The 19-Gun Salute

When I heard yesterday that Henry Kissinger had passed away at 100, I was curious to see where the NYT would put his expected front page obituary. 

I'm sure most are unaware there is a hierarchy/protocol when the famous pass away that dictates where their obits might appear in the NYT. The famous might get the front page teaser acknowledgment which informs the reader that so and so has passed away and that you can read about them inside on page whatever.

There is the below-the-fold treatment where the whole obituary starts, with a photo of the deceased, below the fold in either the left or right corner. The fold in a broadsheet is seen as the dividing line between news you immediately need to know, and that which is somewhat less important.

There is above-the-fold, a placement reserved for...I really don't know the rule. A current head of state, maybe the president, or recent former president. Above-the-fold is rarely awarded to the deceased by the NYT. I really don't remember the last one. Perhaps an alert reader can point this one out. Will Jimmy Carter get such a placement?

NOTE: Henry Kissinger's obit appeared in Thursday's print edition, just above the fold. In Friday's paper the obit appears again—in the same space—which goes to show you how important Kissinger was. Maybe it's a 20-gun salute from the NYT editors.

Then there is the just-above-the-fold where a portion of the story appears above-the-fold, say the name of the deceased and the years they lived, and perhaps a portion of their photo. The just-above-the-fold is rarely awarded too, but serves as a somewhat neutral acknowledgment that someone notable has passed away.

In today's print edition of the NYT Henry Kissinger earned the just-above-the fold placement. I call this one the 19-gun salute.

The burial of a U.S. President would qualify for a 21-gun salute. I'm familiar with the 19-gun salute when my Uncle George was buried in Arlington Cemetery in December 1968. He retired as a Rear Admiral in the Navy, having commanded destroyers in the Pacific in WW II. He was the first Greek-American to graduate from the Naval Academy in 1931. He was the second son of my grandparents; my father was the third son. George was my father's favorite.

At the burial in Arlington that cold, but clear December day, a full military funeral was held. Riderless horse, caisson, honor guard from Fort Myers. They fired their rifles into the crisp Virginia air, each retort echoing across the cemetery.

I counted the shots...16-17-18-19. When they got to 19 I will always remember saying to myself, Jesus, two more and he's the president. Nineteen was it, based on rank apparently.

The Washington area is not somewhere I go back to. My father worked there, but we never visited Uncle George's gravesite. But apparently you can access photos of it online. A simple white headstone, consistent with all the surrounding headstones is there, etched with the service medals awarded.

The 19-gun salute.

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