What does the sailors' gesture mean?

March 8, 2013 5:09 AM

Can anyone tell me about sailors' gesture in this photo? The sailors were carrying the remains of USS Monitor sailors from a plane to a hearse at Dulles Airport. The remains will be interred today at Arlington National Cemetery. (A highly annoying and loud ad precedes the photo.)
posted by jgirl to grab bag (8 answers total)

For others looking on mobile devices: the link will redirect you to the first photo in the series. jgirl is asking about the photo at the end, where the sailors are covering their faces with their fists.
posted by ocherdraco at 5:25 AM on March 8

This is part of the dignified transfer of remains procedure. You can see the gesture in context about 1 minute 10 seconds into this video. Basically, they are moving their hands up and out of the way as members of the party pull the transfer case containing the remains from the vehicle it is in. This photograph has been taken and presented in such a way that it appears to be some kind of salute, but it is halfway through a pretty practical action that is part of the slow, deliberate and respectful moving of a body.
posted by Happy Dave at 6:22 AM on March 8 [4 favorites]

For those that can not view the video; when the six new pall bearers stand in formation to receive the coffin, one sailor approaches the coffin by moving up between the two lines of pall bearers. As the coffin is being pulled forward, the remaining pall bears put their hands in this position to ready themselves to take the handles of the coffin when it passes them.

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posted by JujuB at 6:47 AM on March 8 [1 favorite]

Thank you so much, Happy Dave!

It also appears that they are doing the same thing at about 2:32 in the video, where it would seem to be unnecessary.

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posted by jgirl at 7:10 AM on March 8

jgirl: "Thank you so much, Happy Dave!

It also appears that they are doing the same thing at about 2:32 in the video, where it would seem to be unnecessary."

Yes, technically unnecessary, but this kind of ceremonial, formal movement is often symmetrical like this. That's the 'ready' position for being a pallbearer in the US Navy, so they will return to it when they let go of the case handles.
posted by Happy Dave at 7:15 AM on March 8

There is undoubtedly a manual for military pallbearers just as there is for swordbearers, pistol, rifle, colorguard (the formation you see at ballgames and such where 4 soldiers/sailors/airmen/marines bear the US flag, the State flag, and two ceremonial rifles) and so on.

The manuals prescribe specific movements for every stage of ceremonial movement so that the personnel are in uniform motion, eliminating casual gestures and maintaining timing so that the personnel will act simultaneously. The second use of the gesture is the reverse of the first. And you can bet they practice the hell out of this.
posted by Sunburnt at 7:23 AM on March 8

Here's an example of such a procedural manual, describing how a transfer case is moved from a C20 aircraft to a waiting vehicle. Every step is choreographed and drilled, over and over. This document doesn't describe the 'Ready' gesture seen in your link, but it's similar.
posted by Happy Dave at 7:30 AM on March 8

For what it's worth, I just got home from attending the Monitor ceremony at Arlington: the ritual transfer of the caskets included this gesture, exactly as Happy Dave and Sunburnt describe. Very formal, with the pallbearers movements entirely in unison.
posted by easily confused at 4:12 PM on March 8 [1 favorite]