Evening star., 1950-01-20
Simple Eu|ogy Marks Last Rites for Gen. Arnold
By George Kennedy

AS CIe I1rSC real snow OF the
Washington winter silently whit
ened the landscape, General of
the Air Forces Henry H. Arnold
was buried yesterday in Arlington
Cemetery.
President Truman, members of
the cabinet and one of the great
est assemblages of military lead
ers since the war attended the
funeral services in the amphi-
theater.
The Air Force was burying its
No. l airman, the chief who had
led it to equal position with the
Army and Navy, and again and
again on the long march to the
cemetery. the military bands
broke into the refrain of the Air
Forces song-"Of we 60, into the
wide blue yonder."
First Such Ceremony.
1t was the first such ceremony
since creation of the Department
of the Air Force and the first
in which the airmen participated
in their new Oxbridge blue uni
forms.
The weather kept down the
crowds that have lined Washing
tons streets for funerals of other
war leaders. But despite the
storm, the amphitheater was al
most filled for the ceremony at
3 pm.
A single spray of red carna-
tions was in front of the flag
draped casket in the center of
the classic stage. Maj. Gen.
Charles I. Carpenter, chief of Air
Force chaplains. delivered a eulogy
and a service that was a model
of brevity.
( He said:
Gen. Arnold was born June
Is. 1885, in Gladwyn, Pa. He was
graduated from the United States
Military Academy, and was COM
missioned in the United States
Army on June IA, 1907. He re-
tired from the United States Air
Force June 80. 1916. He died in
his home in Sonoma. Calf, jan
uary Is, 1850. This is the brief
history of a great American. >" !"
May his courage, far-sightedness
and devotion to duty be a CON-
tinued inspiration to us ALL,
Chaplain Carpenter reserved
the familiar service from the
Book of Common Prayer" for the
graveside and merely read a poem
in the ampitheater-"They Softly
Walk" by Hugh Robert Orr. A
favorite of Mrs. Arnold's, it con-
tains these verses:
Not lost are they who reach
The summit of their climb,
The peak above the cloud and
storms"
Mrs. Arnold Hears Service.
Mrs. Arnold, who has been Ill,
heard the service under cover in
one of the small rooms of the
Iamphitheater structure. After the
ceremony she went to the grave
site on the arms of her sons, 1t.
Col. Henry H. Arnold, jr.. and
Capt. William B. Arnold. A third
son, 1t. David L. Arnold. and a
daughter, Mrs. Lois Snowden, fol-
lowed.
Gen. George c. Marshall and
Admiral Ernest J. King. who both
sat with Gen. Arnold throughout
American participation in the war
as members of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, were in attendance, as
were Gen. Eisenhower and Gen.
Bradley.
The sleety snow which had be-
gun to fall just as President
Truman entered the amphitheater
at 3 pm. turned to light flakes
as the casket was taken to the
gravesite on a caisson drawn by
six gray horses with a seventh
mounted by an outrider. The cais-
son was followed by a black caval-
ry horse with empty saddle and
boots reversed in the stirrups.
An air cover planned for the
ceremony was abandoned because
of the weather.
Cadets i'm Procession,
The line of march included a
battalion from West Point, a bat
talon from Annapolis. a company
of the Sd Infantry, with their
smart blue scarfs; a battey OF
field artillery. a troop of mech
anized cavalry. a company of ma
rines, a company of bluejackets
and squadron (about 100) OF
airmen in their new uniforms
Between the playing of hymns in
the cemetery march, Onward
Christian Soldiers" abide With
Me-" Rock of Ages" and Lead
Kindly Light" came the silence
that only obtains when snow is
falling. The only sound was the
squeak of boots in rhythmic tread
Gen. Arnold's grave is on a
knoll south of the tomb of the
Unknown Soldier above the many
graves of men recently brought
back from overseas-many of
them airmen. It is near the
grave Of Gen. John j. Pershing.
A Gordon of soldiers holding