I am grateful on this Veterans Day for all veterans, past and present. I have always been especially touche by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. When I was younger my dad told me stories about the people who have the honor of guarding the tomb. They are more dedicated to the men they guard than I have ever been to anything. They are impressive and deserve much more accolades than they get. Here are some interesting facts for you:
- The Guard takes 21 steps during his walk across the Tomb of the Unknowns; it alludes to the 21-gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
- There has been a Sentinel on duty in front of the Tomb every minute of every day since 1937.
- Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
- 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.
- There have been 3 female Sentinels.
- Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.
1 comment:
as a DC dweller, I feel I must point out that October through March, guards are only changed every hour. ;)
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