From: Bobby Joe Pendleton (bjpendleton@charter.net)
Date: Sat Sep 18 2004 - 08:21:39 PDT
go here to get the facts
http://www.tombguard.org/FAQ.html
"Maneo Qualis Manebam"
----- Original Message -----
From: <Recovry4x4@aol.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Saturday, 18 September, 2004 07:53
Subject: [MV] Facts about the Tomb of the Unknowns
> Greetings gang. I knew some of these facts but not all. Every time I read
> this I learn a little more. Its not political and its not a direct
question or
> comment on any MVs but it is worth your attention. As with anything like
this
> its subject to truths being stretched but I think its pretty much right
on! Here
> are the facts about the Tomb of the Unknows!
>
>
> Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
>
> Interesting facts about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the
> Sentinels of the Third United States Infantry Regiment "Old Guard".
> 1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb
> of the Unknowns and why?
> A. 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?
> A. 21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1.
> 3. Why are his gloves wet?
> A. 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?
> A. No, 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?
> A. 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?
> A. 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.
>
> The Sentinels Creed: My dedication to this sacred duty is total and
> wholehearted. In the responsibility bestowed on me never will I
> falter. And with dignity and perseverance my standard will remain
> perfection. Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort
of the
> elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my
ability. It is
> he who commands
> the respect I protect. His bravery that made us so proud. Surrounded by
> well meaning crowds by day alone in the thoughtful peace of night, this
> soldier will
> in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance.
>
> More Interesting facts about the Tomb of the Unknowns itself:
>
> The marble for the Tomb of the Unknowns was furnished by the Vermont
> Marble Company of Danby, Vt. The marble is the finest and whitest of
American
> marble, quarried from the Yule Marble Quarry located near Marble, Colorado
and
> is called Yule Marble. The Marble for the Lincoln memorial and other
> famous buildings was also quarried there.
>
> The Tomb consists of seven pieces of rectangular marble:
> Four pieces in sub base; weight 15 tons, one piece base or plinth;
> weight 16 tons, one piece die; weight 36 tons, one piece cap; weight 12
tons.
> Carved on the East side (the front of the Tomb, which faces Washington,
D.C.)
> is
> a composite of three figures, commemorative of the spirit of the Allies
> of World War I. In the center of the panel stands Victory (female). On
the
> right
> side, a male figure symbolizes Valor. On the left side stands Peace, with
her
> palm branch to reward the devotion and sacrifice that went with courage to
> make the cause of righteousness triumphant.
>
> The north and south sides are divided into three panels by Doric
> pilasters. In each panel is an inverted wreath. On the west, or rear,
panel
> (facing the Amphitheater) is inscribed:
>
> HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD
>
> The first Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was a sub-base and a base or
> plinth. It was slightly smaller than the present base. This was torn away
> when the
> present Tomb was started Aug. 27, 1931. The Tomb was completed and the
> area opened to the public 9:15 a.m. April 9, 1932, without any ceremony.
>
> Cost of the Tomb; $48,000
>
> Sculptor; Thomas Hudson Jones
>
> Architect; Lorimer Rich
>
> Contractors; Hagerman & Harris, New York City
>
> Inscription; Author Unknown
>
> * * *
>
> (Interesting Commentary)
>
> The Third Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer has the responsibility for
> providing ceremonial units and honor guards for state occasions, White
House
> social functions, public celebrations and interments at Arlington National
> Cemetery and standing a very formal sentry watch at the Tomb of the
Unknowns.
>
> The public is familiar with the precision of what is called "walking
> post" at the Tombs. There are roped off galleries where visitors can form
to
> observe the troopers and their measured step and almost mechanically
silent
> rifle shoulder changes. They are relieved every hour in a very formal
drill
> that has to be seen to be believed.
>
> Some people think that when the Cemetery is closed to the public in the
> evening that this show stops. First, to the men who are dedicated to
> this work, it is no show. It is a "charge of honor." The formality and
> precision
> continues uninterrupted all night. During the nighttime, the drill of
> relief and the measured step of the on duty sentry remain unchanged from
the
> daylight hours. To these men, these special men, the continuity of this
post
> is the key to the honor and respect shown to these honored dead, symbolic
of
> all
> American unaccounted for American combat dead. The steady rhythmic step
in
> rain, sleet, snow, hail, heat, cold, must be uninterrupted. Uninterrupted
is
> the
> important part of the honor shown.
>
> Recently, while you were sleeping, the teeth of hurricane Isabel came
> through this area and tore hell out of everything. We had thousands of
trees
> down, power outages, traffic signals out, roads filled with downed limbs
and
> "gear adrift" debris. We had flooding and the place looked like it had
been
> the impact area of an off shore bombardment.
>
> The Regimental Commander of the U.S. Third Infantry sent word to the
> nighttime Sentry Detail to secure the post and seek shelter from the
> high winds, to ensure their personal safety.
>
> THEY DISOBEYED THE ORDER!
>
> During winds that turned over vehicles and turned debris into
> projectiles, the measured step continued. One fellow said "I've got
buddies
> getting
> shot at in Iraq who would kick my butt if word got to them that we let
them
> down. I sure as hell have no intention of spending my Army career being
known
> as the damned idiot who couldn't stand a little light breeze and shirked
his
> duty." Then he said something in response to a female reporters question
> regarding silly purposeless personal risk.... "I wouldn't expect you to
> understand, It's an enlisted man's thing." God bless the rascal... In a
time
> in our
> nation's history when spin and total b.s. seem to have become the accepted
> coin-of-the-realm, there beat hearts - the enlisted hearts we all knew
> and were so damn proud to be a part of that fully understand that devotion
to
> duty is not a part time occupation. While we slept, we were represented
by
> some damn fine men who fully understood their post orders and proudly went
> about their assigned
> responsibilities unseen, unrecognized and in the finest tradition of the
> American
> Enlisted Man. Folks, there's hope. The spirit that George S. Patton,
> Arliegh Burke and Jimmy Doolittle left us... survives.
>
> On the ABC evening news, it was reported recently that, because of the
> dangers from Hurricane Isabel approaching Washington DC, the military
> members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were
> given permission to suspend the assignment. They refused. "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. Very, very proud of our soldiers in uniform!
>
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