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) The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is ' ...

. Named in honor of General of the Armies John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, he was the

riderless horse A riderless horse or riderless motorcycle (which may be caparisoned in ornamental and protective coverings, having a detailed protocol of their own) is a single horse or a motorcycle, without a rider, without keys, without a license plate and with ...

in more than 1,000 Armed Forces Full Honors Funerals (AFFHF), the majority of which were in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

. With boots reversed in the stirrups, he was a symbol of a fallen leader.

Early life

Black Jack was foaled January 19, 1947, and came to

Fort Myer Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and Fort Whipple, ...

from the cavalry remount station at Fort Reno, Oklahoma, on November 22, 1952. Black Jack was the last of the

Quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In ...

–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).

Career

Black Jack served a long and respectable military career. Among the highlights were that he participated in four state funerals: *

Presidents President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

: **

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

(1963) **

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

(1964) **

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

(1973) *

Five-star general A five-star rank is the highest military rank in many countries.Oxford English Dictionary (OED), 2nd Edition, 1989. "five" ... "five-star adj., ... (b) U.S., applied to a general or admiral whose badge of rank includes five stars;" The rank is t ...

: ** Douglas MacArthur (1964) Army Major General Philip C. Wehle was the Commanding General of the

Military District of Washington The United States Army Military District of Washington (MDW) is one of nineteen major commands of the United States Army. Its headquarters are located at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C. The missions of the units in the Military Distri ...

during those state funerals, except for LBJ. At that time Army Major General

James Bradshaw Adamson James Bradshaw Adamson (December 27, 1921 – January 13, 2003) was a major general in the United States Army. Early life and education Adamson was born at Fort Clark, Texas in 1921. A graduate of West Point, the United States Military Academy, ...

served as commanding general. It was just after that funeral Black Jack was retired.

Death and burial

Black Jack died after a 29-year military career on February 6, 1976. He was cremated, with his remains laid to rest in a plot at

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, on Summerall Field; his final resting place lies 200 feet (60 m) northeast of the flagpole in the southeast corner of the parade field. He is one of four horses in

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

history to be buried with Full Military Honors, the others being Chief,

Sergeant Reckless Staff Sergeant Reckless ( – May 13, 1968), a decorated Horses in warfare, warhorse who held official rank in the United States military, was a mare of Mongolian horse breeding. Out of a Horse racing, racehorse dam, she was purchased in O ...

, and Comanche.

Notes

External links

* Black Jack's burial site is at coordinates {{Assassination of John F. Kennedy 1947 animal births 1976 animal deaths Ceremonial horses Individual male horses Individual Morgan horses 20th-century history of the United States Army

Early life

Career

Death and burial

See also

Notes

External links