Interesting stuff

Someone who knows I am a military buff sent me the following in an email....

This

is really an awesome sight to watch if you've

never had the chance.

Very fascinating.

Tomb

of the Unknown Soldier

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.

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..

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.