Tomb of the Unknown Soldier--- some amazing facts.
1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb
of the unknown soldier 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 the answer to Question 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?
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
guarding
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 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 ssignment, it was the highest honor that can be
afforded
to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7,
since 1930.
1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb
of the unknown soldier 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 the answer to Question 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?
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
guarding
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 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 ssignment, it was the highest honor that can be
afforded
to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7,
since 1930.
