1974-05-23-The Pentagram News-Caisson platoon leader retires : 無料・フリー素材/写真
1974-05-23-The Pentagram News-Caisson platoon leader retires / Old Guard History
| ライセンス | クリエイティブ・コモンズ 表示 2.1 |
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| 説明 | Photo Caption:CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER John C. McKinney, riding the Lipizanner and Colonel Harvey H. Perritt Jr., on the other mount review the troops at McKinney’s retirement ceremony held Tuesday at Fort Myer. McKinney was caisson platoon leader during the final 15 years of his 33 year career. Perritt is the commander of the 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard).Story:As he reviewed the troops from a beautiful Lippizaner stallion-Chief Warrant Officer John C. McKinney ended 33 years army service in both enlisted and warrant ranks.McKinney rode his favorite horse, Beja Conversano in a retirement ceremony at north area Ft. Myer’s Summerall field on Tuesday.Since 1959, he has led the Caisson Platoon, 1st Battalion (Re-inforced) 3d Infantry (The Old Guard) at Ft. Myer. The platoon is the only active Army unit authorized horsesAs platoon leader he was responsible for the conduct of his 30 men and 30 horses. The platoon takes part in military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, state funerals, and Army retirement ceremonies. They also participate in military weddings, historical ceremonies at Mt. Vernon, Va, and special military pageants performed by 3d Infantry and U.S. Army Band.Poised and easygoing Coordinating the platoon's contributions to state funerals and high-ranking military officials could be pressure-packed, but it doesn't seem to bother the poised McKinney.His congenial, easy-going attitude wris picked up during childhood years on a farm in Mills Spring, N. C.As the 54 year-old horse lover speaks in a quiet southern drawl, he is a picture of the days of the horse-drawn Army.McKinney didn't expect to see any more mules when he loft his farm to join the Army in 1939 Ironically he was assigned to Battery C, 4th Field Artillery Battalion (Pack) Ft. Bragg, N.C., where he finished basic training on the job. His N.C. assignment was the first in a long series of assignments to Army riding schools, pack-artillery training center, and mule pack artillery units from Ft. Sill, Okla, to combat in the Burma-China-India theater in World WarII.Muleskinner in IndiaTransporting arms and ammunition on mules, many times with snow up to his waist, was back-breaking work. Fourteen of his first 18 years were spent as a muleskinner. He worked in motorpool and with missiles during the other four years.McKinney feels today's Army is a big challenge as well as a great opportunity for a soldier."I don't think enough men feel that way. It's a good way to achieve something worthwhile.The more a person puts into the Army, the more he'll get out of it, he said.McKinney has participated in state funerais of Herbert Hoover, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson and Douglas MacArthur, and over 400 others."I couldn't pick the most memorable funeral-those in Arlington Cemetery were just as important as State funerals," be said. "However, the Kennedy funeral caught unexpected."Horse and rider His job is challenging because turnover in personnel, it's hard to keep adequately trained." Turnovers are 25 FT cent today, says McKinney and were whopping 80 per cent during the Vietnamese conflict.Big turnovers cause problems for the horses, too.“The become proficient by repetition with the same rider. Here that is impossible to achieve because a man doesn't work with me horse all the time," he said McKinney tries to match the caliber of rider and horse. The more experienced rider get an experienced mount and vice versa McKinney prefers to instruct men without any prior riding experience. He said the majority of men coming here know how to ride Western and we have to change them to English styleReflecting on his military career, Mc said "I had to do it over again. I wouldn't change anything. My wife and family were treated well, and we enjoyed the Army years The time went very fast McKinney has no immediate future plans Eventually he hopes to work with horses du right now isn't in a hurry to decide."Retirement is not as easy as everyone thinks. It's hard to forget 3 years of one's life.” |
| 撮影日 | 2017-07-18 11:04:13 |
| 撮影者 | Old Guard History |
| 撮影地 |