Arlington Cemetery

Discussion in 'Off Topic!' started by The Phantom, Jun 16, 2019.

  1. The Phantom

    The Phantom Village Idiot Village Idiot Forum Leader

    ARLINGTON CEMETERY




    1.
    How many steps does the guard take during his
    walk across the tomb of the Unknowns
    and why?




    21
    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
    one



    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,
    Joe Lewis {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.




    I'd be
    very proud if this email
    reached as many as possible. We can be very
    proud of our men
    and women
    in the service no matter where they serve.
     
  2. Sgoose

    Sgoose Mega Poster Founding Member

    Well said, may God Bless all men and women who have served and are serving.
     
    RPAD, Ga.trapshooter and HistoryBuff like this.
  3. Palos shooter

    Palos shooter Mega Poster Founding Member

    Arlington house was the home of Confederate General Robert E Lee.
    The Union turned it into a cemetary so that Lee could never return home.
     
  4. Maser

    Maser ∞ Based ∞

    Definitely on my bucket list of places to visit.
     
  5. Ga.trapshooter

    Ga.trapshooter Active Member

    I take great pride in having served and all those who have!
     
    RPAD likes this.
  6. The Phantom

    The Phantom Village Idiot Village Idiot Forum Leader

    Welcome home, Brother. I'm glad you are here.

    The Phantom
     
    RPAD likes this.
  7. Ga.trapshooter

    Ga.trapshooter Active Member

    Thanks All who do,and have served are truly brothers of different mothers .
     
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  8. RPAD

    RPAD Well-Known Member

    I know one who still has the wreath pin, he is a Gentleman to the max.
    I had Boots on the Ground 67-68 but never had a 30 inch waste.
     
    The Phantom likes this.
  9. The Phantom

    The Phantom Village Idiot Village Idiot Forum Leader

    Family, and it "don't get no better than that."