Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

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StrechM

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This came via email this morning from a friend. Thought that you would enjoy knowing this:

Subject: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Did you know....... This must take a special kind of person

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" 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 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.

I don't know if you saw this in the news but it really impressed me.
Funny, our US Senate/House took 2 days off, as they couldn't work because of the expected storm.

On the ABC evening news, it was reported tonight that, because of the
dangers from Hurricane Isabelle 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 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 service person.

The tomb has been patrolled
continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter
where they serve.
 
Wow, continuesly monitered since 1930,they maybe unknown but are not alone,thats peacefull.:normal:
 
:thumbup: Thanx for that info. I had no idea. May God Bless them.
 
Wow. Sounds pretty hardcore. I wonder what they do to their uniforms that would make them spend 5 hours a day on getting it ready?
 
They are removing lint, wrinkles, ensuring there are no loose threads hanging off, making certain their shoes shine to a mirrored finish, making certain all metal is polished, all decorations (ribbons, medals, pins, etc) are squared up, in good repair, and basically perfect in every way possible.

While five hours might seem like a lot of time, to properly rig a uniform the way theirs have to be...takes serious time. Five hours is not so unusual.
 
E-2C HAWKEYE SkyMaxx. I'm impressed.
 
That is impressive, but the starting date makes me think that it began as a make-work employment program during the depression.
 
That tomb, or monument was erected to honor all the soldiers who never made it home. Since no one knew who was in it, any family who never got the remains of a loved one could remember them there, since it might be their loved one inside.
Watching the changing of the guard is a very precise and very impressive sight.
The honor and respect bestowed at the tomb of the unknown soldier brings many people to tears.
Thanks for another great find, StrechM.
 
some day i whould like to take my dad to see the changing of the guard. my older brother has seen this.and told me it was over powering to see it.he told me he just stood there for 15 miniuts after.in awah.
 

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