April 14, 1945: Franklin D. Roosevelt's funeral procession on the streets of Washington, DC

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Sun Apr 15, 2018, 07:36 AM - Edit history (14)

It's 4:3 format stretched to wide screen. I don't know how you can undo that.

This is the first time I've seen this footage. When the video was made from the film, some portions were flipped.

In a sequence starting at 2:20, the soldiers or Marines (the uniforms are OD), and some sailors too, are saluting with their left hands. I could verify that this part was flipped by knowing how a flag is supposed to be placed over a coffin.

I just looked that up. See: United States Flag Code

The flag in mourning

....
When used to cover a casket or coffin, the flag should be placed with the union at the head and over the left shoulder. It should not be lowered into the grave; it is also to be removed before the casket is set for cremation. It is considered a proper sign of courtesy to salute a casket covered with the American flag as the pall (in military and state funerals) at the proper time.

In the same footage where the military personnel are saluting with their left hands, the flag is on the coffin so that the union is over Roosevelt's right shoulder. Flag protocol would have been excruciatingly observed for such a service, so the footage is reversed in this portion.

In a sequence at 3:18, Admiral Ernest King salutes with his right hand, and the steering wheels of the automobiles are on the left hand side. That part is right.

How did we ever get along without computers?

Published on May 15, 2014

The funeral procession of President Franklin D. Roosevelt moves on the streets of Washington DC

Spectators line sidewalks in Washington,DC, to watch the funeral procession of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Police motorcycle escort surrounds flag-draped coffin of the President, resting on caisson pulled by team of horses. Color Guard and several closed black limousines are immediately behind. Two open cars, with Secret Service agents on their running boards, are seen next. The closest one carries the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sam Rayburn, and other officials. A contingent of Women Marines, in dress blues, marches ahead of the casket. Other military units march ahead of them in the distance. Change of scene with brief glimpse of sailors marching along Delaware Avenue, with Union Station in the background. Shift back to the President's casket continuing to move along. Grass and trees line the sides of the street, where spectators fill the sidewalks. Closeup of an open car carrying DC police chief, Edward J. Kelly and other police officials, followed by motorcycle policemen, and the team of horses pulling the caisson with the President's casket. Closeup of closed limousine carrying mourners. Open car carrying House Speaker Rayburn, and others. US Navy Fleet Admiral Ernest King and an officer salute. People in the background. Location: Washington DC. Date: April 14, 1945.

Here's a newsreel of Roosevelt's death:

On board the train, and in the procession in DC, the flag is shown correctly placed on the coffin. See 1:11, 3:18, 3:36, and 4:08.

One more. I find these fascinating.

Again, see 2:53 for the proper placement of the flag. That scene shows the procession coming up ... well, I don't know what that's called. Google says it's Union Station Drive NE, or maybe it's Columbus Circle NE. It's that street on the east side of Union Station that goes down and makes a right to become F Street NE. The SEC is there now, right at the bottom where the turn is. See https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8968247,-77.0046912,19z .

Roosevelt died on the 12th. I used to be able to find that week's issue of Life magazine at Google Books. An article in that issue covered the funeral train. FDR's body was moved to Atlanta on the 13th, and a train took it up the Southern Railway mainline to DC. It made the trip on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th.

Here is the train at dawn in Charlottesville, Virginia:



That's looking to the northeast. The large white building above the tracks, where Main Street goes over the tracks, is the old Queen Charlotte Hotel. It was torn down years ago. The train stopped so that railway officials could use the telephone. Southern Railway trainmaster (and mayor of Alexandria from 1940 to 1949) William T. Wilkins rode the train from Monroe, Virginia, (yes, the town mentioned in "Wreck of the Old 97") up to Alexandria or DC.

The picture was taken from an interlocking tower at the northeast corner of the crossing where the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway crossed the Southern Railway.

FDR Funeral Train

The President’s last visit to Charlottesville, however, would be the morning of April 15th 14th. Amid the early morning darkness, local residents made their way to the Southern Railway Station, lining the West Main Street overhead crossing.

At 6:20 AM the two-steam locomotive pulling the 11-car funeral train eased into the station. President Roosevelt’s body lay in a casket covered with an American flag in the illuminated final car filled with flowers and a guard of honor all standing at attention. After resting for three minutes, the train pulled away, eventually reaching Washington at 9:50 AM the next morning later that morning.

[riversedge]

1. thanks so much for the post.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. I'm enjoying making it.

Roosevelt was the last president before I was born.

I'm enjoying looking at the old footage, even though the occasion is one of sadness. It was on this Saturday in April, the one in the middle of the month, when this all took place. Easter fell on the 1st in 1945.

Thank you for writing.

[DK504]

3. Thank you posting that.

I have been a fan of FDR since I learned about him in school.

[JudyM]

4. Interesting. Times were much more civil then.