Check out The Dynamics of Photographic Lighting section of our forum.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Dec 9, 2012 11:04:53 #
Sorry if this has been posted before....
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.
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 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, President Kennedy, Joe Louis, the boxer, Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII and 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.
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.
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 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, President Kennedy, Joe Louis, the boxer, Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII and 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.
Dec 9, 2012 11:26:22 #
God Bless Them All
Worldwide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Unknown_Soldier
United States and Tomb Guards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Unknowns
Worldwide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Unknown_Soldier
United States and Tomb Guards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Unknowns
Dec 10, 2012 07:32:32 #
No disrespect to the previous poster. Please see below for factual information from the actual society website. Some commonly misstated facts in the other link.
https://tombguard.org/society/faq/
https://tombguard.org/society/faq/
Check out Black and White Photography section of our forum.
Dec 10, 2012 11:35:00 #
gruntled
Loc: Cambridgeshire, England
The Sentinels honour their fallen comrades in a form that their fellow military personnel understand and respect.
Thanks for this page. Its worth a visit.
God Bless our Soldiers
From an ex-Military "Limey"
Thanks for this page. Its worth a visit.
God Bless our Soldiers
From an ex-Military "Limey"
Dec 10, 2012 12:21:55 #
Don Vittorio wrote:
Sorry if this has been posted before.... br br To... (show quote)
If anyone has not been to the tomb it well worth the trip just see these amazing and dedicated troops that truly exemplify America in spite of what others here and around the world may think of us. To them I say screw you!!
Dec 12, 2012 00:40:00 #
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
Check out AI Artistry and Creation section of our forum.