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On Guard

Date Added: June 18, 2004
Last Updated: June 18, 2004

Rumors abound about the significance of numerous military protocols. Years of tradition and hearsay combine to create interesting, often unbelievable tales. This examination of the guards of the Tomb of the Unknowns is a combination of truth and fiction.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS

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 5ą 10˛ and 6ą 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

This collection of little-known 'facts' has been around for years, but saw a resurgeance of popularity after Memorial Day, 2004 - no doubt the result of thousands of tourists converging on the Washington D.C./Arlington area for the opening of the World War II memorial.

The Tomb of the Unknowns, also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by Tomb Guard sentinels, members of the elite 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), headquartered at Fort Myer, VA. The claims in this chain letter can be categorized as true, mostly true and totally false. Here goes:

True

"Guards take 21 steps before turning, for the same reason there are 21 guns in a 21-gun salute."
"The Guards' gloves are wet to improve his grip on his rifle."
"The guard always carries his rifle on the shoulder opposite the tomb."
"Guards wear specially designed shoes."
"The Guards' uniforms are impeccably kept."
"President William H. Taft and Audie Murphy are buried there."

Mostly True

"Guards make an about-face, then wait 21 seconds before retracing their steps." Actually, guards make a 90-degree turn to face the tomb, wait 21 seconds, then make another 90-degree turn before retracing their path.
"Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year." According to the Military District of Washington, "The guard is changed every hour on the hour Oct. 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."
"Guards must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall, with a waist no bigger than 30 inches." Actually, the upper limit for height it 6' 4", and no exact specification is made for waist size except that weight and build must be "proportional."
"Joe Louis, the boxer is buried in Arlington National Cemetery." However, Joe "E." Lewis is a comedian buried in New Jersey.

Totally False

"Guards must commit two years of service, live under the tomb and never drink alcohol, swear or fight for the rest of their lives." The Old Guard makes no such restrictions on the personal lives of its members, and soldiers may live in housing of their choosing.
"After two years, they are given a lapel pin that they can lose if they break the rules unique to them." Guards can earn a laurel leaf badge after several months of service, if he passes a test. It is a badge to be worn on the uniform jacket, not a lapel pin. The badge can be revoked for conduct unbecoming a soldier of the Old Guard.
"Guards give up all television and social activity for the first 6 months of duty." Again, the Old Guard makes no such person restrictions on their members, though the elaborate training and preparation for the job may leave them little time for entertainment.

Most of the blatantly false claims fall in the "other requirements" portion of the letter, which appears to have been added as the chain circulated, by another author. A simple Google search turns up plenty of web sites that examine the honor and ceremony of Arlington National Cemetery - all of them more valid and reliable than this anonymously authored, randomly forwarded and somewhat incorrect collection. Break this chain.

References: Snopes.com, Military District of Washington, ArlingtonCemetery.net, Society of the Honor Guard - Tomb of the Unknowns

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