Q: I watched C-SPAN's replay of JFK's funeral and was reminded of the skittishness of the riderless horse. It was noted that the horse was Mrs. Kennedy's and used at her request. It gave the soldier handling him a difficult time. Who was the soldier? Did he ever comment on what he did to try to keep the horse under control? — Barbara Kelly, Decatur
A: U.S. Army Pvt. Arthur Carlson was assigned to escort the riderless, or caparisoned, horse during President John F. Kennedy's processions. Carlson, who is retired and living in Mobile, Ala., recently told CNN that he "felt beat near to death and worn out" after leading the horse, which was named Black Jack, during the processions. He recently told AL.com that the horse, a 16-year-old that was named for Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, was spooked after hearing a noise and stayed that way for two days. "I knew if this horse gets away from me, I'm going to be walking guard duty around a radar station in Greenland before the week is out," he told the website. Carlson told CNN that Black Jack stomped his foot. "I wanted to fall down and roll around on the ground and cry, but I couldn't do that," he said. Jacqueline Kennedy loved and rode horses, but Black Jack belonged to the U.S. Army and was the last of the quartermaster-issued horses. He also participated in the funerals of Presidents Herbert Hoover, President Lyndon B. Johnson and Gen. Douglas MacArthur before retiring on June 1, 1973. Black Jack died at the age of 29 on Feb. 6, 1976, and there is a memorial to him at Fort Myer, near Arlington National Cemetery.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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