Nation’s capital mourns Ronald Reagan

With the storied riderless horse symbolizing the fallen president, Ronald Reagan’s casket rolled on a century-old caisson to the Capitol today for final tributes from high officials and common Americans in the first presidential state funeral in three decades.

The 40th president lay in state under a dome where public servants from Abraham Lincoln forward have been honored. People stood by the thousands in quiet witness to his funeral procession along the broad expanse of Constitution Avenue and waited hours in steamy heat to pay last respects in the Capitol Rotunda.

“Fellow Americans, here lies a graceful and a gallant man,” said Vice President Dick Cheney, speaking at the state funeral ceremony opening the 34-hour period of Reagan’s lying in state. “It was the vision and the will of Ronald Reagan that gave hope to the oppressed, shamed the oppressors and ended the evil empire.”

Crowds 15 deep watched the Washington procession. Drums sounded, marking the cadence of the marchers, and cheers briefly broke out for Nancy Reagan at the head of the procession. She waved repeatedly, looking wan.

“God bless you, Nancy,” a man cried out.

In her husband’s death as in his life, she was beside him at every step. When his casket reached the landing of the Capitol, she reached out and touched it. She gazed at it, as she had been known so long for gazing at him in life.

Reagan’s body arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland from California to close the first chapter in a slowly unfolding week of remembrance. In California, more than 100,000 people had paid respects to Reagan in his presidential hilltop library.

Reagan’s funeral procession was formed within view of the South Lawn of the White House. Following a long tradition, rarely seen, the body of the former president, who was an avid horseman, was carried on a black caisson drawn by six horses. The artillery carriage was built in 1918 to carry provisions and ammunition.

Behind that trailed Sgt. York, the horse with an empty saddle and boots reversed in the stirrups to symbolize a warrior who will ride no more and looks back a final time on his troops. Sgt. York stepped lively, tossing his head and appearing a bit spooked on occasion.

Overhead - only 1,000 feet overhead - 21 fighter jets screamed by in four formations, a wingman breaking away and rocketing upward to signify the loss of a comrade.

By early evening, 100 people on the National Mall had been treated for heat-related illnesses, said Alan Etter, speaking for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. U.S. Capitol Police trucked in about 150,000 of bottles of water and turned on large fans for people waiting in line to view Reagan’s casket in the Capital Rotunda.

In the service opening 34 hours of Reagan’s lying in state, Senate President Pro Tem Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, noted a tradition dating to 1824 of paying final tribute to public servants in the Rotunda.

“President Abraham Lincoln was the first president to lie in state under this Capitol dome,” he said. “In the coming days, thousands will come to these hallowed halls to say goodbye to another son of Illinois who, like Lincoln, appealed to our best hopes, not our worst fears.”

At Andrews, Mrs. Reagan walked slowly down the steps of the Boeing 747 that was sent by President Bush and watched silently as body bearers drawn from all branches of the armed forces carried her husband’s casket from the plane. “Hail to the Chief” rang out and cannon fired, followed by “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” Flags snapped in the stiff wind.

To Carol Williams of Chesterfield, Va., all the fanfare was for a common man.

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