Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

For the second part of my Memorial Day tribute, I'd like to mention the soldiers who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetary. If you've never had the chance to visit the Tomb, it is an awesome sight to see the soldiers guard the Tomb night and day. Particularly impressive is the changing of the guard which takes place every 30 minutes.

But the most impressive parts of their duty are the rituals and rules which they must live by. It is an honor that we have men who are not only willing to dedicate a par of their lives to guard the Tomb, but also to commit to a life which honors and dignifies the Tomb. Here are some facts about those admirable men.

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 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 E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of W.W.II} of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

When Hurricane Isabel approached Washington D.C. back in 2003, the US Senate/House took 2 days off as they couldn't work because of the expected storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that, because of the dangers from the hurricane approaching Washington, 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 serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.