Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
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?
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' an d 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 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 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.
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET
PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching
Washington , DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of
the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the
dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of
guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend
the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, '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 serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled
continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
God Bless and keep them.