HOMAGE TO WINSTON CHURCHILL

[Music] the greatest englishman of our time passes into history in the long procession of statesmen and heroes captains and kings no man has been mourned more deeply men and women in britain and throughout the commonwealth know that they walk in liberty because of the deeds he did and the words he spoke and the whole world joins in an act of homage every land that cherishes the dignity of man pays tribute [Music] and within the site of blenheim palace in oxfordshire the nation's gift to his great ancestor john churchill first euchamolbra the little village of bladen becomes a place of world pilgrimage for here in a country churchyard and not amid the splendors of westminster abbey or paul's lies sir winston churchill by his own choice [Music] after 92 multiple years of events that shook the world he is back in the peace of the english countryside near the palace in which he was born [Music] bladen with its traditional inn has been a village for a thousand years here men have lived out their lives in simple country pursuits in obscurity but today their village is known wherever the name of churchill is spoken but long before today's children have grown up it will have become used to healing the tongues of almost every nation on earth for the churchyard where sir winston now rests with his parents is a national shrine to westminster hall which for nearly nine centuries has been at the heart of britain's story the mourners come in their tens of thousands a never-ending stream of men and women who feel that they too are part of the age of winston churchill for three days and three nights this procession of the people flows along within the hall sir winston lies in splendid simplicity on a cushion rests his insignia as the night of the garter the highest order of chivalry in the land sailors soldiers and airmen take their turn to keep vigil at the four corners of the catapult every 20 minutes the watch is changed men and women from every walk of life are here united by the same emotion no footfall sounds on the carpeted floor they go past silently it was here on his 80th birthday that lords and commons met to honor this man of so many honors who yet felt his proudest title was member of parliament now on a bleak bitter january morning sir winston leonard spencer churchill leaves the palace of westminster for the last time more than three hundred and twenty thousand people have filed past while hillaid state lady churchill follows on the arm of her son randolph this same gun carriage bore queen victoria king edward vii king george v and king george vi sir winston was the loyal servant of them all drawn by 142 sailors of that royal navy whose inspiration he was in two world wars the gun carriage takes its place in the procession and begins its long journey through the silent crowds of london towards in paul's cathedral and the escort from the royal air force symbolizes his leadership in the dark but stirring days of the battle of britain along white hall and into trafalgar square he comes accompanied by all the solemn pageantry a grateful country can give every branch of the services has its place in nearly a mile of marching men [Music] [Applause] [Music] earl mountbatten chief of britain's defense star behind him sir winston's decorations carried by officers of the queen's royal irish was ours who now embody his old regiment the banners of the sinkports and of the spencer churchill family the duke of norfolk earl marshall of england whose duty it was to plan this state funeral [Music] behind the coffin walk the men of the churchill family among them are mr randolph churchill and his son winston mr christopher soames and his two sons lady churchill rides with her daughters sarah and mary in one of the queen's coaches finally the civil defense corps and from westerom near sir winston's country home men of the british legion saint paul's awaits him in the assembling congregation more than 110 countries are represented speaker of the house of commons is preceded by the mace both houses of parliament are attended from the soviet union comes marshall cognac president de gol represents france to which sir winston was always a true friend he is followed by the young king of greece then from the netherlands queen juliana and prince bernhardt from belgium king boudoir first of britain's royal family to arrive is queen elizabeth the queen mother she is followed by princess margaret and the earl of snowden then princess marina of the duke and duchess of kemp the lord mayor of london carrying the city's black sword of mourning precedes the queen prince philip and the prince of wales for the first time the sovereign attends the funeral of a subject down fleet street the street of newspapers comes the great statesman who was equally great as a master of the english language [Music] so to sinkholes the resting place of nelson and of wellington okay sir winston himself had wished that the service might be here perseverance heralds and kings of arms in tudor splendor go before him through the ranks of a congregation which numbers three thousand [Applause] oh [Music] twelve poor bearers were his wartime comrades among them lord atley lord even and mr macmillan field marshals alexander and slim vice count portal and sir robert menzies australia's prime minister [Music] [Music] to commemorate the man who rejoiced in his family ties with america they sing the battle hymn of the republic oh [Music] the last post reaches around the great dome once again the grenadier guardsmen take up their burden now it is time for the kings and presidents the princes and prime ministers to say farewell [Music] the archbishop of canterbury follows the coffin out to the great west door [Music] [Music] lord atlee who is 82 finds a helping hand [Music] the queen's color squadron of the royal air force forms the special guard of allah [Music] standing on the steps of the cathedral the queen takes her leave of her own prime minister [Music] promising paul's the procession goes through the city of london which has risen in modern grandeur from the ashes of the blitz of 1940 now the river thames will be his highway at tower pier the coffin is placed on board the haven gore a launch of the port of london authority the band plays and the guns fire as it moves slowly out into midstream supersonic lightnings of fighter under these bridges in 1940 past many of the small boats that made possible the miracle of dunkirk the riverside cranes lift up their heads to the warrior who never despaired the flood tide bears him royally in death back towards westminster where on this day eden big bend has been silenced the river journey ends at festival pier on london's new south bank at waterloo station he has reached the end of his progress through london the train waits to take him to his final resting place men of his old regiment carry him across the platform with their parents the younger generation of the churchill family go with him to the end now london the country and the free world can pay him no further homage all that can show the respect admiration and affection of the people has been said and done [Applause] the train carries him away to rest in the blade of his boyhood and the world is left with an imperishable memory this man was england from her darkest hour he plucked the victories by which we live his courage heartened us his faith inspired all that makes england great was his to give you