TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
Interesting facts about the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier and
the Sentinels of the Third United States Infantry
Regiment
"Old Guard"
1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk
across
the tomb of the Unknowns and why?
21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute,
which
is the highest honor given any military or foreign
dignitary.
2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to
begin his
return walk and why?
21 seconds, for the same reason as answer number 1.
3. Why are his gloves wet?
His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his
grip on>the rifle.
4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all
the time,
and if not, why not?
No, he carries the rifle on the shoulder away from
the
tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an
about
face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.
5. How often are the guards changed?
Guards are changed every thirty minutes,
twenty-four hours
a day, 365 days a year.
6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited
to?
For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb,
he must
be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size
cannot
exceed 30".
Other requirements of the Guard:
They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb,
live in a
barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol
on or
off duty FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. ! They cannot
swear in
public FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES and cannot disgrace
the
uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way.
After TWO YEARS, the guard is given a wreath pin that
is worn
on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the
tomb.
There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey
these
rules for the rest of their lives or give up the
wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to
keep the
heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel
plates
that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make
the loud
click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles,
folds or
lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of
a
full-length mirror.
The first SIX MONTHS of duty a guard cannot talk to
anyone,
nor watch TV. All off duty tim! e is spent studying the
175
notable people laid to rest in Arlington National
Cemetery.
A guard must memorize who they are and where they are
interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe
E.
Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie
Murphy,
{the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood
fame.
Every guard spends FIVE HOURS A DAY getting his
uniforms
ready for guard duty.
The Sentinels Creed:
My dedication to this sacred duty is total and
wholehearted.
In the responsibility bestowed on me never will I
falter.
And with dignity and perseverance my standard will
remain
perfection. Through the years of diligence and praise
and
the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in
humble
reverence to the best of my ability. It is he who
commands
the respect I protect. His ! bravery that made us so
proud.
Surrounded by well meaning crowds by day alone in the
thoughtful peace of night, this soldier will in
honored
glory rest under my eternal vigilance.
More Interesting facts about the Tomb of the Unknowns
itself:
The marble for the Tomb of the Unknowns was furnished
by the
Vermont Marble Company of Danby, Vt. The marble is the
finest
and whitest of American marble, quarried from the Yule
Marble
Quarry located near Marble, Colorado and is called
Yule
Marble. The Marble for the Lincoln memorial and other
famous
buildings was also quarried there.
The Tomb consists of seven pieces of rectangular
marble:
Four pieces in sub base; weight Â- 15 tons;
One piece in base or plinth; weight Â- 16 tons;
One piece in die; weight Â- 36 tons;
One piece in cap; weight Â- 12 tons;
Carved on the East side (the front of the Tomb, which
faces
Washington, D.C.) is a composite of three figures,
commemorative of the spirit of the Allies of World War
I.
In the center of the panel stands Victory (female).
On the right side, a male figure symbolizes Valor.
On the left side stands Peace, with her palm branch to
reward the devotion and sacrifice that went with
courage
to make the cause of righteousness triumphant.
The north and south sides are divided into three
panels by
Doric pilasters. In each panel is an inverted wreath.
On the west, or rear, panel (facing the Amphitheater)
is
inscribed:
HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN
BUT TO
GOD
The first Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was a sub base
and a
base or plint! h. It was slightly smaller than the
present
base. This was torn away when the present Tomb was
started
August 27, 1931. The Tomb was completed and the area
opened
to the public 9:15 a.m. April 9, 1932, without any
ceremony.
Cost of the Tomb: $48,000
Sculptor: Thomas Hudson Jones
Architect: Lorimer Rich
Contractors: Hagerman & Harris, New York City
Inscription: Author Unknown
(Interesting Commentary)
The Third Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer has the
responsibility
for providing ceremonial units and honor guards for
state
occasions, White House social functions, public
celebrations
and interments at Arlington National Cemetery and
standing a
very formal sentry watch at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
The public is familiar with the precision of what is
called
"walking post" at the Tomb! . There are roped off
galleries
where visitors can form to observe the troopers and
their
measured step and almost mechanically, silent rifle
shoulder
changes. They are relieved every hour in a very formal
drill
that has to be seen to be believed.
Some people think that when the Cemetery is closed to
the
public in the evening that this show stops. First, to
the
men who are dedicated to this work, it is no show. It
is
a "charge of honor." The formality and precision
continues
uninterrupted all night. During the nighttime, the
drill of
relief and the measured step of the on-duty sentry
remain
unchanged from the daylight hours. To these men, these
special men, the continuity of this post is the key to
the
honor and respect shown to these honored dead,
symbolic of
all unaccounted for America! n combat dead. The steady
rhythmic
step in rain, sleet, snow, hail, heat and cold must be
uninterrupted. Uninterrupted is the important part of
the
honor shown.
Recently, while you were sleeping, the teeth of
hurricane
Isabel came through this area and tore hell out of
everything.
We had thousands of trees down, power outages, traffic
signals out, roads filled with downed limbs and "gear
adrift"
debris. We had flooding and the place looked like it
had been
the impact area of an off-shore bombardment.
The Regimental Commander of the U.S. Third Infantry
sent word
to the nighttime Sentry Detail to secure the post and
seek
shelter from the high winds, to ensure their personal
safety.
THEY DISOBEYED THE ORDER!
During winds that turned over vehicles and turned
debris into
proje! ctiles, the measured step continued. One fellow
said
"I've got buddies getting shot at in Iraq who would
kick my
butt if word got to them that we let them down. I sure
as
hell have no intention of spending my Army career
being known
as the damned idiot who couldn't stand a little light
breeze
and shirked his duty." Then he said something in
response to
a female reporters question regarding silly
purposeless
personal risk... "I wouldn't expect you to understand.
It's
an enlisted man's thing." God bless the rascal... In a
time
in our nation's history when spin and total b.s. seem
to
have become the accepted coin-of-the-realm, there beat
hearts - the enlisted hearts we all knew and were so
damn
proud to be a part of - that fully understand that
devotion
to duty is not a part-time occupation. While we slept,
we
were represented by some damn fine men who fully
understood
their post orders and proudly went about their
assigned
responsibilities unseen, unrecognized and in the
finest
tradition of the American Enlisted Man. Folks, there's
hope.
The spirit that George S. Patton, Arliegh Burke and
Jimmy
Doolittle left us ... survives.
On the ABC evening news, it was reported recently
that,
because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabel
approaching
Washington, DC, the military members assigned the duty
of
guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given
permission to suspend the assignment. They refused.
"No
way, Sir!"
Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a
tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was
not
just an assignment; it was the highest honor that can
be
afforded to a service person. The tomb has been
patrolled
continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
Very, very proud of our soldiers in uniform!
By Col Chris Giaimo, USAF (Ret), Director, MOAA
Council and
Chapter Affairs:
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