| Burial/Funeral services, Cemeteries, Monuments (1 Records) |
Burial/Funeral services, Cemeteries, Monuments |
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (commitment) #TIMEZ.906 Exp 09-11
21 steps...which alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, the highest honor given to any military or foreign dignitary.
21 seconds...which alludes to the twenty-one gun salute.
His gloves are moistened to prevent losing his grip on the rifle.
He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the Tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and according to the manual of arms, moves his rifle to the outside shoulder.
Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
For a person to apply for guard duty at the Tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" and his waist size cannot exceed 30".
Other requirements for the Guard:
--must commit 2 years of his life to guard the Tomb,
--live in a barracks under the Tomb,
--cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of his life.
Nor can he swear in public for the rest of his life, or disgrace his uniform {fighting} or the Tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin which is worn on his lapel signifying he served as Tomb guard. There are only 400 presently worn.
If the guard fails to obey these rules for the rest of his life, he must give up his wreath pin.
His shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from his feet. There are metal heel plates which extend to the top of the shoe so it makes a loud click as he comes to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on his 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 time 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: President Taft and Kennedy, 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.
In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, the United States Senate and House of Representatives took two days off in anticipation of the storm. ABC Evening News reported that because the danger from the hurricane, military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend their assignment, which they respectfully declined.
'No way, Sir!' Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of the storm, they said to guard the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor afforded a service person. Since 1930, the Tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24 hours each and every day, 7 days each and every week.
And for all those others who have served their time and for whom the bugler has played taps.
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