Memorial Day Trivia
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Little Known Facts About Sentry Duty At Arlington
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.
How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why? 21 Seconds Same reason as above. Why are his gloves wet? His gloves are moistened to prevent losing his grip on the rifle. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time? And, if not, why? 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 outer shoulder. How often are the guards changed? Guards are relieved every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. What physical traits must one possess to qualify for this sentinel duty? For a person to qualify for guard duty at Arlington, he must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall, and his waist size cannot exceed 30 inches. What are the other personal sacrifices and commitments expected from every guard? Guards 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. Other Tidbits Of Information 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. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty. 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 Howard Taft [the only person to become US President and Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court] Joe Lewis [former world heavyweight boxing champion] Audie Murphy [Medal of Honor recipient, the most decorated soldier of WWII; Hollywood actor]
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Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, Arlington National Cemetery 
In 2003, as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took 2 days off in anticipation of the storm. On the ABC Evening news, it was reported that because of the great dangers from the Hurricane, the sentries assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb Of the Unknown Soldiers were given permission to suspend their guard duties. 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.
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