"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:
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.
Most 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 W.W.II) 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: 15
tons;
- One piece in base or plinth; weight:
16 tons;
- One piece in die; weight: 36 tons;
- One piece in cap; weight: 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 plinth. It was slightly smaller
than the present base. This was torn away when the present
Tomb was started Aug. 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
American 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 projectiles, 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.
We are very, very proud of our soldiers
in uniform!
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