DBWALTMAN

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier


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.

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

Why are his gloves wet?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip
on the rifle.


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.


How often are the guards changed?

Guards are changed every thirty minutes, 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year


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
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 serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously,
24/7, since 1930.