Arlington National Cemetery Full Honors Burial for Tarawa Marine PFC Robert J. Carter KIA 11/20/1943. Re-interment July 13, 2016 @ 11:00 am at Arlington National Cemetery.

L/CPL Jeremy Nelson holding our national colors.

Military Funeral Honors is the ceremonial paying of respect and the final demonstration of the country’s gratitude to those who, in times of war and peace, have faithfully defended our nation. The Military Funeral Honors ceremony consists of, at a minimum, the folding and presentation of the American flag and the sounding of Taps by a detail of two uniformed members, in addition to a bugler, if available, of the Armed Forces.

At least one of the detail’s members shall be from the parent Service of the eligible beneficiary. Although the law dictates that two uniformed members will be the minimum, this will be the exception and not the rule for Marine Corps Funeral Honors details.

In November 1943, PFC Robert Junior Carter was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. PFC Robert J. Carter died around Nov. 20, 1943.

Marine Corps Body Bearers | The Last To Let You Down

The Marine Corps only uses six Body Bearers while some other branches use eight.

The LP is were new Marines go through rigorous daily training at Ceremonial Drill School (CDS). Students are infantry Marines. The majority are just beginning their careers.

Most incoming Marines are not ready for the challenges of CDS

It can take students 6 months to more than a year to meet Body Bearer standards.

The Body Bearers do not breath through their mouth but in and out through the nose.
To show No emotion and No pain. Showing no physical strain what so ever. Because it's All about 'the family'.

Bravo Company is home to the Marine Corps Body Bearer Section. The section is comprised of 15 Marine infantrymen whose primary mission is to bear the caskets at funerals for Marines, former Marines, and Marine family members at Arlington National Cemetery and the surrounding cemeteries in the National Capitol Region. On occasion, they are called to travel to locations all around the country to support funerals for senior statesmen, heads of state, and former Presidents of the United States.

The road to becoming a Body Bearer is not an easy. Each member has to demonstrate that he has the bearing and physical strength to carry out this mission. A typical day for a Body Bearer includes several hours of ceremonial drill practice and intensive weight training and conditioning. The remainder of the day includes infantry knowledge and skills proficiency training.

The 21-gun salute is actually an honor guard team firing three volleys from rifles. This tradition comes from traditional battle ceasefires where each side would clear the dead. The firing of three volleys indicated the dead were cleared and properly cared for.

Taps consists of 24 notes sounded on a bugle or trumpet. Taps is performed by a solo bugler without accompaniment.

Military honors follow a certain sequence dictated by tradition and protocol. Three rifle volleys are fired, followed by the sounding of Taps. The flag is then folded and presented to the Next-of-Kin.

The consensus of the body bearers is that the physical pain they feel when lifting a casket for extended periods is incomparable to what a family feels.
Body bearers said they feel as though they represent the whole Marine Corps.

“If it was up to me, I’d say ‘let’s have the whole Corps carry the caskets,’ because each time we lose a Marine that’s really who feels it. The whole Corps,”
They agree that pain is a small price to pay to uphold the honor of being “the last to let you down.”

Joan Marie (Carter) Nusbaum surviving sister of PFC Robert Junior Carter presented with the flag of a grateful nation.

Kimb Brown surviving niece of PFC Robert Junior Carter presented with the flag of a grateful nation.

Navy Chaplain extending his condolences to Joan Marie (Carter) Nusbaum surviving sister of PFC Robert Junior Carter.

Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant Leonard J. Spain extends his condolences to Joan Marie (Carter) Nusbaum surviving sister of PFC Robert Junior Carter.

Members of Rolling Thunder® Inc. placed the POW-MIA beads on the casket of PFC Robert Junior Carter.

This Marine escorted the remains of PFC Robert Junior Carter to Arlington.

In November 1943, PFC Robert Junior Carter was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert
Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense
fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and
more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.
PFC Robert J. Carter died around Nov. 20, 1943.

In 2015, a nongovernmental organization, History Flight, Inc., notified the official Defense organization, DPAA, that a burial site was discovered on the island and the NGO had recovered what they believed to be 35 sets of remains believed to be United States Marines from the Battle of Tarawa.

Welcome Home and rest in peace, PFC PFC Robert Junior Carter.
Semper Fidelis