# Reagan in State: Why is the sailor/marine in white so far from the casket?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-in-state-why-is-the-sailor-marine-in-white-so-far-from-the-casket/249557>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 10, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-in-state-why-is-the-sailor-marine-in-white-so-far-from-the-casket/249557 "2004-06-10T00:07:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-in-state-why-is-the-sailor-marine-in-white-so-far-from-the-casket/249557/1 "2004-06-10T00:07:09Z")

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I’m watching the ceremony now. VP Cheney just spoke. Every now and then the TV cuts to an overhead shot. The casket is surrounded by military men from all the branches. The sailor (marine?) in white is standing a good six feet away. The others are much closer. Any reason why?

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**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-in-state-why-is-the-sailor-marine-in-white-so-far-from-the-casket/249557/2 "2004-06-10T00:23:54Z")

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I don’t know, but if he’s not supposed to be doing it then he’s going to get soooo yelled at when his shift is over.

Fascinating ceremony. I never had much use for Nancy when she was FL but I feel terrible for her now. And it was beautiful to watch, even if (see the Pit) CNN screwed up the F-15s.

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**Author:** ![sunfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-in-state-why-is-the-sailor-marine-in-white-so-far-from-the-casket/249557/3 "2004-06-10T14:09:12Z")

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Just a WAG, but maybe this is a variation on the “missing man” flying formation?

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-in-state-why-is-the-sailor-marine-in-white-so-far-from-the-casket/249557/4 "2004-06-11T19:47:42Z")

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I saw this in [a WP article](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32929-2004Jun10.html):

> [@](#):
>
> An unarmed guard, such as McMillan, will always be at the head of the casket, and a guard with a rifle will stand at each corner. A sixth, the supernumerary, or “super,” will take a position a few paces away. The rifles have no cartridges, no firing pins, but they have fixed bayonets.