Obviously, the Tomb of the Unknown is heavily guarded at all times, even during the atrocious weather that comes upon Washington, D.C. In the year of 1948, the Third Infantry, also known as the Old Guard, had received the responsibility of guarding the most important tomb in Arlington National Cemetery. The Third Infantry is very important because it is the only infantry unit allowed to march with bayonets on the rifles. Primarily, the Third Infantry’s responsibility are duties, for example, conducting all military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, providing protection for the capitol building and providing an escort for the president of the United States. The most important honor that can be given to any soldier of the Third Infantry …show more content…
As a Tomb guard, the guards are all volunteers and go through very rigorous tactics. Each candidate goes through a set of intensive interviews both by the Sergeant of the Guard and by officers of nearby Fort Myer, where the 3rd Infantry is quartered. The volunteer’s motives for wanting to be a guard and his seriousness of purpose are …show more content…
However, in the year of 1994, the Secretary of Army ruled that women could serve in the twenty-five member squad. The only female, to ever be a Tomb guard, was Sergeant Heather Lynn Johnsen. Sgt. Heather Lynn Johnsen became a Tomb guard in the year of 1996. Sgt. Johnsens comments on her achievement was, “There is no higher honor. I can’t think of anything greater to do for my country” (Howell A-5). All Tomb guards, whether male or female, must demonstrate their perfectionist side at all times and must be willing to serve their country in one of the highest honors. There are many qualifications an individual needs in order to be buried at Arlington. Principally, any soldier who is an active duty of the Armed Forces is qualified to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Additionally, any member of the Air Force who has received the Medal of Honor, any who has received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the purple heart or the Distinguished Service Medal, are also allowed to be buried at Arlington. Also, any United States Government elective, Office of Chief Justice or Associate Justice of Supreme Court of United States, provided their last period of active duty. Furthermore, any spouse, minor children, widow, widower, permanently dependent children or certain unmarried children of any of these Veterans who are qualified, are also qualified. There are many other qualifications
I would be a good candidate for placing the wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier because my grandfather is a Vietnam war veteran and I would be the second generation to lay the wreath at the tomb. While my grandfather had been serving in Vietnam, he was shot in the chest. He had not slept for 2 days after in fear of never being able to wake up again. He was awarded the Purple Heart and is immensely proud of his service. My mother wrote the winning essay for the wreath laying her 8th grade year at Butler Junior High. I believe that my connections to not only what the tomb represents, but the actual tomb itself makes me a worthy candidate for laying the wreath at the unknown soldier.
The tomb of the unknown soldier is a cemetery for the soldiers from World War Ⅰ, World War Ⅱ, and the Vietnam War. On Memorial Day 1921, four unknowns were disinterred from World War Ⅰ American cemeteries in France. Army Sgt. Edward F. Younger selected one of the four identical caskets by placing a spray of white roses on the casket. The chosen unidentified soldier was transported to the United States by the USS Olympia. The others remaining were interred in Meuse Argonne Cemetery in France.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed at the Arlington National Cemetery because it was the honorary cemetery where people that had served in the United States forces were likely buried. The Tomb is supposed to show respect and honor, especially because we couldn’t identify him as
Arlington National Cemetery is located in Arlington, Virginia and is home to over 400,000 graves. Service members who died while on active duty, retired members of the Armed Forces, and certain veterans and family members may be buried there. Seeing the countless rows of headstones allowed me to reflect upon the sacrifices made by our U.S. soldiers. I have a tremendous amount of respect for every person buried there. Monuments, memorials and dedicated trees commemorating individuals and significant events in our nation's history are interspersed throughout the cemetery among the headstones of service members for whom Arlington is the final resting place. These people shall never be forgotten. Walking beside the graves allowed me
There are many different ways someone can be qualified to be buried at Arlington. In order to be qualified you must have been an active service member of the Armed Forces, a retired Veteran of the Armed Forces, a former member of the Armed Forces who was awarded a distinct
One of the Unknowns buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was the Unknown from World War II. The trooper was chosen from two caskets, where one casket had the remains of a soldier that was eliminated in Europe, and the other casket had the remains of a soldier that was eliminated in the Pacific. Medal of Honor recipient Hospital Corpsman First Class William R. Charette had the honor of choosing the remains to be sent to Arlington National Cemetery. As a result, the other casket with the remains of the other soldier were buried at sea. Before the casket was buried, the casket of the World War II Unknown was laid in the U.S.
In Trethewey’s “Native Guard,” graves symbolize of the futility of mankind’s efforts to conceal its evils, and of failure to combat the racist system put in place by white America. For years, Trethewey’s mother fought to protect her daughter from the hatred and prejudice in America. Her protest against the hatred of America was snuffed out by abusive partners and the nascent racism of America. In the poem “Graveyard Blues,”she describes the atmosphere of the graveyard as blues-y and dreary. She “wander[s] now among names of the dead: My mother’s name, stone pillow for my head,” her mother’s name now only a marker of her lifetime of suffering. Not only a problem in Trethewey’s time, racism and inherent discrimination was an issue for even the African American heroes of the Civil War, the Native Guard receive no recognition from the historians of the fort or the Daughters of the Confederacy. In the poem “Elegy for the Native Guards, Trethewey states that there are “no names carved for the Native Guards— 2nd Regiment, Union men, black phalanx. What is monument to their legacy?” They receive no honorable grave. They receive the most barbaric of burial rites, doomed to have “fish dart among their bones.” The bodies of the native guard are cast out of sight into the ocean, neglected in an attempt to forget the evils committed against them. Their forgotten and neglected grave symbolizes the futility of fighting against the racism of America, as well as the futility in concealing
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery is on a hill that looks over Washington,D.C. On March 4, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unknown American soldier from World War I in the plaza of the new Memorial Amphitheater. The white marble tomb has a flat-faced form and is relieved at the corners and along the sides by neo-classic0 columns, set into the surface. Sculpted into the east panel which faces Washington, D.C., are three Greek figures representing Peace, Victory, and Valor. The six wreaths, three sculpted on each side, represent the six major campaigns of World War I. Written on the back of the Tomb are the words: “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”
The graves of many famous people are at Arlington Nationel Cemetary. It did not start out that way. In 1861, a Confederate General and his wife owned the house and the land. That General was Robert E. Lee. His house was across the river from Washington, D.C. The Union Army took over the land at the start of the Civil War. Union soldiers that were killed in the war was buried near the house. These soldiers were poor. Their families could not pay for them to be buried. Arlington was called a "potter's field." A potters field is a place where poor or unknown people are buried. After the war, something odd started to happen. Union officers asked to be buried at Arlington. They wanted to be near those men who had been in the war with them. Americans
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is in Fort Myer, Virginia and is located in Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery, where about 400,000 people are buried, is a place where people who were in the military are buried whether they died in combat, or died of something else, but were once in the military. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has never officially been named. It consists of 4 tombs, only three of them have bodies in them. It represents all unknown soldiers who have died in battle and that they will never be forgotten. There is a tomb for WW1, WW2, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. They are/were all filled with unknown soldiers from the corresponding war, except for the unknown
The Tomb of the Unknown Solider is located Arlington National Cemetery which stands atop of a hill overlooking Washington, DC. The Tomb symbolizes all those who were lost or rendered unidentifiable by the action of war. It is there to represent all the missing and unknown service member who made the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives, but also their identities to protect our country’s freedoms. On March 4, 1921 Congress approved for the burial of an unidentified American solider from World War I to be placed in the Plaza of the newly built Memorial Amphitheater. Inscribed on the back of the Tomb are “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.” (Arlington National Cemetery) The Tomb sarcophagus was place above the grave of the Unknown Solider
The veterans will offer a wreath for presentation at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Saturday morning before visiting the Vietnam War, Lincoln and Korean War memorials. Saturday night will finish with a trips to the Jefferson, Pentagon and Air Force memorials.
For this year’s event, we have decided to incorporate a Honor Guard and will hold the memorial ceremony in the OB2 Auditorium (DSHS Building adjacent to the HQ Transportation Building). The Honor Guard will participate in the Worker Memorial by lining the steps and walkway from the HQ Transportation Building to the OB2 Auditorium. It is expected that the attire for each member of the Honor Guard would be consistent with what is worn in the field (i.e. vests, raincoat, hardhat, boots, etc.). In regards to program specifics, the Honor Guard will be in place no later than 9:45 AM. At that time, the families of fallen workers will be escorted from the Transportation Building to the OB2 Auditorium and pass through the ranks of the Honor Guard. The Honor Guard will fall in behind the families as they pass and then be seated behind the families in the Auditorium. Once all are seated, the Worker Memorial program will commence.
They might hold it at the Tomb of the unknown soldier order to honor the dead soldiers who fought for are country. This is backed up by this sentence is backed up by this statement from the text “A soldier known but to god” The burial site of this unknown world war 1 soldier in Arlington National Cemetery symbolized dignity and reverence for America’s veterans.” also the statement from “To Honor Veterans of All Wars” which is “... a color Guard, made up of members from each of the military service, renders honors to America’s war dead during a tradition-rich ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.”. Also they might hold it there because of the beutifull land that is worthy of such a tradition. The beauty is described in this statement from
The description of the setting-the guard