This page came
to us as an email attachment...We wanted to share it.
Please contact us with any errors or omissions....we'll fix them, but
this reflects on a great tribute.
On
Jeopardy the other night, the final question
was:
How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb
of the
Unknowns
------ All three missed it ---
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." 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.
God Bless and keep them.