Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
81The Highest Honor
The Path He Takes
1. The guard takes 21 steps which refers directly to the 21 gun salute, the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
2. The guard hesitates after his about face for 21 seconds for the same reason.
3. His gloves are moistened so as not to lose grip on his rifle.
4. He carries his rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, doing an about face, he places the gun on the opposite shoulder for the return walk.
5. Guards are changed every 30 minutes 24/7 365 days a year, since 1930.
Qualifications
To apply for the job, he must be between 5'10 and 6'2 and his waist cannot exceed 30 inches. He must commit 2 years of his life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, take no alcohol or swear on or off duty for the rest of his life, nor can he disgrace the fighting uniform or tomb in any way.
The first 6 months a guard can talk to no one nor watch tv. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in the Arlington National Cemetary. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.
After 2 years, he is given a wreath pin to wear on the lapel, signifying that he has served as a guard at the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn at this time. He must obey all these rules for the rest of his life or give up the pin.
Clothing Regulations
The shoes are made with very thick soles to protect from heat and cold. There are metal plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.
Guards spend 5 hours a day getting their uniforms ready for guard duty and dress for duty in front of a full length mirror to be sure there are no folds, wrinkles or lint.
Standing Firm
In 2003, as Hurricane Isabelle approached Washington, DC, military members were given permission to suspend the assignment but they respectfully declined. Soaked to the skin in the pelting rain of the tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, but the highest honor afforded to any serviceperson.
The Devoted Life
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If you want to get the real dope on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the sentinels that guard it, you can visit the Arlington National Cemetery web site or go to the below link:http://www.snopes.com/military/unknown.aspThe real story is more realistic and, as a result, much more impressive.
We recently came back from Washington D.C. and we visited Arlington Memeorial specifically the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We were amazed to see the soldier step out of formation and walk to a box on the side of the tomb and drink a bottle of water. Granted it was 93 degrees and about 95% humidity that day. Anyone else witness this or seen this happen?
That stuff about not being able to talk to people for 6 months, and having no access to TV is pure BS, as is the penalty for disobeying the fabricated rules you see elsewhere.
Additionally, the shoes are not extra thick for protection against heat and cold. They are built up so the sole and heel are equal in height.
Go here: http://www.tombguard.org/FAQ.html
i thout it wasz pretty good but i didnt find what i ws looking for
Lexi 5 years ago
Recently I went to Washington, D.C., and saw the tomb. It was so sad to see, and when I saw the change of the Soldier, it was unbelievable. To see the consistency was amazing! The qualifications are really strict and I can't belive all of the stuff the Solidiers have to do before thaey can become a guard!