In remembrance of our Veterans, below is a quiz about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, also known as the “Tomb of the Unknowns.”
1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the Tomb? 21; 26; 30; 32.
2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk? Five seconds; 12 seconds; 15 seconds; 21 seconds.
3. Why are his gloves wet? Because of sweat collected from holding the gun so tightly; because the metal of the gun barrel gets hot; because he’s afraid he might drop the gun; because in the summer, it’s so hot, they wet the gloves to keep the soldier from fainting.
4. True or false: He carries his rifle on the same shoulder all the time.
5. How often are the guards changed? Every 30 minutes; every hour; every two hours; all of the above.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and in any weather by Tomb Guard sentinels. Sentinels, all volunteers, are considered to be the best of the elite 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), headquartered at Fort Myer, Va.
After members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment become ceremonially qualified, they are eligible to volunteer for duty as sentinels at the Tomb. If accepted, they are assigned to Company E of The Old Guard. An interview and a two-week trial to determine a volunteer’s capability to train as a tomb guard is required.
Hopeful sentinels memorize seven pages of Arlington National Cemetery history. This information must be recited verbatim in order to earn a “walk.” A walk occurs between guard changes.
After passing the first training phase, “new-soldier” training begins. New sentinels learn the history of Arlington National Cemetery and the grave locations of nearly 300 veterans. They learn the guard-change ceremony and the manual of arms that takes place during the inspection portion of the Changing of the Guard. Sentinels learn to keep their uniforms and weapons in immaculate condition.
The sentinels will be tested to earn the privilege of wearing the silver Tomb Guard Identification Badge after several months of serving. The test is 100 randomly selected questions of the 300 items memorized during training on the history of Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns. The would-be badge holder must get more than 95 percent correct to succeed. Only 400 Tomb Guard Badges have been awarded.
The Tomb Guard Identification Badge is temporary until the badge-holding sentinel has honorably served for nine months. The award can then be made permanent, which may then be worn for the rest of a military career. The silver badge is an upside-down, laurel-leaf wreath surrounding a depiction of the front face of the Tomb. Peace, Victory and Valor are portrayed as Greek figures. The words “Honor Guard” are below the Tomb on the badge.
ANSWERS:
1. 21 steps. It alludes to the 21-gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. 2. 21 seconds. The sentinel marches 21 steps across the black mat, past the final resting places of the Unknown Soldiers of World War I, World War II, Korea, and the crypt of the Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War. With a crisp turn, the sentinel turns 90 degrees (not about-face) to face east for 21 seconds. The sentinel then turns a sharp 90 degrees again to face north for 21 seconds. A crisp “shoulder-arms” movement places the rifle on the shoulder nearest the visitors to signify that the sentinel stands between the tomb and any threat. After the moment, the sentinel paces 21 steps north, turns, and repeats the process. 3. His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle. 4. True. He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. The guard shifts his rifle before each 21-step walk so it is always carried on his outside shoulder, the one away from the Tomb (to signify that the sentinel stands between the tomb and any threat). 5. The guard is changed every hour on the hour October 1 to March 31 in an elaborate ritual. From April 1 through September 30, there are more than double the opportunities to view the change because another change is added on the half hour, and the cemetery closing time moves from 5 to 7 p.m.