ARLINGTON, Va. — Under Thursday’s perfect blue skies, soldiers from the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) gathered to honor President John F. Kennedy at his gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery during a wreath-laying ceremony. At the solemn event, four men had the honor of placing the wreath at the headstone: JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg, Command Chief Warrant Officer of the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) Felix Mosqueda, 7th Special Forces Division Sgt. Maj. Mike Clayton and Commander of the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) Maj. Gen. Lawrence Ferguson.
Sgt. Maj. Clayton then placed his beret on the headstone before descending the steps with the others. A moment of silence followed, broken only by the piercing cries of a bagpipe rendition of Taps filling the air. Bass vocalist Sgt. 1st Class Heath Sorensen sang “The Ballad of the Green Berets” (perhaps forgetting a phrase of the lyrics during the song) accompanied by the brassy timbre of two trumpets, a French horn, a euphonium, and a trombone.
After the “Army Song” by the brass band and a benediction from a chaplain, members of the public were allowed to approach the gravesite to pay their respects, take pictures — some with selfie sticks — and preserve the special day in their memories.