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.
I really like this Russian song of the soviet Union
this means a lot to me, for I am a Texan and now we live in TN.
I am not Scotish, I am Irish, but I still like this song.
Scarcely less renowned than the Knights Templars, the Teutonic Knights
carried the spirit and traditions of the great military religious orders of
the Middle Ages far into the modern period. No earlier date for the
foundation of the order than 1190 is given on recognized authority, its actual
beginning, like that of the other orders of its kind, being humble and
obscure.
It appears that about 1128 a wealthy German, having participated in the
siege and capture of Jerusalem, settled there, and soon began to show pity for
his unfortunate countrymen among the pilgrims who came, receiving some of them
into his own house to be cared for. When the work became too great for him
there, he built a hospital, in which he devoted himself to nursing sick
pilgrims, to whose support he likewise gave all his wealth. Still the task
outgrew the means at his command, and in order to increase his charity he
began to solicit alms. While he took care of the men, his wife performed a
like service for poor women pilgrims.
Soon they were joined by many of their wealthier countrymen who had come
to fight for the Holy Land. Presently they "banded themselves together, after
the pattern of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and united the care of the
sick and poor with the profession of arms in their defence, under the title of
Hospitalers of the Blessed Virgin." These Teutonic Hospitalers continued their
work, in hospital and field, until the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin in
1187
Robert Edward Lee
(1807-1870)
"With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission in the Army, and save in defense of my native State, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed, I hope I may never be called on to draw my sword....." Lee in a letter to his sister, April 20, 1861
Charles H. Coolidge
TECHNICAL SERGEANT CHARLES H. COOLIDGE, US ARMY GENERAL ORDER NO: 53, JULY 1945
TECHNICAL SERGEANT CHARLES H. COOLIDGE, U.S. ARMY COMPANY M, 141ST INFANTRY, 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION. EAST OF BELMONT SUR BUTTANT, FRANCE ON 24-27 OCTOBER 1944 DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF WHILE LEADING A SECTION OF HEAVY MACHINEGUNS SUPPORTED BY 1 PLATOON OF COMPANY K. HE TOOK A POSITION NEAR HILL 623, EAST OF BELMONT SUR BUTTANT, FRANCE ON 24 OCTOBER 1944, WITH THE MISSION OF COVERING THE RIGHT FLANK OF THE THIRD BATTALION AND SUPPORTING ITS ACTION. T/SGT COOLIDGE WENT FORWARD WITH A SERGEANT OF COMPANY KTO RECONNOITER POSITIONS FOR COORDINATING THE FIRES OF THE LIGHT AND HEAVY MACHINEGUNS. THEY RAN INTO AN ENEMY FORCE IN THE WOODS ESTIMATED TO BE AN INFANTRY COMPANY. T/SGT COOLIDGE ATTEMPTING TO BLUFF THE GERMANS BY A SHOW OF ASSURANCE AND BOLDNESS CALLED UPON THEM TO SURRENDER, WHEREUPON THE ENEMY OPENED FIRE. WITH HIS CARBINE, T/SGT COOLIDGE WOUNDED 2 OF THEM. THERE BEING NO OFFICER PRESENT WITH THE FORCE, T/SGT COOLIDGE AT ONCE ASSUMED COMMAND. MANY OF THE MEN WERE REPLACEMENTS RECENTLY ARRIVED; THIS WAS THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE UNDER FIRE. T/SGT COOLIDGE, UNMINDFUL OF THE ENEMY FIRE DELIVERED AT CLOSE RANGE, WALKED ALONG THE POSITION, CALMING AND ENCOURAGING HIS MEN AND DIRECTING THEIR FIRE. THE ATTACK WAS THROWN BACK. THROUGH 25 AND 26 OCTOBER, THE ENEMY LAUNCHED REPEATED ATTACKES AGAINST THE POSITION OF THIS COMBAT GROUP, BUT EACH WAS REPULSED DUE TO T/SGT COOLIDGE'S ABLE LEADERSHIP. ON 27 OCTOBER, GERMAN INFANTRY, SUPPORTED BY 2 TANKS, MADE A DETERMINED ATTACK ON THE POSITION. THE AREA WAS SWEPT BY ENEMY SMALL-ARMS, MACHINEGUN, AND TANK FIRE. T/SGT COOLIDGE ARMED HIMSELF WITH A BAZOOKA AND ADVANCED TO WITHIN 25 YARDS OF THE TANKS. HIS BAZOOKA FAILED TO FUNCTION AND HE THREW IT ASIDE. SECURING ALL THE HAND GRENADES HE COULD CARRY, HE CRAWLED FORWARD AND INFLICTED HEAVY CASUALTIES ON THE ADVANCING ENEMY. FINALLY IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE ENEMY, IN GREATLY SUPERIOR FORCE, SUPPORTED BY TANKS, WOULD OVERRUN THE POSITION. T/SGT COOLIDGE DISPLAYING GREAT COOLNESS AND COURAGE, DIRECTED AND CONDUCTED AN ORDERLY WITHDRAWAL, BEING HIMSELF THE LAST TO LEAVE THE POSITION. AS A RESULT OF T/SGT COOLIDGE'S HEROIC AND SUPERIOR LEADERSHIP, THE MISSION OF THIS COMBAT GROUP WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGHOUT 4 DAYS OF CONTINUOUS FIGHTING AGAINST NUMERICALLY SUPERIOR ENEMY TROOPS IN RAIN AND COLD AND AMID DENSE WOODS.
Turkish cavalryman wore
much lighter armour then the Crusader knights.they had light mail coats,
King Richard 1 of England preferred fighting for his religion over seas to governing his kingdom. for three years after his coronation in 1189,he was not ever in Europe. he was leading a Crusades army against Muslim forces in Palestine.
The Templar's who guarded the temples and most of the city's in the holy land
