General Wayne A. Downing ’62, United States Army (Retired), passed away on July 17, 2007 in Peoria Illinois. His death marks the loss of a great leader, warrior, and scholar.
Since 2003, General Downing had served as the Distinguished Chair of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. In 2006, the West Point Association of Graduates named General Downing as a Distinguished Graduate.
Times Herald-Record Coverage
GEN Downing Laid to Rest
27 September 2007
Outside of the Chapel, the USMA Band, the brigade staff, color guard and a cadet escort, and a ranger escort had been formed for some time. The family and close friends arrived and took their seats in the Chapel. The flag-draped casket was then carried to the front to the strains of Army Blue, and then classmates, his daughter and friends offered eulogies. One noted that GEN Downing was an oxymoronic anomaly, commander of the deadliest forces in the world but also a loving and caring man. Another noted that he was a unique cadet at an institution that did not necessarily embrace uniqueness. Still another found him an uncommonly common man. A journalist friend quoted the Washington Post, referring to GEN Downing as the most famous terrorist fighter you never heard of. The Chaplain ended the service by quoting from The Corps.
The casket then was returned to the hearse for the journey down the hill to the vicinity of the Catholic Chapel. There it was transferred, to a horse-drawn caisson from the Old Guard Regiment at Arlington for the journey to the West Point Cemetery. There, the Official West Point March was played as the casket was borne to the grave site. A howitzer battery offered a 17-gun salute, followed by the traditional three volleys fired by a contingent of Rangers. After the traditional folding of the flag for presentation on behalf of a grateful nation to Mrs. Downing, the Alma Mater was played. As the mourners departed, a single Ranger stood at perfect attention at the head of the casket, later relieved by a member of the West Point honor guard. GEN Downing, after many campaigns around the world, finally had returned home. (Photos: J. Phoenix, WPAOG Publications)