While I have very little information on Admiral Sanders’ military career, I was visiting Arlington National Cemetery on the day of the joint funeral of he and his wife (May 24, 1991) and video-taped the entire ceremony. It was a full-honors funeral, complete with the United States Navy Band, a Company of sailors, two Navy Chaplains, a firing-party, a caisson with horses and a bugler for Taps. In addition, as the caisson made its way to the gravesite, a minute-gun sounded from the nearby hills with a 21-gun salute.
The Admiral was born on May 27, 1901, had graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1923, retired from the Navy on May 1, 1957 and died on March 29, 1991. He had been cremated and his burial was held due to the fact that his wife, Evelyn Godbold Sanders (January 11, 1904-April 18, 1991), was critically ill. Upon her death she, too, was cremated and they were buried in Section 59 of Arlington National Cemetery in a joint ceremony.
Members of the family, who attended the funeral from Orgeon, noted that I was filming the ceremony and asked that I send them a copy of the tape. I was, of course, pleased to have done so.
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard