An Army detachment of horses and riders escorted the remains of a World War II soldier to his final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery, resuming the unit’s role in funerals.
Pvt. Bernard Curran, who died in Japanese captivity in the Philippines in 1942 and who was identified from a mass grave there in 2024, was returned stateside and buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, according to Military.com.
His casket was brought along by a horse-drawn wagon of the U.S. Army Caisson Detachment.
The detachment, named for the wagon (caisson) that carries the dead, went on hiatus in 2023 after two horses died, according to the Army’s website. The unit, part of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, underwent reforms.
The reforms included making the wagons 1,400 pounds lighter and adjusting the horses’ tack to reduce the amount of strain and pressure put on their necks, according to the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region and U.S. Army Military District of Washington website.
The caisson detachment currently has three 11-horse squads, which will perform the relevant Arlington National Cemetery funerals on a periodic rotating cycle. Each squad will be limited to two funerals each day and 10 per week while on duty, with rest periods to follow, the Army said.
There are plans to slowly increase the number of funerals for which the Caisson Detachment is used, but during the initial phase only certain people will be eligible for a burial featuring the horse-drawn wagon.
According to military newspaper Stars and Stripes, the processions will be limited to Medal of Honor or Prisoner of War medal recipients; soldiers and other service members who were killed in action; senior noncommissioned officers; senior warrant officers; and senior commissioned officers level O6 and above.
The renewed detachment made its debut for the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter.
“It was a prideful moment working the state funeral. It was an honor for my team and I to accompany President Carter one last time through Washington, D.C. Above all, we are extremely proud of the horses’ ability to maintain composure and feel comfortable among the large crowds,” Staff Sgt. Alexis Horta told Stars and Stripes.
There are currently 50 horses total in the Caisson Detachment living at a modernized facility in Loudoun County, Virginia, according to Stars and Stripes.
