By: Galen B. Jackman - Ronald Reagan: An Essay on the Legacy of an American Icon

Major General, US Army Retired - Organized Former President Ronald Reagan’s State Funeral for the Military District of Washington

“His Boots”

In June, 2004, I had the great honor of supervising the execution of President Ronald Reagan’s State Funeral.  As the Commander of the Military District of Washington (MDW) and Joint Force Headquarters of the National Capital Region (JFHQ-NCR), I inherited the State Funeral Plans for all the living former Presidents and the then, current President, George W. Bush.  The President Reagan State Funeral plan had been refined with the family through the years, and all the appropriate Agencies, Military Services, Jurisdictions, and the Media had been routinely briefed and rehearsed on the plan.  In addition to supervising the overall execution of the State Funeral and the military aspects of the associated security plan, my responsibility also included escorting the former First Lady, Nancy Reagan, during all the major events of the Funeral.

I have often been asked about my most memorable aspect of the funeral.  That is a tough question because there are so many memories of that event, including the tremendous performance of the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Civilians. I would however, like to relate an interesting story that adds a little lightness to such a somber occasion.  One detail of President Reagan’s funeral included placing his riding boots, reversed, in the stirrups of the caparisoned horse in the caisson procession.  This is an old military tradition symbolizing a fallen warrior looking back on his fellow warriors for the last time.

In the State Funeral, during what is called the National Capital Region phase, we transported President Reagan in his casket and his family from our arrival at Andrews Air Force Base by motorcade to the intersection of 16th Street and Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC.  At that point, we transferred the casket from the hearse to the caisson for transport in procession to the US Capitol.  I escorted Mrs. Reagan from her limousine to a vantage point where she could observe the transfer.  The comments from the observing public to Mrs. Reagan were heart-warming, sympathetic, and patriotic.

As Mrs. Reagan observed the transfer of the casket, her eye caught Sergeant York, the caparisoned horse, who was somewhat acting-up due to the large public crowd there.  The Soldier, who was Sergeant York’s handler, did a marvelous job keeping the horse under control while maintaining his ceremonial composure.  Observing President Reagan’s riding boots (with spurs) in the saddle stirrups on Sergeant York, she turned to me and said, “The President’s boots sure look shiny.  You know, the President never shined his boots.  He just wiped them off.  When I provided those boots for their use in the funeral, I gave instructions that his boots were not to be polished.  They sure look shiny to me.”

My command had received the President’s boots from the Secret Service, who I was told, had received them from some of the retired Secret Service officers from President Reagan’s old detail.  So, when Mrs. Reagan made the “shiny boot” comment to me, I assured her that we did not shine the boots, and that we placed the boots in the stirrups just as we had received them.  She made no further comment about the boots.

A few months later, I attended an event which included a few members of President Reagan’s old Secret Service detail.  I relayed to them Mrs. Reagan’s comments about the President’s boots.  There was a big chuckle.  One of them noted that when Mrs. Reagan gave them the boots, they looked so badly scuffed and worn, that they decided to polish the boots so they were presentable for the funeral.

About a year after the funeral, Vice President Dick Cheney hosted Mrs. Reagan for a large dinner at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC.  I was asked to attend but stay hidden from her until she was scheduled to make a few remarks.  The intent was for me to surprise her and escort her onto the stage for her remarks, which I did.  After the dinner, the Vice President and I had a very nice conversation with Mrs. Reagan backstage while she awaited transportation.  I took the opportunity to recount the entire truth about President Reagan’s shiny boots.  We all had a good laugh.  That was the last time I saw Mrs. Reagan in person.  I’m glad my last memory of her was a smile on her face.