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| Arlington National Cemetery |
Thanks Bruce for
sharing this email
On
Jeopardy the other night, the final question was
"How many steps does the
guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns"
All three contestants missed it!
This is really an awesome sight to watch if you've never had the
chance. Very fascinating.
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?
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.
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 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 Lewis {the boxer}
Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most decorated soldier
of WWII and 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.
In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our
US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC
evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane,
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.
God Bless and keep them.
I'd be very proud if this email reached as many as possible. We can
be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they
serve.
God Bless America
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