- Black Jack (horse)
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 theriderless horse in more than 1,000 Armed ForcesFull Honors Funeral s (AFFHF), the majority of which were inArlington National Cemetery . With boots reversed in thestirrup s, he was a symbol of a fallen leader.Black Jack participated in four
state funeral s:*Presidents:
**John F. Kennedy (1963 )
**Herbert Hoover (1964 )
**Lyndon B. Johnson (1973 )*
Five-star general :
**Douglas MacArthur (1964 )Black Jack was foaled
January 19 1947 , and came to Ft. Myer from theCavalry remount station at Fort Reno,Oklahoma , onNovember 22 1952 . Black Jack had the honor of being the last of theQuartermaster –issue horses branded with the Army's U.S. brand (on the left shoulder} and his Army serial number 2V56 (on the left side of his neck).Black Jack died after a 29-year dedicated, dignified military career on
February 6 1976 . He was cremated, with his remains laid to rest in a plot atFort Myer ,Virginia , on Summerall Field; his final resting place lies 200 feet (60 m) northeast of the flagpole in the southeast corner of theparade field. He is one of only two horses inUnited States history to be buried with Full Military Honors, the other being Comanche. [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. ]Notes
External links
*Black Jack's burial site is at coordinates coord|38.881141|-77.081130|type:landmark
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