After Phil reported to work and settled into his new desk at Fort Myer the following morning, one of Colonel McGarr’s aides came rushing in.[1]

“Captain, the boss is waiting for you in his car out front. You need to get out there pronto. The old man does not like to be kept waiting.”

Phil hopped down the stairs as fast as he could. Even with his new pros­ thesis, he had to take each step one at a time, stepping down with his good leg, bringing the artificial leg down to the same level, and repeating the same steps again and again. As good as his updated leg was, the prosthetists at Walter Reed General Hospital said newer legs with much improved joints would soon be available. In the future, a new prosthesis would allow him to walk up and down steps more naturally and even run to some degree. He couldn’t wait.

Phil spotted Ross, sitting shotgun. The driver stood next to the idling car, holding open the rear door, where Colonel McGarr sat cross-legged on a leather bench seat. Phil slid in and said hello to the colonel and Ross.

Soon they were cruising down Highway 1 through the lush Virginia countryside. Their windows were wide open, and the warm air of a spring morning in 1946 blew through the car.

“What’s our mission?” Phil asked.

“We’re going to Fort Belvoir, about twenty miles to the south, for some business and to show you around the stables,” McGarr answered. “We’ll inspect the advance horsemanship training course that some of the caisson platoon men and horses are attending. This training is somewhat of a break for the caisson soldiers and their horses. These men receive this advanced training every few months to sharpen their skills.

“The Fort Belvoir stables are where new horses are medically evaluated, trained, and housed before their transfer to Fort Myer,” the colonel added. “Once up with us, they’re rookies on the caisson platoon. After two weeks working at Arlington, the horses are taken back to Fort Belvoir’s stables for a week, where they have acres of pastureland to run, roam, and graze. After their rest week, they come back to Fort Myer and train for another week before going back to Arlington cemetery for two weeks. Then the cycle repeats itself. I want you to see and be familiar with the process. Plus, I love the drive down and back. It’s relaxing for me to be away from all the bullshit paperwork and administration.”

Phil was excited about the opportunity to understand the other side of the caisson operation. During the drive, the men smoked and shared stories.

(TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW)

~~~~~

[1] Larimore, At First Light, 313.

[2] Larimore, At First Light, 313-314.

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December 24, 1945M