[gentle music]
[hooves clopping]
- Eugene Burks Jr.: The U.S. Army Caisson Platoon
is one of two military ceremonial units.
We're laying our loved ones to rest, our soldiers to rest.
[solemn brass music]
We give our fallen soldiers the respect and the proper burial
that they deserve.
[tool scraping]
My position in the U.S. Army Caisson Platoon
is a saddler and leathersmith.
I originally learned my craft from my grandmother.
She's a dressmaker, and every time she would sew,
she would actually have me sitting there.
And I spent most of my time with my grandmother,
and pretty much everything that I am today has a lot to do
with what my grandmother taught me.
What I'm doing now is called creasing, and most all
of the military equipment has a crease line in it.
We use it also as a stitch line, so it gives us
a guide to keep our stitches straight.
[bright string music]
All the tack that we use has a great tradition behind it.
[metal jingles]
Everything here is made from scratch from the hide.
Only thing we order is the hardware.
This book is pretty much our Bible for how we construct
all of our tack for the U.S. Army Caisson Platoon.
We had a warrant officer, he actually found this book
in the supply room.
He just came in one day glowing, just like,
"Guess what I found?"
And I was like, "Really?"
Prior to this, we really didn't have a set standard
of how we would fabricate tack.
Now, everything that we make is to the specifications here.
You really can't argue with this.
[knife slice]
A very important part of what we do is to make sure
that the tack fits well.
Is there anything that is exposed to the horse?
You gotta, have to make sure we're...
Instead of having the surface like that, where it could rub,
you skive the edge of it so that you get a smooth surface
and won't cut 'em.
[hammering]
Regular hand punch.
Some of those straps have anywhere
from 12 to 14 holes in it.
This right here is, I'm actually setting the stitch row,
where I'm actually going to be hand-sewing,
this marker right here just gives little tick marks
as to where I'm gonna put my needle at.
This is called a saddler stitch.
And the difference between this and the machine stitches,
with a chain stitch like on a sewing machine,
if one stitch goes, it pretty much rips.
Versus this stitch here,
you can break two or three stitches, and everything else
will still stay in place.
'Cause each time you go through, it's actually
going to pierce the thread I just went through.
So it holds it in place.
- Man: Three, two, one.
[gentle string music]
- Eugene: The job that we do is so repetitive,
every day doing it.
And it happens so early in the morning.
[brushing]
And it's hard work, and it wears you out.
Physically, emotionally.
It's difficult for a soldier to stay here for three years
or four years and do this.
- Everything has to be 100% perfect at all times.
You know, we ride white horses, so a lot of times,
white hair is all over our uniforms.
Doesn't matter.
Everything that we do is full of honor and pride,
has to be completely perfect at all times.
[hooves clopping]
[gentle trumpet music]
- Eugene: The teams will be hooking up
around about 7:30 every day.
[metal jingles]
During that time, we will go ahead and do a walkthrough
or an inspection.
You need to get two shorter cheek straps.
- Officer: Okay.
- Eugene: You'll get the adjustment out of it.
My biggest concern is making sure that the horses
are tacked up right.
If the horse is uncomfortable, he's going to be worried
about the strap that's too tight or rubbing me.
It's very difficult for him to pay attention
to what you want him to do.
You ain't gonna make it easy.
- Go back.
- Eugene: So their comfort comes first,
and then just making sure they look their best,
the spit and shine polish.
That's honor guard, that's the Old Guard.
That's what we all about.
- Commanding Officer: Ready, mount.
Swain. - Female Officer: Ready.
- Commanding Officer: Lane. - Male Officer: Ready.
- Commanding Officer: Wales. - Male Officer: Ready.
- Commanding Officer: Caisson guard, out.
- Male Officer: Caisson forward, ho.
[hooves clopping]
[hammering]
- I take a lot of pride,
and I try to be consistent in what I do.
I like to stick to tradition.
And I just try to instill in them, that every time
they're laying someone to rest, that each funeral
should be done the same way regardless
of if it's Private Johnson or President Kennedy.
The standard is the standard every time that they go out.
[solemn trumpet music]
This job, I've been doing for years,
and I'm truly blessed
to be able to serve in the Caisson Platoon.
[rousing trumpet music] [hooves clopping]