State funerals in the United States

[1][2] Administered by the Military District of Washington (MDW), a command unit of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region, state funerals are greatly influenced by protocol, steeped in tradition, and rich in history.

The United States Congress convened in New York City, which at the time served as the nation's capital, and passed a concurrent resolution observing an official period of mourning for one month.

The French National Assembly, at the suggestion of Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, was so moved by the death of Franklin that the legislature observed a three-day period of mourning.

Upon arrival at a red brick tomb on a hillside in the environs of Mount Vernon, the casket was placed on a wood bier for grieving mourners to gather around for a final viewing and clergy to conduct funeral rites.

[13] Millions of people witnessed Lincoln's funeral procession from Washington, D.C., on April 19, 1865,[14] as his casket was transported 1,700 miles (2,700 km) by train through New York City to Springfield, Illinois.

[12] When the funeral train of William McKinley arrived in Washington, D.C., on September 16, 1901, two days after his death, the casket was taken to the East Room in the White House where a lavish display of palms, fruit trees, and floral arrangements transversed into the Cross Hall.

The silver casket was covered with a flag, a spread eagle, and topped off with red, white, and blue flowers personally designed by Harding's widow Florence.

When Hoover's casket arrived in Washington, D.C., on October 23, his remains lay in state in the Capitol rotunda for two days before they were flown to West Branch, Iowa, for interment.

[37] Afterwards, Bush was flown back to Texas where his remains lay in repose and a private funeral service was conducted at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston on December 6.

[47] After his death, Nixon’s remains were flown to California in an Air Force jet where his body lay in repose at his presidential library from the morning of April 26 until his funeral service the following day.

Eulogies were delivered by President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Senator Bob Dole, California Governor Pete Wilson, and Reverend Billy Graham.

A third funeral procession occurred on Constitution Avenue that included a flyover of fifty Air Force planes over the column in salute as the horse-drawn caisson neared the site of the casket transfer to a hearse.

After a religious service was held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on April 11 in Norfolk for an invited 400 guests, a fifth and final horse-drawn procession back to the MacArthur Memorial occurred.

At the discretion of the sitting president, he will also issue an executive order which authorizes the closure of all federal departments, agencies, and buildings on a national day of mourning during a state funeral.

The commanding general of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region will act as a military escort for the president's family from the time of the official announcement of death until interment occurs.

[74] Most state funerals include a nine-person honor guard acting as pallbearers (also known as body bearers) from all six branches of the Armed Forces, a series of gun salutes using cannons from the Presidential Salute Battery of the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard", flyovers in missing man formation, various musical selections performed by military bands and choirs, a military chaplain for the immediate family, and a flag-draped casket or pall.

Following his death at Walter Reed Army Hospital in 1969, Eisenhower lay in repose in the Bethlehem Chapel at Washington National Cathedral for 28 hours,[75] rather than at his presidential library in Abilene, Kansas.

Returned to Washington, D.C., ten days earlier by a funeral train, the remains of William McKinley were escorted on the rain-dampened avenue from the White House to the Capitol on September 17, 1901.

Among them, John Quincy Adams was serving in the House of Representatives at the time of his death in 1848, and William Howard Taft in 1930, who had a few weeks earlier stepped down as Chief Justice of the United States.

[30] Most recently, Jimmy Carter's funeral procession went down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol, with a casket transfer stop the United States Navy Memorial on January 7, 2025.

[89] Shortly after the casket is moved onto the floor of the Capitol rotunda and placed on top of the Lincoln catafalque,[90] members of the United States Congress gather to pay tribute.

Before the mid-20th century, the casket was moved long distances across the nation by a funeral train procession, where thousands of mourners would line the railroad tracks to pay homage.

[97] The departure and arrival ceremonies held at Joint Base Andrews as well as at the final destination of interment are met with honor guards, a military band, and a 21-gun salute as the casket is loaded on and unloaded off the aft section of a Boeing VC-25.

Instead of using a Boeing VC-137C jet (tail code SAM 26000) which at the time typically served the role as Air Force One, a funeral train was used to carry and transport Eisenhower’s casket.

[72] Taps, a bugle call sounded over the grave dating from the era of the American Civil War is performed by one lone bugler from the United States Marine Band, thirty to fifty yards away.

[107] The state funeral of Gerald Ford in 2006–07 included music such as O God, Our Help in Ages Past by William Croft, Eternal Father, Strong to Save (also known as The Navy Hymn), and Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland.

Tenor soloist Luigi Vena sang Pie Jesu by Ignace Leybach, Ave Maria by Franz Schubert,[110] and In Manus Tuus by Vincent Novello.

[111] During the Ford state funeral in 2007, renowned Metropolitan Opera singer Denyce Graves sangThe Lord’s Prayer by Albert Hay Malotte at the cathedral during the homily.

[109] Other venues, such as National City Christian Church invited American soprano Leontyne Price to sing Take My Hand, Precious Lord during Lyndon B. Johnson's state funeral in 1973.

[114] The rotunda has been used five times for six individuals who have lain in honor: four members of the United States Capitol Police killed defending the building (two in 1998 and two in separate incidents in 2021); civil rights activist Rosa Parks in 2005; and evangelist and minister Billy Graham in 2018.

The caisson bearing the casket of John F. Kennedy moving down the White House drive on the way to St. Matthew's Cathedral on November 25, 1963.
A Birch's Views of Philadelphia sketch depicting George Washington 's mock funeral procession on High Street in Philadelphia on December 26, 1799.
A Harper’s Weekly drawing depicting the remains of Abraham Lincoln lying in repose in the East Room of the White House on April 18, 1865.
A guard of honor carrying the casket of William McKinley up the center steps of the Capitol for the lying in state on September 17, 1901.
The remains of Warren G. Harding lying in repose in the East Room of the White House on August 7, 1923.
A horse drawn caisson transporting the remains of William Howard Taft from the Capitol to All Souls Church, Unitarian on March 11, 1930.
On April 14, 1945, a horse-drawn caisson transported the casket of Franklin D. Roosevelt on Pennsylvania Avenue en route to Washington Union Station .
Kennedy is lying in state in the United States Capitol Rotunda on November 24, 1963
A guard of honor carrying the remains of Dwight D. Eisenhower down the center steps on the east front of the Capitol on March 31, 1969.
The funeral service of Lyndon B. Johnson held at National City Christian Church in Washington, D.C., on January 24, 1973.
A guard of honor moving the casket of Ronald Reagan prior to interment at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on June 11, 2004.
An guard of honor carries the casket of Gerald Ford down the east steps of the U.S. Capitol on January 2, 2007.
George H. W. Bush lying in state in the United States Capitol rotunda on December 3, 2018
Carter's casket lies in state in the United States Capitol Rotunda
The funeral service of Richard Nixon was attended by President Bill Clinton , former Presidents George H. W. Bush , Ronald Reagan , Jimmy Carter , Gerald Ford and their wives on April 27, 1994, at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum .
The McKinley National Memorial located in Canton, Ohio, where the remains of William McKinley were interred in 1907.
The riderless horse named "Sergeant York", during the funeral procession on June 9, 2004, for Ronald Reagan , with a ceremonial sword attached to the saddle and a pair of the president's boots reversed in the stirrups.
Military units seen marching down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., during the state funeral for Abraham Lincoln on April 19, 1865.
The funeral procession of Admiral George Dewey at the 200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue on January 20, 1917.
Over 2,100 people attended the Episcopal funeral service for Dwight D. Eisenhower at Washington National Cathedral on March 31, 1969.
The EMD SD70ACe locomotive known as Union Pacific 4141 used to transport the remains of George H. W. Bush on a funeral train from Spring, Texas, to his presidential library in College Station for interment on December 6, 2018.
Jacqueline Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy departing Arlington National Cemetery after the conclusion of interment for John F. Kennedy on November 25, 1963.
Eight guards of honor prepare to fold the U.S. flag over President John F. Kennedy 's casket at Arlington National Cemetery on November 25, 1963.
Members of the United States Marine Band participated in Ronald Reagan's funeral procession to the Capitol on June 9, 2004.
The bugle used by Keith Clark to perform Taps during John F. Kennedy's interment at Arlington National Cemetery on November 25, 1963.