Crowd. Perform for the crowd. :smack:
I don’t believe the Queen was at the parade.
I couldn’t see clearly enough to tell, but I assumed that the horses were wearing the sort of “tail bags” (mounted behind their rumps to catch poop) that I have seen horses in parades wearing.
I’ve always wanted one of those bags. So efficient. 
Mr. Moto, I salute you for your your tiptoes through the road apples. I certainly don’t envy the boot cleaning detail!
This Tomb Guard FAQ (actually the entire site was linked from another thread about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and I found it to be really interesting and informative stuff about honor guards and the tomb itself.
Thanks for that link, ZipperJJ. This page describes the day I posted about earlier. Turns out nearly 2,000 soldiers formed the “cordon of honor” from the Capitol to Arlington.
Sissies! One of the things I learned from my high school band experience was that when you are marching in a parade always try to get a spot ahead of the horses and elephants. Especially the elephants.
We get a LOT of weapons training in the Navy. I’m qualified to fire 6-7 different weapons, including a .50 cal machine gun and a grenade launcher. How do you think we protect our ships from small boats? We also have to guard the pier when our ships pull in to port. You might be surprised at all the munitions that are carried onboard a ship.
This article in today’s Washington Post provides a good profile of what it’s like to be an Honor Guard.
According to it, the rifles have no cartriges or firing pins, but the bayonets are real enough.
Also, Reagan’s casket weighed 735 pounds, whereas a normal one would only weigh around 400. The extra weight is because it is lined with marble. ( :eek: )
Originally Posted by Liberal
And they’re all carrying rifles, including the sailor, which struck me as odd for some reason.
Originally Posted by BMalion
Should he be carrying a torpedo?
Originally Posted by Mehitabel
Nope, an oar.
Originally Posted by BMalion
or a harpoon.
Well, if he’s a real sailor, he’s carrying a condom.
Hijack: why would one line a coffin with marble? That just seems excessive and strange to me.
We need it to be sturdy so he can’t claw his way out and feast on our delicious brains.
“Sweet zombie Reagan!”