The 3rd U.S. Infantry Division is the oldest active - duty infantry regiment in the nation . It is theArmy’sofficial ceremonial unit and the escort to the president . Known as The Old Guard , select 3rd Infantry soldiers also are assigned to a platoon with perhaps the most solemn tariff in the armed force : guarding the Tomb of the strange Soldier atArlington National Cemetery .
Each year , more than 3 million tourists rain cats and dogs into Arlington National , which sit just west of Washington D.C. , to natter the Tomb of the Unknowns . There , Sentinels of the 3rd U.S. Infantry have stand guardevery bit of every twenty-four hours since July 2 , 1937 . They ’ve tolerate through snowfalls and hurricane . They were witness as terrorists flew a plane into the nearby Pentagon on Sept. 11 , 2001 .
" The vigil remains unbroken to honor the forfeit of the unknowns , " Maj . Stephen C. Von Jett , the director of public affairs for the regiment , says in a e-mail , " because they give their very personal identity for our nation . "
But visitors are n’t allowed to approach the Tomb . president and dignitaries often place flower at the Tomb of the obscure Soldier , but members of the public are n’t allow that close ( see sidebar ) .
The Story Behind the Tomb
TheTomb of the unidentified Soldier , as it is today , contain the remains of more than one soldier . Once , it abide by a soldier who later was place .
The idea of a tomb for unknowns start in March of 1921 , after Congress OK’d the building of a tomb on the piazza of the newly built Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington . The original idea was to honor an unidentified soldier kill inWorld War I. The Army exhumed four soldier from American burial ground in France on Memorial Day of that year , and chose one for the spot in Arlington in an elaborate ceremony in the city manor hall of Châlons - sur - Marne , France , on Oct. 24 , 1921 . After the casket was transported to the U.S. via the Navy cruiser USS Olympia , President Warren G. Harding presided over the internment ceremonies on Nov. 11 , 1921 .
A white marble sarcophagus was placed over the grave , with this inscription on the west side :
Over the twelvemonth , to the west of the original grave , three other graves were erected , score with blanched marble slab that are flush to the ground . These laurels the unknown dead of World War II , Koreaand Vietnam .
The soldier in the Tomb of the nameless Soldier are among more than 5,000 unnamed soldiers buried throughout the 624 acres of Arlington National Cemetery .
" loosely , their tombstone read ' Unknown ' and then what service the unidentified dish out with , if sleep with . If lie with , there will be a date of demise , " Von Jett enunciate of the other unknown at Arlington . " We late place a sword lily on every gravesite for Memorial Day during ' flagstone - In . ' I ’ve go through hundreds of strange markers myself . Some are just right next to the grave plaza . "
The ceremonial alien of WWII and Korea were interred at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1958 , and the Vietnam War unknown was ceremoniously lay to rest onMemorial Dayin 1984 .
In 1998 , after investigation pointed to the identity of the Vietnam unknown , the remains were exhumed and later positively identify , through desoxyribonucleic acid testing , as those of1st Lt . Michael Joseph Blassieof St. Louis , Missouri , a pilot dissipate down over Vietnam in 1972 . Blassie ’s remains were return to his family . He was reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on the banks of the Mississippi in St. Louis County , Missouri .
The Army made the decision to exit the Vietnam crypt empty . The cover has been replaced with one with this inscription :
According to Von Jett , no program exist for any further disinternments of unknown from any previous wars .
These days , aDNAsample is now taken from every table service member upon join the armed force , which helps identify fallen soldier . " It may be that forensics science has reached the point where there will be no other unknowns in any war , " former Secretary of DefenseWilliam Cohentold newsman after Blassie was returned home in 1998 .
" The U.S. Army has made slap-up strides when it come to Service member identification , " Von Jett say . " While some incidents might make initial identification of remains challenge , there are no unknowns from current or recent conflict . "
Those Who Guard the Tomb
stand vigil over the unknown are the Tomb Guard Sentinels of The Old Guard , a mitt - beak group of Army soldier who are arduously trained and ferociously give to abide by the memory of those who yield their lives for their country .
Watching the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the unidentified Soldier is both awe inspiring and sobering . Whether it ’s in the dead of summer in front of thousands of sweaty tourer or at midnight in the shadow of winter , the Sentinels carry out their responsibility with remarkable precision .
On every hour in the wintertime while Arlington is subject , and on every half - time of day in the summer ( April 1 through Sept. 30 ) , the soldiers move through anintricately choreographed ceremonythat includesa rifle inspectionand the literal changing of the safety . Once the ceremony is complete , the Sentinel who has add up on in relief get down the slow and steady walk down a mat beside the tomb , rifle on shoulder , until the next alteration . ( After - hour at Arlington , a Sentinel sometimes walk a long shift , but a soldier is always on guard . )
The guard ’s walkconsists of 21 slow steps ( these refer to the 21 - gun salute , the highest honour give any military or foreign dignitary ) , a acute military turn , a dog clink , a 21 - second pause while facing the tomb , another bend and another 21 - second arrest before beginning the 21 steps to the other ending of the mat . The soldier ’s rifle is change to the shoulder farthermost from the grave , between the grave and any threat .
The Honor Guard has three groups , or " reliefs , " which each admit a relief air force officer ( who addresses onlooker and herald the Changing of the Guard ) and about six lookout . They presently do a 26 hours on , 22 hour off docket for six days before they take a 96 - hour " administrative " city block before starting again . They develop every day , even when they ’re off . When they ’re on , but not on the plaza , they ’re performing many casual ritual in training of their walk , admit pressing and steam their uniforms , buffing their medals and ornament , and practicing their rifle movement .
That ’s every day , 24 hours a Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , since 1937 , whether anyone ’s watching or not .
" I ’ve been on the plaza when no one was there but me and the guard . I ’ve been there with thousands packed shoulder joint to shoulder , " Von Jett says . " Both are particular , and I commend both experiences . "
