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My husband took a long weekend trip recently.

A 12 hour drive to Washington DC, or more precisely…

Arlington Cemetery.

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I’ve never been, and wanted to go… but the 12 hour drive down and 12 hours back for a one day stay that involved hours of walking and standing is more than my bad knee can bear.

My husband went to Arlington for the funeral of his old commanding officer. The full bird Colonel he stood next to after recovering the bodies of six Marines killed in the Beirut bombing in 1983.

Never having been there before, he arrived early and explored.

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The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

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Famous graves.

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Robert E. Lee’s former home.

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And then it was time.

My husband is a Marine. They’re pretty stoic fellows. But a full honors funeral at Arlington National Cemetery of a man he greatly respected?

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Even my husband choked up.

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Do you know the significance of the backward facing boot on a riderless horse?

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The boots are placed backwards in the stirrups of a riderless horse (or “lone charger”) to symbolize that a fallen warrior or leader is taking their final journey and will ride no more. The reversed position represents the deceased looking back at their troops, family, or comrades one last time. 

It’s probably a good thing I didn’t attend, because that’s enough to make me weep like a baby.

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A solemn day indeed.

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