(music) ♪ ♪ Beryl Dakers> And here we have what I believe is the first, Emory Thomas> Looks to me.

Beryl> --casket aboard its individual caisson.

I don't know whether or not that would be Lieutenant Dixon's, Emory> If not, it should be.

but I suspect that, given Emory> It should be.

the protocol being observed, it probably is.

Emory> And the riderless horse would indicate that he is the commander.

He was involved with the "Hunley" for quite some time actually and worked on it in the machine shop in Mobile when they were building it and accompanied it to Charleston in the summer of 1863 when they brought the "Hunley", under guard, under wraps, as a secret into Charleston.

Beryl> It came by train, did it not?

Emory> Yes, it came by rail and was kept very carefully as secret as possible.

And even the first trial that resulted in the death of five crew members was kept secret so that the enemy wouldn't find out about this secret weapon.

Beryl> But it was Lieutenant Dixon, indeed, who urged Beauregard, I believe, to resurrect the "Hunley" a third time and to try again.

Emory> Well, the first trial came as a result of Beauregard, who commanded the defenses of Charleston, becoming very, very impatient with trials and tests and modifications.

He wanted some action because, at this particular time, the Federals were opening with huge artillery pieces.

The Swamp Angel, for example, a 200-pound Parrott rifle, was raining shells on the city, and Beauregard needed some help.

And so he took over the "Hunley" from these private individuals, who had simply volunteered her for Confederate service.

He took over the "Hunley" and gave her to the Confederate Navy to operate.

It was a crew of regular Confederate Navy personnel who went down in her the first time, not appreciating, I don't think, the intricacy that you had to operate this...control, because this thing does not float all that well, and if you get too much water in it, it has the floating capacity of a rock, which they found out the hard way during that August 29th trial, when the "Hunley" went down off Fort Johnson on James Island and lost five members of the crew.

Then Beauregard, realizing the error of his ways, gave it back to Horace Hunley, who took it out actually for a dress rehearsal.

The idea was that he would dive underneath a Confederate ship, towing a torpedo behind him, a mine, an explosive device.

He would then surface on the other side of this Confederate ship in the harbor, and that would cause the mine to come into contact with the ship and, if it had been live, to blow it up.

In this case, it was a dummy mine, and it never got that far, because what happened was that in the course of diving, Hunley, who should have known the ship better than anybody in the world, didn't take a candle with him and forgot that he had left the seacock open, so that, when he tried to pump the water out to right the ship, he was unable to.

The ship flooded.

Beryl> What was Hunley's actual capacity on that ill-fated voyage.

He's not technically a member of the crew.

Emory> Well, he was in command.

Beryl> But he was commanding it.

Emory> It was his ship.

He had, he had bought and paid for the, uh, the... the previous ships.

Beryl> I'm interrupting you to look at the women, who are appropriately attired in their widow's weeds, who are a part of this processional today.

By the way, the reenactors include not only Confederate reenactors for today's events.

I've been watching to see if we could note a Union detachment, as well.

I have not seen one thus far, but- Emory> One would think that they might pay some attention to the five crewmen aboard the "Housatonic" who lost their lives in this first successful trial.

Of course, they were the target and, therefore... maybe not a part of this event, but five crewmen aboard the "Housatonic" did lose their lives.

(wagon wheels rattling) Beryl> Another caisson going by with its full military accoutrement following closely behind.

They are now up and moving and at a fairly brisk rate.

Emory> They have indeed picked up the pace.

Beryl> That's the first of eight caskets borne on caissons, an authentic military burial.

Again, the coffins are draped in the second national flag of the Confederacy.

Emory> The Stainless Banner... so-called because it's essentially white with the border, with the, you know, the...corner with Saint Andrew's cross.

That's so familiar as the battle flag.

Designed, I believe, by a South Carolinian... William Porcher Miles.

He gets credit for designing that particular Saint Andrew's cross with the 13 stars.

Beryl> Caisson Number 2 has just passed our viewing station.

This would be the third one.

And the marchers seem to be reinvigorated now.

There is a little pep as they proceed for their main mission here at Magnolia Cemetery.

Again, I'm Beryl Dakers here with Dr.

Emory Thomas, who is the Mark Clark Professor of History at The Citadel and the distinguished Regents Professor Emeritus for the University of Georgia at Athens.

As we rejoin these ceremonies, and we've talked about the significance of today's event, but, also, we can hardly touch on the fact that there are literally throngs of people.

Our cameras can't really show that so closely, but there are literally throngs of people still trying to get in here.

Emory> Yeah.

This is not an easy place to get into in Charleston, and the construction on the bridge hasn't made it any easier... that new Cooper River Bridge.

And so simply just putting all of these people in the street, you get an accordion effect, and I'm amazed that there are as many people there as there are.

Sen.

Glenn McConnell> At this time, it's also my honor to introduce our next speaker.

He has given the "Hunley" project the love, direction, and the resources necessary to nourish its growth.

When we started this project, we needed a business manager and somebody who could really get things organized and somebody who could operate from the heart.

From the moment we met this gentleman, we knew he was the right person.

His efforts on behalf of the "Hunley" and her crew are a true testament and hopefully will serve as an example to others.

He stands modest about his accomplishments, but he has done more than we could ever possibly thank him for.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome a friend of the "Hunley," Warren Lasch.

(applause) Warren Lasch> Thank you for coming today.

We are here to honor the crew members of the submarine "H. L. Hunley" and complete the journey home they began on February 17, 1864.

This is an experience that is both solemn and emotional, but it is also inspirational, because we are celebrating what these men symbolized... courage, bravery, and a commitment to duty that has rarely been matched in the annals of our history.

The "Hunley" is a tribute to the innovative spirit and bravery of the men who were in the greatest military conflict our nation has endured.

The "Hunley" belongs to all of us.

All Americans have a responsibility to preserve our nation's history.

We all have an obligation to honor the achievements of the generations that came before us.

The achievement we honor today transcends geographical lines.

It unites North and South, East and West, and it spans the vast oceans that separate nations.

The "Hunley" project is about discovery.

It's about learning what history can teach us.

This project shows us what science, innovation, technology, and the human spirit can make possible.

It's also about courage.

These men taught us and they will teach future generations the meaning of words like honor and determination.

They taught us the true meaning of the call to duty, bravely relinquishing their lives as the ultimate sacrifice.

Today the remains of these men will be committed to the earth, but their spirit will live beyond the horizon of time where ingenuity and innovation reside.

The project of recovery and conservation has been a journey that unlocks secrets, teaches lessons, and achieves new insights into what happened on that winter's night.

On February 17, 1864, eight men stepped forward and volunteered for service.

They were not ordered to take this risk.

Rather they volunteered to man an experimental underwater vessel in which two other crews had perished.

Whatever thoughts occupied their mind, the mission they undertook that night had a profound ripple effect across time and space.

Today we've seen an ocean of ripples triggered by the "Hunley" that has literally encircled the earth.

The legend of the "Hunley" and her mysterious disappearance became a bedtime story for children and a point of debate among scholars.

Her story had been entrenched in the popular culture.

For over 100 years, people searched for this submarine and her lost crew... and failed.

It seemed as if the mystery might never be solved.

We wouldn't be here today if not for Clive Cussler, Ralph Wilbanks, Wes Hall, and Harry Pecorelli.

I know everyone here is grateful to each of them for their vision and for their untiring efforts that achieved immeasurable success.

After the "Hunley" was located, a recovery effort was undertaken that also set new records in its design and execution.

It raised the bar internationally and became the new world standard for shipwreck recovery.

In a massive collaborative project, both state and federal governments worked with world-class experts in underwater archaeology and developed an innovative recovery plan.

On August 8, 2000, the entire world watched as the "Hunley" rose from the ocean and returned to the sunlight for the first time in over a century.

An international team of experts from the United States Navy, Clemson University, Texas A&M (A and M) University, the Smithsonian Institution, Paris' Sorbonne University, the Department of Defense, and many other colleges, universities, and corporations were then assembled to excavate and conserve the "Hunley."

These pioneers, who helped usher in the age of modern submarines, will finally lie in peace together.

This hallowed ground will forever serve as a monument, (muted audio) courage and sacrifice.

Only 17 days before the "Hunley" embarked on her historic mission, Lieutenant Dixon wrote the following words, and I quote... "I have got a splendid crew of men, the best I ever seen."

They were, indeed, a splendid crew.

May God bless their souls as we lay them to rest today.

(applause) (♪ "Going Home" ) sung by James Gosnell Jr.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ They say there's a place ♪ ♪ where dreams have all gone.

♪ ♪ They never said where, ♪ ♪ but I think I know.

♪ ♪ It's miles ♪ ♪ through the night, ♪ ♪ just over the dawn, ♪ ♪ on the road ♪ ♪ that will take me home.

♪ ♪ I know in my bones, ♪ ♪ I have been here before.

♪ ♪ The ground feels the same ♪ ♪ though the land's been torn.

♪ ♪ I've a long way to go, ♪ ♪ the stars tell me so, ♪ ♪ on this road ♪ ♪ that will take me home.

♪ ♪ Love waits for me ♪ ♪ round the bend, ♪ ♪ leads me endlessly on.

♪ ♪ Surely sorrows ♪ ♪ shall find their end, ♪ ♪ and all our troubles ♪ ♪ will be gone.

♪ ♪ And I know what I've lost ♪ ♪ and all that I've won ♪ ♪ when the road finally ♪ ♪ takes me home.

♪ (music continues) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And when I pass by, ♪ ♪ don't lead me astray.

♪ ♪ Don't try to stop me.

♪ ♪ Don't stand in my way.

♪ ♪ I'm bound for the hills ♪ ♪ where cool waters flow ♪ ♪ on this road ♪ ♪ that will take me home.

♪ ♪ Love waits for me ♪ ♪ round the bend, ♪ ♪ leads me endlessly on.

♪ ♪ Surely sorrows ♪ ♪ shall find their end, ♪ ♪ and all our troubles ♪ ♪ will be gone.

♪ ♪ And we'll know ♪ ♪ what we've lost ♪ ♪ and all that we've won ♪ ♪ when the road finally ♪ ♪ takes us home.

♪ ♪ I'm going ho-o-o-o-ome.

♪ ♪ I'm going ho-o-o-o-ome.

♪ ♪ I-I-I'm ♪ ♪ going home.

♪ (music fades out) (applause) Father Dow Sanderson> I am the resurrection and the light, sayeth the Lord.

He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold and not as a stranger.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

For if we live, we live unto the Lord, and if we die, we die unto the Lord.

Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, even so said the spirit, for they rest from their labors.

Amen.

Minister> The Lord is my shepherd.

There is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd.

There is nothing I shall want.

In verdant pastures, he gives me repose.

Beside restful waters, he leads me.

He refreshes my soul.

The Lord is my shepherd.

There is nothing I shall want.

He guides me in right paths for His name's sake.

Even though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil for you are at my side, with your rod and your staff that give me courage.

The Lord is my shepherd.

There is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes.

You anoint my head with oil.

My cup overflows.

The Lord is my shepherd.

There is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come.

The Lord is my shepherd.

There is nothing I shall want.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

The Lord is my shepherd.

There is nothing I shall want.

Pastor Lynn Bailey> Hear the words of Saint Paul as written in the 15th chapter of First Corinthians.

Behold, I show you a mystery.

We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written... death is swallowed up in victory.

O Death, where is thy sting?

O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Sen.

Glenn McConnell> In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

We are here today to honor eight men whose lives and deaths have created an amazing legacy.

It is a legacy that will serve to inspire the world for generations to come.

The legacy began on February 17, 1864, on a cold winter's night.

These eight men took the first steps from their lodgings to Battery Marshall on Sullivan's Island to the place where the "H. L. Hunley" was docked awaiting their arrival.

The steps they took along that path continue to echo down the corridors of time.

Their steps launched a journey we continue today.

As they walked the short distance to the sea, before the sun would rise again, these eight men would change the world.

The poet Henry Longfellow wrote a passage that carries special meaning for us today.

He wrote, and I quote, "The lives of great men "remind us, we can make "our lives sublime "and, departing, leave behind us footprints "on the sands of time, "footprints that perhaps "another, "sailing over life's solemn main, "a forlorn and shipwrecked "brother, "seeing, shall take heart again."

The crew members who walked toward their destiny that night were young men in the prime of their life, a band of brothers filled with hope for the future.

We can only wonder what thoughts filled their minds that night.

Most probably, they were thinking of their families.

Their hearts were filled with love for their loved ones and the homes they dreamed of returning to at the war's end.

As they walked through the night, they must have glanced at each other.

They must have studied the faces, the expressions, the bearing of their comrades.

To all appearances, these were normal men, ready to perform a task.

They had to know the stakes were high.

They had to know that the risk they were taking was extreme.

But they probably did not imagine that the footprints they were making along that path that night would leave such a large and permanent imprint on the sands of time.

One hundred and forty years ago, this city was in shock.

Charleston was under siege, isolated by military blockades, constantly rocked by enemy fire.

The misery, the suffering, and the fear that gripped the city was palpable.

Not one of these eight men came from this city.

In fact, not one of them came from South Carolina.

Most were not native Southerners.

Half were not even born in America.

And yet these men volunteered to board an experimental and dangerous craft to save the city from destruction.

They began a journey into the darkness in order to give light to those they left behind.

By today's standards, the eight men of the "Hunley" were mostly slight in build, and yet they carried the weight of the city on their shoulders as they launched a desperate effort to defend the people of Charleston.

Confidence, bravery, and faith led them on, crank by crank, on what would be more than they ever knew... the long journey home.

Their mortal remains would disappear into the darkness, and for 136 years, their corpses would rest silently in a watery grave beneath the ocean's foam.

Then on August 8, 2000, at approximately 8:35 a.m., 136 years after they began their mission, they would lift off the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, still in their duty stations, and begin again the long journey home.

For the world and for them, the long wait was over.

As they approached the ground they sought to defend, those who knew them in person were gone, but those who knew them in spirit were waiting.

The empty days of wait had passed to a crowded day of homecoming and appreciation.

What was once a military secret had become a historical and technological wonder.

In the crew's loss, there was now this great gain.

Today we repay that debt of their carrying the burdens of our city on their shoulders by carrying each of them on ours.

Until this time, 140 years after their sacrifice, these men were mostly anonymous to us.

We knew a few of their names, but none of their faces.

The facts of their lives were shrouded in mystery.

Today, at this place and at this time, we can meet them.

We can say hello even as we say good-bye.

First, there was Commander George Dixon.

As he walked along the path to Breech Inlet that night, his thoughts probably focused on his duties.

The success or failure of the mission was in his charge.

But he probably also wondered what his love, Queenie Bennett, was doing that night.

Chances are, he hoped the successful completion of the mission might mean he would see her again.

He probably hoped she was praying for him and that she would not worry too much about his safety.

Of one thing, we can be certain... he was checking his left pocket, tenderly caressing the $20 dollar gold piece he had always kept there.

It was his life preserver, the gift she had given him for good luck.

He derived comfort from the hope that the coin would help him through the next few hours, protecting him from harm just as it had at the Battle of Shiloh on April 6, 1862.

George Dixon knew he had assembled an extraordinary crew, a crew that, as Mr.

Lasch indicated, he described in a letter as the best that he had ever seen.

Walking with him that night was Joseph Ridgaway, second in command.

Joseph was a 28-year-old native of Maryland with much experience on ships.

Walking close-by Dixon, Dixon could see James Wicks, a true veteran of naval conflicts.

Wicks had served in the United States Navy for 20 years before joining the Confederacy.

Ridgaway and Wicks, both 5 foot 10 inches tall, were also both experienced at sea.

They could be counted on to handle the rear ballast, tank valve, the pump, and the flywheel brake, all critical assignments for the mission at hand.

As the crew walked through the night, Dixon could also see Arnold Becker, a 19-year-old seaman, the youngest member of the team.

Born in Germany, still speaking with a thick accent, Becker had worked as a riverboat sailor and served on a number of boats, including the "Indian Chief."

At 5 foot 5 and 1/2 inches high, Becker could easily slip into the operation of the bellows to bring fresh air into the underwater craft, soon to be known as the first successful submarine in the world... to sink an enemy ship.

And walking with Becker was another European, a sailor named C. Simkins who had also served on the "Indian Chief," the very boat under which Horace Hunley had lost his life.

At 44 years of age, standing 5 foot 10 inches, Simkins could be counted on to help keep the power in the crank.

Dixon, Ridgaway, Wicks, Becker, and Simkins were joined that night, though, by three others.

One was Frank Collins, a 23-year-old seaman who stood a full 6 feet tall.

Confident and powerful, Collins had also served on the "Indian Chief."

The final two men who walked down the path to the sea were Corporal Carlson and Private Miller.

Carlson had a background in the German Light Artillery.

Miller was an infantryman.

Both were tough and well prepared to turn the cranks that would power the "Hunley" on its secret journey.

When they arrived at Breech Inlet that night, all eight climbed into the belly of the "Hunley," manned their stations, and slipped away into the darkness of the sea.

We know they kept their appointment with history that night.

We know that the courage and heroism that they brought to that mission rose to the level of legend.

Because of what they achieved that night, maritime history and the technology mankind uses to conquer the sea changed on our planet for all times.

But the world has never been given an opportunity to honor these men until today, and it is for that purpose that so many Americans and so many people from around the world have gathered here for this solemn occasion.

By inexplicably failing to return home, we are reminded by the unpredictability of life and our own mortality.

In the solemn remembrance of them, we are reminded of the possibilities that exist because of our communion with God.

A wise priest once said that the best homily that could ever be preached is "written by a life well-lived."

That is the lives of the crew of the "Hunley," who saw duty and did it, who saw danger and confronted it, who saw truth and followed it, who saw love and embraced it, who saw a need and satisfied it, who saw a home and defended it, who saw faith and followed it.

These were the men, by the journey of their lives and their adherence to faith, pointed us in the direction of greatness.

They have taught us that life is a precious gift from God, that we should cherish each day.

They have reminded us that death is but a gateway to life everlasting for those whose faith is strong.

And they have illustrated heroically for all time what the Gospels teach us, that greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life on behalf of others.

As an article of faith, I believe that the eight men of the "Hunley" are watching over us today.

With the help of God, who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, they have been returned to us, and from the old, there is new.

When we lifted the "Hunley" from the sea, we brought her lovingly back to the city, and even as we continue to tell her story and to preserve her dignity for all time, I believe the spirit of these eight men has been with us and will continue to be with us.

In these moments, we are uplifted by the eternal truth that the spirit is greater than the flesh and that in death there is life.

Today we contemplate the steps they took 140 years ago, the steps that led them from the safety of their lodgings to their incredible sacrifice and ultimately to their appointment with destiny.

We are together with them now on the last leg of the journey home, sharing the memories of their loss and sharing their success.

In God's grace for them and for us, it is not the end, but the beginning.

We take pride in their bravery, and we marvel at their inventiveness.

We see their images and sense in our memories their closeness, even though time has provided us great distance.

And like old friends, we grieve at their deaths.

Those quiet footsteps taken so long ago, on February 17, 1864, are now honored and magnified on this occasion by the thankful thunder of the thousands of new footsteps of men and women from all over the world who have come to this place to honor these eight extraordinary pioneers.

We are reminded in the Gospel that on the first Easter, an angel spoke to Mary and said, "Why do you seek the living amongst the dead?"

We need to heed that reminder.

They are not here in these coffins.

They have gone ahead.

Thus, let them now be our compass, not our sorrow, for they point us to immortality.

Our emotions thus become ones of appreciation, not sadness.

To the crew of the "Hunley," welcome home.

Thank you for your courage.

Thank you for your achievement.

Your journey is now complete.

You know all that you have lost and all that you have won.

Your lasting legacy becomes a reminder that freedom did not come easy for any generation of Americans, and for freedom to endure for generations to come, faith and courage like that exhibited by the men of the "Hunley" must be made time and again until the end of time.

And those of us still living make this solemn pledge... for so long as we live, we shall not forget you.

We shall not let your legacy... We shall let your legacy inspire us to do such great works that we also may hear from the supreme commander of the "Hunley" on the last day, "Well done."

So... to Lieutenant George E. Dixon.... (silence) (silence) Sen.

Glenn McConnell Do you not have the bell?

They don't have the bell.

We were going to ring the bell.

So I will close by saying, to Lieutenant George E. Dixon and Seaman Arnold Becker, Quartermaster C. Simkins, Seaman Frank G. Collins, Corporal J. F. Carlson, Private J. Miller, Boatswain Mate James A. Wicks, and Quartermaster Joseph Ridgaway, good-bye until we meet again.

God bless your souls, God bless us all, and God bless America.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

(applause) Father Dow Sanderson> Let us pray.

O God whose days are without end and whose mercies cannot be numbered make us each deeply sensible of the shortness and uncertainty of life and let thy Holy Spirit lead us in all holiness and righteousness all our days that when we shall have served thee in our generation, we may be gathered unto our fathers, having the testimony of a good conscious and the communion of the one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and the confidence of a certain faith and the comfort of a reasonable religious and holy hope in favor with thee, our God, and in perfect charity with all men, all which we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Sen.

Glenn McConnell> Lieutenant Dixon's pallbearers, post.

(silence) ...stand at attention!

...Brigade.

Attention!

(footsteps tapping in synchronization) Prepare it.

Speaker>> Right!

About!

Face!

>> Lift.

Right step from the rear.

March.

>> Halt.

Lower.

Front.

Forward, march.

(footsteps in synchronization) >> Step.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Step.

>> Face.

Right.

Lift.

Right step to the front.

>> Lower.

Two.

>> Bands >> One step to the rear.

March.

Flag.

(indistinct commands given) Come around.

(indistinct commands given) (indistinct commands given) (indistinct commands given) >> Salute.

>> Two.

>> Front.

Forward, march.

Speaker> In behalf of the approximately 47,000 Masons of the grand jurisdiction of South Carolina, I greet you.

On behalf of the Grand Lodge officers of South Carolina, we are just most happy to have with us today the most worthful grand master Masons of Alabama and his Grand Lodge officers, and we extend to them a most hearty welcome to this grand jurisdiction.

This is the day that the Lord has made, and may we, his greatest creation, rejoice and be glad in it.

We are gathered here today to honor one who paid the ultimate sacrifice for that which he believed to be right and good, and may we be found faithful of never forgetting the many, many others that has done the same as he.

To those that are here assembled and to those that may be watching by TV, be it known to you that we be lawful Masons, true and faithful to the laws of our country, and we're gathered here today clothed as Freemasons to commemorate the life of one who served in our craft as well as he served our country, Lieutenant George E. Dixon, a member of Mobile Lodge Number 40 in Mobile, Alabama.

And it gives me now great pleasure to invite his lodge, which is now known to be McCormick-Mobile Masonic Lodge Number 40 of Mobile, Alabama, to come and conduct the Masonic last rites for this, our worthy brother, Lieutenant George E. Dixon.

(drumbeats pattering) ♪ ♪ Beryl> We are, of course, watching the Masonic last rites as they are administered to Lieutenant Dixon during the funeral and burial services for the eight crew members of the third and final expedition of the "H. L.

Hunley."

(drumbeats pattering) ♪ Speaker> You may be seated.

My brethren, we are now assembled around the final resting place of these mortal remains and are about closing the last solemn duties of respect we owe to our departed friend and brother.

A few reflections, therefore, applicable to the solemnities of this occasion and salutatory and impressive to the living, may be, with great propriety, offered upon this sacred spot, a spot where departed friendship yet lingers, instills in melancholy, yet pleasingly reminiscent on the heart.

We are born to die.

We follow our friends to the brink of the grave, and standing on the shore of a vast ocean, we gaze with exquisite anxiety till their last dreadful struggle is over and see them sink into the fathomless abyss.

We feel our own feet slide from the precarious bank on which we stand, and, but a few suns more, we shall be whelmed mid death's awful waves.

The statesmen, hero, philosopher, theologian, whose eloquence or arms have shaken empires, who united the language of Earth and Heaven or plucked proud laurels from the fields of war, are resting in silence.

Their hearts that once beat high with hopes of life and glory are now unaffected with interests of earth and are sustained not with the things that are feelings of another world.

Under these feelings and convictions, we are now about to commit the body of our departed friend to the silent grave, and under a full and solemn conviction of a nothingness of all earthly and perishable objects, we here, renewedly as Masons, pledge to each other our fraternal love.

And may we so improve this dispensation of divine providence and so live that when these feeble frames shall slumber beneath the cold clods of the valley, the needy and distressed, the widow and the orphan may point with regret to our sleeping ashes and each exclaim, There lie the men whose compassion soothed my soul, whose maxims tranquilized my perturbed spirit, and whose bounty relieved my pressing necessity.

May we be true and faithful, live and die in love, for the memory of the just is blessed.

So mote it be.

The Lord bless us and keep us.

The Lord make His face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us.

The Lord lift upon us the light of His countenance and give us peace.

So mote it be.

Glory be to God in the highest.

On earth, peace, goodwill towards men.

Let us pray.

Speaker> O mighty and most merciful Father, we adore thee as the God of time and of eternity.

Of both worlds, Thou art the incomprehensible and amazing Lord, ruling the destinies of all, from the highest angel in Heaven through every grade of creatures, even down to the sparrows' fall.

From the grandeur of rolling worlds down to the numbering of the hairs on our heads, as it has pleased Thee to take from the light of our abode one dear to our hearts, we beseech Thee to bless and sanctify to us this dispensation of Thy providence.

Inspire our hearts with wisdom from on high that we may glorify Thee in all our ways.

May we realize that the all-seeing eye is upon us and be influenced by the spirit of truth and love to perfect obedience that we may enjoy the divine approbation here below.

And when our toils on earth shall have ceased, may we be raised to the enjoyment of fadeless light and immortal life in that kingdom where faith and hope shall end and love and joy prevail through eternal ages.

And Thine, O righteous Father, shall be the glory forever.

Amen.

Group> So mote it be.

Speaker> Brethren, we have taken a solemn and impressive survey of human life in all its blended lights and shades and learned that all on earth is change.

We have seen that as the lightning writes its fiery path across the dark cloud and expires, so the race of men, walking amidst the surrounding shades of mortality, glitter a moment through the darksome gloom, then vanishes from our sight forever.

But is this the end of man and the expiring hope of faithful Masons?

No, blessed be God.

We are taught to advance boldly onward and seek more light till, at the Grand Master's word, we shall be raised to that blissful lodge, which no time can remove.

There, light unmingled with darkness shall reign perpetual and unbroken.

There, under the sunbeam smiles of immutable love and beneath the benignant bend of the all-seeing eye, we as faithful Masons cherish the fond and immortal hope that we shall meet again... meet to part no more.

Unto the grave we now resign the body of our departed brother.

At this time, I would request that all Masons present please rise... in preparation for the rendering of the funeral grand honors.

>> Together, brethren.

>> We cherish his memory here.

We commend his spirit to God who gave it and consign his body to the earth whence it came.

Friend of our hearts, there rest in peace.

Raised by the Grand Master's word, mayest thou share the blessing of immortal life and unfading glory.

>> Pallbearers!

Fold flag!

(music in background) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (music in background) >> Two.

One step back.

March.

Front.

Forward, march.

File right March ♪ (camera shutters clicking) >> Front.

♪ Forward, march.

♪ Front.

♪ Halt.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Two.

One step to the rear.

March.

Front.

Forward, march.

About right, march.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> Halt.

Front.

Forward face.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Front.

Forward, march.

♪ ♪ >> Forward, march.

Halt.

Halt.

Forward face.

>> Two.

One step to the rear.

March.

Countermarch to the right.

March.

>> Halt.

>> Halt.

Front.

>> Two.

One step to the rear.

March.

Front.

...March.

(indistinct commands given) Take your time.

Take your time.

Rear...march Front March.

(indistinct commands given) (indistinct commands given) >> Front.

Forward, march.

...File right.

(indistinct commands given) Minister> All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.

He that raised up Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in us.

Wherefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoiceth, my flesh also shall rest in hope.

Thou shalt show me the path of life, and Thy presence is the fullness of joy.

And at Thy right hand, there is pleasure forevermore.

Ensure uncertain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We commend to almighty God our brothers, and we commit their bodies to the ground.

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

The Lord bless and keep them.

The Lord make His face to shine upon them and be gracious unto them.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon them and give them peace.

Amen.

As our savior Christ hath taught us, we say... Several voices> Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Sen.

Glenn McConnell> Now separated from their boat and now at rest, Lieutenant George E. Dixon.

(bell rings) >> Seaman Arnold Becker.

(bell rings) >> Quartermaster C. Simkins.

(bell rings) >> Seaman Frank G. Collins.

(bell rings) >> Corporal J. F. Carlson.

(bell rings) >> Private J. Miller.

(bell rings) >> Boatswain Mate James A. Wicks.

(bell rings) >> And Quartermaster Joseph Ridgaway.

(bell rings) >> Ready!

(indistinct commands given) >> Ready!

Aim!

Fire!

(muskets blast) >> Load!

>> Aim!

Fire!

(muskets blast) >> Load!

>> Aim!

Fire!

(muskets blast) >> Recover!

Arms!

(indistinct commands given) (indistinct commands given) (thundering boom) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) (boom repeats) ("Taps" played by trumpeter) ♪ ♪ ("Taps" played by trumpeter) ♪ ♪ ("Taps" played by trumpeter) ♪ ♪ ("Taps" played by trumpeter) ♪ ♪ ("Taps" played by trumpeter) ♪ ♪ ("Taps" played by trumpeter) ♪ ♪ Beryl> "Taps," the final salute for the funeral and burial of the third crew of the "H. L. Hunley" submarine, now laid to rest in historic Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina.

Thank you for joining us for this historic occasion.

I'd like to thank Dr.

Emory Thomas for being with us this morning.

Emory> I've much enjoyed it and this afternoon.

Beryl> And now, as we conclude these ceremonies, we will join our programming in progress.

Emory> Thanks much.

(orchestral music) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪