The horse-drawn processions that have poignantly marked military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery for three-quarters of a century are set to return, according to Stars and Stripes.
Sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., the Honoring Our Heroes with Dignity Act was included as an amendment to the 1,800-page National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025. The legislation package reportedly was approved this week by both the House and the Senate and is headed to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law.
The bill directs the secretary of the Army to complete renovations of historic stables at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall and ensure that equine handlers are trained and certified in herd management before the 18-month suspension can be lifted.
According to Josh Gregory, Buchanan's spokesman, the Army has not indicated when those steps will be completed.
For the past 75 years, caisson processions at Arlington were an honor reserved for retired commissioned and warrant officers, Medal of Honor recipients, service members killed in action, sergeants major, American presidents, and unspecified special designees.
But Maj. Gen. Trevor Bredenkamp told Star and Stripes that unsanitary living conditions, malnourishment, and a lack of open space led to the suspension of horse-drawn funeral processions in May 2023.
Crowded into small fields littered with manure and construction debris, the horses were reportedly infested with parasites and suffering from malnutrition caused by a low-quality diet. Two horses died as a result of the conditions.
"The Army reported that the horses had very little grass in the field where they lived, causing many to consume sand and gravel which eventually caused the deaths of the two horses," Buchanan said in October, when he asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate the situation. "In fact, one horse that passed away was found to have 44 pounds of gravel and sand in his gut."
Of the 64 horses, 18 have been retired, Buchanan's office told Stars and Stripes. Since the suspension of the caisson service, the Army has been using hearses from area funeral homes, as well as other vehicles, for funeral services.
"Caisson-pulling military horses were dying in 2022 because of the Army's failure to provide proper food, veterinary care, pastureland, and stables for the herd," Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, chair of the subcommittee said. "Our caisson platoon should be the most elite organization of its kind on the planet."
The amendment that would allow the horse-drawn funeral processions to resume reportedly specifies that the herd must have four squads consisting of 11 horses in each. Additionally, the military, in consultation with veterinarians and equine experts, must certify the horses' health, fitness, and training.
According to the legislation, the Army may resume the services on a limited basis before the conditions are fully met if it can verify the health and sustainability of the herd and if it gives congressional armed services committees prior notification.
As the Army looks to purchase property for the horses to graze and exercise on, the herd is being kept on pastureland in Virginia, according to testimony at a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee last month.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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