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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.' Other Requirements of the Guard: 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 {fighting}
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 u p 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 E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner
Audie Murphy, {the most Decorated soldier of WWII} 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.
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