Today is November 11, 2013. It is Veteran's Day. The day we say "Thank You" to the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. Some of them gave the ultimate sacrifice. Some came home to their families, but will never be the same. Some fight on the front lines and some treat the wounded. But all are there for us.
For a wonderful video tribute click here.
If you know a Veteran please thank them. If you are a Veteran we salute you. And if you are a family member of a Veteran thank you for supporting them.
In closing, on this Veteran's Day, we wanted to share a Q&A with you about the famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Happy Veterans Day from your friends at Jimcor Agencies!
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..
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD AND LET PERPETUAL
LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
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.
