaming black, and they and the gunners look impressive.

There they are, eight strapping young men from the different branches of the service. They're standing on either side of the caisson ready to begin the difficult and tricky task of taking a 700lb casket up a flight of 100+ steps.

President Reagan's two children, Patti and Ron, were sharing some small joke just now. That, too, is part of how things go.

Here comes Mrs. Reagan, taking what seems to be a pretty lengthy walk to the top of the stairs to the Capitol. She looks very small, very frail and defenceless.

Now the Army's 21 gun salute, and the band playing "Hail to the CHief." Mrs. Reagan looks like she wants to break down into tears. What comes to mind is the poem, The Burial of SirJohn Moore. This would have been a fitting funeral for that long dead warrior, and it is a fitting one for the ultimate Cold Warrior.

The band is playing another favorite of President Reagan's, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Very slow, very mournful, they've made a dirge of it, accompanied by rolling drums. The honor guard have begun to move the casket towards the Capitol, and up the long flight of steps towards the waiting Mrs. Reagan.

The military men are saluting as the casket of a well beloved and respected Commander in Chief goes by.

There is a change of the honor guard. The first 8-man gua rd brought the casket half way up the stairs, and another 8-man guard came on to relieve them. This second guard have now begun to carry the casket with President Reagan up the rest of the way.

They now come to the top step where Mrs. Reagan awaits, and she reaches out and touches it very briefly. I don't know how Mrs. Reagan is maintaining her composure.

The route into the Capitol is narrow and winding. There's lots of applause coming from the crowd, I think. I do believe they're cheering?

Ah, in a camera shot of the Rotunda of the Capitol, there is Maxine Waters looking as sour as ever.

The honor guard precedes the casket into the Rotunda where the casket will remain for 34 hours.

THe official State Funeral begins as the young service men place the casket on the bier in the Rotunda. The chaplain begins the service with a quote from T.S. Eliot.

Let me gripe a little here; some text from the NT would have been far better for a man of faith like President Reagan.

The chaplain is praying a kind of political prayers, not very comforting to the bereaved. He wants God to "fix America." Somebody ought to tell these pastors out there that, no matter the station of the man, generic prayers are not very comforting to those who remain. If the man is a Christian, we want to hear powerful words such as "I am the Resurrection and the Life, he that believes on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." Whether or not you believe in Christ Jesus, those words move the heart and soul.

The honor guard are now stepping away, having done their duty for the time being.

Congressman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is the first speaker. He is the President, pro tempore, of the Senate.

From the caisson to the playing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, to Stevens's speech, there is a linking of President Reagan with Abraham Lincoln. Stevens's words are going to frost Democrats. Oooh, big time. He's laying at Reagan's door the raising of America from the worst economy since the Depression and the defeat of the Evil Empire. How many bad words does Ted Kennedy know, I wonder?

Stevens's speech is a restatement of Republican philosophy. The role of government, etc. The irony? Stevens is a liberal.

Daschle is looking frosted.

Mrs. Reagan is flanked by VP Cheney and a congresswoman. Stevens is giving Mrs. Reagan her props. He called her "one of the finest first ladies this nation has ever known."

Denny Hastert, the Speaker of the House is next. He, too, links Presidents Lincoln and Reagan, both of whom came from Illinois, and both of whom returned to the Capitol before their burial.

Both Stevens and Hastert have touched on the "shining city upon a hill."

Hastert says we should celebrate President Reagan's life and values, too. I think that what we are hearing is the way the Republican Congress will go after the election. President Reagan's death, I think, is a reminder to Republicans, one that was very much necessary.

"Ronald Reagan helped make this world and this country a better place to live," says Speaker Hastert.

Both Hastert and Stevens spoke good solid words reminding us who Ronald Reagan was, what he stood for as a man and a politician, and how he encouraged a nation to dream. VP Cheney is speaking now, and he is expanding on that theme. Ronald Reagan was a decent and a kind man who loved his God, his country, his wife, and his fellow man; he was a faithful man of faith. What better epitaph and testimony to one's life could a man wish for?

Cheney equates idealism with being American. I know eulogies highlight the best and ignore the worst, but even his enemies have little evil to say of President Reagan. Cheney touches on President Reagan's visionary spirit and how that produced the end of the Cold War and made him a force for good.

"Fellow Americans, here lies a graceful and a gallant man," says Cheney. So true.

People around the world, except for some Arabs, know this to be true. The people of Grenada and Panama know the truth of VP Cheney's words.

The USAF Singing Sergeants serenade him with America the Beautiful. Again, that is apropros, because that is how President Reagan viewed this country, that beautiful and "shining city upon a hill."

Here's what has struck me about this funeral. It was not so much for President and Mrs. Reagan as it was for us. The theme of this funeral is this: "let me remind you of the beauty and goodness of America; let me remind you of hope, of a new dawn that is at hand though the media says the night is very dark now; let me remind you of honor and duty and patriotism and fidelity and courage, for these are the things you need now." All of these things come to mind in watching this State Funeral. And, that, I think, is the source of the Democrats fear of this funeral.

Now comes the laying of the wreath by Stevens and Hastert. Stevens saluted the guard; Hastert didn't. I don't know if the one was military and the other was never. VP Cheney also lays a wreath, and he doesn't salute the guard either. So, it could be that Stevens was a military man.

Senate Chaplain Barry Black is doing the benediction. Thanking God for President Reagan having the qualities that we all need now. He wants God to "remind us of America's opportunity to remain a shining city upon a hill." His prayers are non-sectarian, meaning there's no mention of Christ Jesus.

The band is playing an upbeat sounding version of America, the Beautiful.

Nancy Reagan caresses the casket and pats it for several long seconds. She looks like she wants to rest her head on it again, but doesn't. She caresses and pats the flag covered casket, shakes her head a bit, and, for a minute, looks like she'll burst into tears. However, she doesn't. I think letting him go on without her is the hardest thing imaginable for her. Every touch of that box was a touch of the well beloved man who lies within the box.

In closing, I saw Ted Stevens reach down and kiss the flag-covered casket, then he stood back and saluted the former Commander in Chief.

Ave, frater, ave atque vale.