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(Sent courtesy of
Capt Tim
Christison)
Q & A -- 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?
The sentinel marches 21 steps across the black mat, past the final
resting places of the Unknown Soldiers of World War I, World War II, Korea, and
the crypt of the Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War. With a crisp turn, the
sentinel turns 90 degrees to face east for 21 seconds. The sentinel then turns
a sharp 90 degrees again to face north for 21 seconds. A crisp "shoulder-arms"
movement places the rifle on the shoulder nearest the visitors to signify that
the sentinel stands between the tomb and any threat. After the moment, the
sentinel paces 21 steps north, turns and repeats the process.
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?
The guard shifts his rifle
prior to each 21-step walk to ensure that it is always carried on his outside
shoulder, the one away from the Tomb to signify that the sentinel stands between
the tomb and any threat.
5. How often are the guards changed?
From 1926 through 1937, the Tomb was guarded only during daylight
hours. Ever since 1937, the Tomb has been continuously guarded 24 hours a day,
every day of the year. Tomb guards are changed every thirty minutes between 8 AM
and 7 PM during the period from early Spring to early Autumn (April 1 through
September 30), and every hour between 8 AM to 5 PM the rest of the year. At all
other times (i.e., while the cemetery is closed), the guard is changed every two
hours.
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 Tomb Guard Identification Badge, first awarded in 1957, is an
honor for which a guard qualifies by "flawlessly performing his duty for several
months" and passing a test, not something simply handed out to everyone who
serves for a given period of time. Once the sentinel has completed his or her
training, he or she is examined formally for proficiency in performing the
duties and in knowledge of ANC. He or she must first pass a written examination
of 100 questions about ANC and then be evaluated on proficiency in keeping watch
at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Upon successful completion, the soldier is awarded a temporary Tomb Guard's
Badge at a ceremony presided over by the company commander. The Badge is one of
the Army's higher honors and can be taken away from the soldier if he or she
does not continue to maintain the highest military standards. The 500th Tomb
Guard Identification Badge was awarded in early 2002, and the total number of
recipients is now about 525. The award is, as its name states, a badge worn on
the pocket of a uniform jacket.
The Tomb Guard Identification Badge is one of the least awarded badges in the
Army, second only to the Astronaut Badge. Since the sentinels are held to such
a high standard, if they ever do anything that is deemed behavior unbecoming a
Tomb Guard or brings dishonor upon the Tomb, their badges may be revoked, even
after [the sentinels] have left active duty military service.
As of early
2002, there have been nine revocations of the Tomb Guard Identification Badge.
The shoes are standard issue military dress shoes. They are built up so
the sole and heel are equal in height. This allows the Sentinel to stand so that
his back is straight and perpendicular to the ground. A side effect of this is
that the Sentinel can "roll" on the outside of the build up as he walks down the
mat. This allows him to move in a fluid fashion. If he does this correctly,
his hat and bayonet will appear to not "bob" up and down with each step. It
gives him a more formal and smooth look to his walk, rather than a "marching"
appearance.
The soles have a steel tip on the toe and a "horseshoe" steel plate on the heel.
This prevents wear on the sole and allows the Sentinel to move smoothly during
his movements when he turns to face the Tomb and then back down the mat.
Any soldier wishing to become a sentinel must undergo rigorous training,
including several hours a day of marching, rifle drill and uniform preparation,
and every tomb sentinel is expected to be completely versed in the history of
both the tomb and of Arlington National Cemetery (including knowing how to find
the graves of all the prominent person buried in the cemetery).
Among the notables are: Presidents
William Howard Taft and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Joe Lewis (the boxer) and Medal
of Honor winner Audie Murphy (the most decorated soldier of WWII) of Hollywood
fame.
Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God
So reads the inscription etched into the white granite tomb that
marks the resting place of America's official unknown soldiers. The Tomb of the
Unknowns remains one of the United States' most revered sites, a permanent
reminder of this country's commitment to honor those who died fighting for its
freedom. In 2003, that commitment was upheld in a way some people might not have
even noticed or even thought about.
When practically every government employee in Washington, DC was beating a hasty
retreat to avoid the aftereffects of Hurricane Isabel, a small group of men
decided their commitment to duty, honor and country was more important than
personal safety or comfort.
Tomb Guard Sentinels, the elite soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry regiment
chosen to act as guards at the Tomb, opted to sustain their constant vigil at
the Tomb of the Unknowns rather than flee the oncoming bad weather. To them it
was a matter of honoring their personal and professional obligations to the men
and women who served before them and who serve now - and obviously do not have
the luxury of serving their country only when skies are blue and the sun shines
down upon them.
A
contingency plan had been established that if winds reached 120 mph the guards
could retreat from their usual exposed-to-the-elements posts in the tomb plaza
to take up positions in trophy room, which is above the tomb plaza and has a
clear view of the sepulcher. This plan was not put into effect.
Although the Tomb of the Unknowns is watched over by Tomb Guards 24 hours a day,
365 days a year regardless of weather conditions, to have soldiers so duty-bound
as to ignore their own personal well-being is an example of real patriotism and
a real reminder of the sacrifices made to secure the principles of liberty.
God Bless and
keep them.
The Man
He's
eighteen, maybe nineteen;
His dog tags are laced to his boots
And he doesn't wear a belt.
He sits
leaning against a tree;
His hands are cracked and flaked with mud,
And he's sweating.
He needs a
shave;
His feet are covered with sores,
And he brushes a bug off his knee.
He digs a
hole to live in;
His poncho is close by,
And he hopes it doesn't rain.
He eats
C-Rations;
His drinking water is warm,
And he ran out of smokes.
He stares
into the darkness;
His eyes hurt,
But he can't sleep because it's his watch.
He thinks
about R&R in Sydney;
His friend went back to "the world,"
And he thinks about that too.
He's afraid
of booby traps;
His friend lost a foot,
And a guy in First Platoon lost a leg.
He's
eighteen, maybe nineteen;
His answer to everything is simple,
There it is.
~Major
R.J. Wilson
WHAT IS A VET?
Some
veterans bear visible signs of their service:
a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye.
Others may
carry the evidence inside them:
a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg - or perhaps
another sort of inner steel:
the soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity.
Except in
parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or
emblem.
You can't
tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet?
He is the
cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia
sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run
out of fuel.
He is the
barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy
behavior
is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite
bravery near the 38th parallel.
She - or he
- is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep
sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.
He is the
POW who went away one person and came back another --
or didn't come back AT ALL.
He is the
Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat --
but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang
members into Marines,
and teaching them to watch each other's backs.
He is the
parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic
hand.
He is the
career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.
He is the
three anonymous heroes in The Tomb of The Unknowns,
whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the
memory
of all the anonymous heroes whose valor died unrecognized with them on the
battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.
He is the
old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket -- palsied now and aggravatingly
slow --
who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long
that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.
He is an
ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being --
a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his
country,
and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.
He is a
soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness,
and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the
finest, greatest nation ever known.
So remember,
each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say
Thank You.
That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals
they could have been awarded or were awarded.
Two little words that mean a lot: "THANK YOU"
~Father
Denis Edward O'Brien
USMC
A Hero's Heaven
There is a
place called Hero's Heaven
Only the bravest get to see
Reserved for those who gave their lives
For love of liberty
A special place of respect and honor
For those who paid the price
Who gave their lives to preserve our freedom
The greatest sacrifice
We salute you brave and gallant soldiers
For the sacrifice you made
The love you showed for God and Country
And for the selfish way you paid
Your sacrifice has given meaning
To this truth we hold dear
Our freedom is a sacred birthright
To defend and to revere
To you we owe this highest honor
For your love and dedication
No greater love could any show
Than you who died for our nation
For you there is a Hero's Heaven
Only the bravest get to see
In the hearts and minds of a grateful nation
Who preserve your memory
IN HONOR OF OUR VIETNAM VETERANS
~Author
Unknown
AN OLD SOLDIER'S BOOTS
“What value
can be placed on an old Soldier's boots?”
I heard the auctioneer say.
“Will a bid be started for these old worn soles
that once trod in lands far away?”
He said, “I
know for a fact they were worn
by a Soldier that survived the war.
For a treasure of history, what will be the price
that these combat boots will sell for?”
The crowd
looked stunned as though at a loss
Where to start the bidding that day.
Watching a crippled old man with his head hung
as he stood in dim light by the doorway.
On a corner
uptown with no place to go
I knew I had seen that man before.
Tired and worn living on the streets,
that old Soldier was still fighting a war.
I knew
without a doubt they belonged to him
because the pain was showing on his face.
I walked up and put some money in the boot
and everything fell into place.
People came
together at the auction that day;
the compassion in others came alive.
Everyone walked by that old Soldier's boots
dropping a bill or two inside.
The
auctioneer picked up those boots
And returned them to the Soldier by the door.
He was crying out loud as he clutched those boots
that once again carried him through a war.
“The value
that can be placed on an old Soldier's boots,”
I heard the auctioneer say,
“Could never be placed on the life of another
or the lesson we have all learned today.”
~Eileen
Breedlove
A Veteran's Poem
He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.
And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Veteran died today.
He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.
He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'tho a Veteran died today.
When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his Country
And offers up his life?
The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.
While the ordinary Veteran,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension. . .small.
It's so easy to forget them,
For it is so many times
that our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys,
Went to battle, but we still pine.
It was not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our Country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand.
Or would you want a Veteran,
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Veteran,
Who had fought until the end?
He was just a common Veteran,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline
in the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS
IN MOURNING,
FOR A VETERAN DIED TODAY."
by A. Lawrence Vaincourt
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