- My position in the US Army Caisson Platoon is a saddler and leather smith.
I originally learned my craft from my grandmother.
She's a dress-maker, and every time she would sew, she would actually have me sitting there.
And I spent most of my time with my grandmother, and pretty much everything I am today has
a lot to do what my grandmother taught me.
What I'm doing now is called creasing, and most all of the military equipment has a crease
line in it.
We use it also as a stitch line so it gives us a guide to keep our stitches straight.
All the tack that we use has a great tradition behind it.
Everything here is made from scratch from the hide, only thing we order is the hardware.
This book is pretty much our Bible for how we construct all of our tack for the US Army
Caisson Platoon.
We had one officer, he actually found this book in the supply room.
He just came in one day glowing, just like, "Guess what I found?"
And I was like, "Really?"
Prior to this, we really didn't have a set standard of how we would fabricate tack.
Now, everything that we make is to the specifications here.
You really can't argue with this.
Very important part of what we do is to make sure that the tack fits well, is anything
that is exposed to the horse, you gotta have to make sure we're ... instead of having to
surface, like that, where it could rub, you skive the edge of it so that you get a smooth
surface and won't cut them.
Regular hand punch, some little straps have anywhere from 12 to 14 holes in it.
This right here is, I'm actually setting the stitch wheel, where I'm actually going to
be hand sewing, this marker right here just gives little tick marks as to where I'm gonna
put my needle at.
This is called a saddler stitch.
And the difference between this and the machine stitches, with a chain stitch like on a sewing
machine, if one stitch goes, it pretty much rips.
Verses this stitch here.
You can break two or three stitches, and everything else will still stay in place.
'Cause each time you go through, it's actually going to pierce the thread I just went through.
So it's actually going to hold it in place.
The job that we do is so repetitive, everyday doing it.
And it happens so early in the morning.
And it's hard work, and it wears you out.
Physically, emotionally.
It's difficult for a soldier to stay here for three years or four years and do this.
- Everything has to be 100% perfect at all times.
We ride white horses, so a lot of times, white hair is all over our uniforms.
Doesn't matter, everything that we do is full of honor and pride, has to be completely perfect
at all times.
- [Eugene Burks Jr.]
The teams will be hooking up around about 7:30 everyday.
During that time, we will go ahead and do a walk-through or an inspection.
You need to get two shorter cheek straps.
- [Male Officer] Okay.
- [Eugene Burks Jr.]
You'll get the adjustment out of it.
My biggest concern is making sure that the horses are tacked up right.
If the horse is uncomfortable, he's going to be worried about the strap that's too tight
or rubbing me.
It's very difficult for him to pay attention to what you want him to do.
You ain't gonna make it easy.
- Go back.
- [Eugene Burks Jr.]
So their comfort comes first, and then just making sure they look their best, the spit
and shine polish.
That's honor guard, that's the Old Guard.
That's who we all about.
- [Commanding Officer Voice] Ready, mount.
Slain.
- [Female Officer] Ready.
- [Commanding Officer] Lane.
- [Male Officer] Ready.
- [Commanding Officer] Wales.
- [Male Officer Two] Ready.
- [Commanding Officer] Caisson guard, out.
- [Male Officer Three] Caisson forward.
Ho.
- I take a lot of pride and I try to be consistent in what I do.
I like to stick to tradition.
And I just try to instill in them, that every time they're laying someone to rest, that
each funeral, should be done the same way regardless of if it's Private Johnson or President
Kennedy.
The standard is the standard every time that they go out.
This job I've been doing for years, and I'm truly blessed to be able to serve in the Caisson
Platoon.