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Horseshoe worn by one of the six white horses from President Kennedy's funeral
Horseshoe worn by one of the six white horses from President Kennedy's funeral

Horseshoe worn by one of the six white horses from President Kennedy's funeral

Object number2017.065.0001.0001
Date1963 - 1964
ClassificationsArtifacts
ObjectHorseshoe
Credit LineThe Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Collection
MediumMetal
Dimensions5 3/8 × 5 1/4 × 1 1/8 in. (13.7 × 13.3 × 2.9 cm)
Collections
DescriptionHorseshoe worn by one of the six white horses that pulled the caisson bearing President John F. Kennedy's casket during the weekend of his funeral in Washington, D.C. in November 1963. This horseshoe was given to U.S. Army Captain Gerard M. Devlin in January 1964 by Captain Richard C. Cloy. At the time of President Kennedy's funeral, U.S. Army Captain Cloy was a Company Commander in the 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as "The Old Guard," which included the Caisson Platoon. Shortly after the funeral, the horseshoe was dipped in a silver metal substance to preserve it as a keepsake.
Curatorial Commentary
Both Col. Richard C. Cloy and Michael Devlin, son of the late Captain Gerard Devlin, recorded oral histories with the Museum in 2018. Michael Devlin, eight years old in 1963, was with his father on a visit to the stables which held the caisson horses shortly after the Kennedy funeral. At that time, Cloy gave the family a horseshoe from one of the six white horses. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator