06-13-2004, 03:14 PM
Subject: THOUGHT YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW
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."
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.
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD,
AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
I don't know if you saw this in the news but it really impressed me.
Funny, our US
Senate/House took 2 days off as they couldn't work because of the
expected storm. On the
ABC evening news, it was reported tonight that, because of the dangers
from Hurricane
Isabelle 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 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.
We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no
matter where they serve.
God Bless them.
[signature]
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."
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.
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD,
AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
I don't know if you saw this in the news but it really impressed me.
Funny, our US
Senate/House took 2 days off as they couldn't work because of the
expected storm. On the
ABC evening news, it was reported tonight that, because of the dangers
from Hurricane
Isabelle 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 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.
We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no
matter where they serve.
God Bless them.
[signature]
