William Wiley Brown

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by West Point 1955 on April 29, 2019:

Bill Brown Was Buried at Arlington on 23 April 2019 Bill was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery today. The ceremony took place at 1300 on a beautiful spring afternoon. Our class was represented by: Zach and Caroline Hagadorn, John and Ruth Sloan, Bill and Joan McCulla, and Rich and Mary Ann Miller. It was the typical Arlington graveside service. We assembled at the Administration Building, then followed Bill's ashes by car to a transfer point in the hills on the western side of the cemetery, near the old Ft. Meyer chapel. There Bill's ashes were transferred to a casket on a horse drawn caisson. A riderless cavalry horse, boots turned backwards in the stirrups, joined the procession, which included an Army band, and two small detachments of soldiers under arms. The cortege marched slowly for a half mile to Bill's gravesite where an Army chaplain conducted the services. An American flag was carefully unfurled by an eight man honor guard and held over Bill's ashes as the chaplain offered prayers. A firing party of seven soldiers fired three volleys in close succession and the beautiful, but mournful, sound of Taps from a lone bugler closed over us. The flag was then ceremoniously folded into the triangle that most of us well know and presented to Sandra, Bill's wife since we both served in the 25th Infantry Division, in Hawaii, as second lieutenants. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of a card and condolences to Sandra from a lady representing the Chief of Staff of the Army. After the services, many in the large crowd of those attending the graveside services joined Bill's family at a reception held at the Blackwall Barn & Lodge in Gambrills, MD. Grip hands. Rich Miller(LCA)

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