WEBVTT

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(guitar music with strong beat)

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- [Soldier] Ready! Two three.

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(guns fire)

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Ready! Two three.

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Present arms!

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- Y'all are looking great.

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^I'm Staff Sergeant Edward Montgomery,

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^Military Funeral Honors Platoon Sergeant

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^at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston.

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So if y'all do it like that today,

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it might be pretty awesome.

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I'm responsible for 12 horses that we have assigned here.

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I've got 12 soldiers that are permanently assigned,

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- [Soldier] Four, arms.

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- and I've got 24 soldiers that are assigned

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on a 90-day rotation.

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You know it's the little things,

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it's all fine-tuning at this point.

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The caisson tradition goes back

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to the field artillery where they would

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bring a wagon, a horse-drawn caisson limber,

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the first front part of a wagon right behind the horses,

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and drag a cannon out to the battle field

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with artillery shells.

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They'll connect the wagon and take

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the casualties back off.

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So the history from that has been

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transferred to now more of a ceremony

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where we're given symbolically that last ride,

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because those service members that died on the battlefield.

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I'm extremely proud of what they do.

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To know that I influenced that soldier,

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I helped train that soldier, and I'm giving

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that soldier the opportunity to go out there

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and give that family and that family member,

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that prior service member, that one last rite.

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There's no greater honor that I can

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imagine doing, other than being on the battlefield.

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I really enjoy what I'm doing.

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(horse hooves clopping)