Joyanna Adams

The Highest Honor…

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Here’s a little something hardly any of us know, and even the contestants on Jeopardy missed it. I had no idea…

God Bless our Soldiers.

The question on Jeopardy was:

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

Answer: 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-fact to begin his return walk, and why?”

Answer: 21 seconds, for the same reason as the answer above.

3. “Why are his gloves wet?”

Answer: 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?”

Answer: 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.

6. “What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?”

Answer: 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 two 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 shoes are specially made with very thick souls 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 winkles, folds, or lint on the uniforms. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone or watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in the 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), and Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII and Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniform ready for guard.

In 2003, as Hurricane Isabelle was approached Washington D.C., our U.S. Senate/House took two 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. Respectfully declined the offer:

“NO WAY SIR!”

Soaked to the skin 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 could be afforded to a service person. The Tomb has been patrolled continuously 24/7 since 1930.

January 7, 2012 - Posted by Joyanna Adams | History, Military | History, Military, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier