An Irish cadet honor guard, center rows with arms outstretched, stand in formation as the U.S. flag is lifted from the coffin of President John F. Kennedy during his funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The cadets – 18- and 19-year-old soldiers – had been whisked from their remote barracks in County Kildare the day before and were flown to the U.S. to perform a special ceremonial drill at the funeral of the slain president. Kennedy had been captivated by the drill when he saw it performed in Dublin months earlier.For hours the young cadets waited, standing at attention by the freshly dug grave – a striking tableau in their crisp green tunics and brown breeches, rifles by their sides.
Fifty years later, they still remember how those hours felt like an eternity, the muffled beat of the distant drums growing steadily louder as the funeral procession crossed the Potomac River and entered Arlington National Cemetery.
They were closer to the grave than anyone, this specially chosen honor guard about to deliver the performance of their lives.
Opposite, a phalanx of press photographers from around the world jostled for position, training cameras on the 27 soldiers as reporters asked, “Who are those guys?”
The answer astounded them.