Ace of Spades HQ

May 26, 2013

The Tomb of the Unknowns Will Always Be Guarded
— Dave in Texas

I have seen this ceremony more times than I can count. I never cease to be humbled by it, by the sentinels of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, US Army at Ft. Meyer. The Old Guard.

21 steps. Hurricanes. Snowstorms. Or the brutal summer heat in Virginia.

This tomb will always have a guard.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 11:54 AM | Comments (53)
Post contains 71 words, total size 1 kb.

1 first

Posted by: mallfly, MFA at May 26, 2013 11:56 AM (bJm7W)

2 oh, how did I do that? anyway, impressive as can be. no wonder we rarely lost when the pols stayed out of the way.

Posted by: mallfly at May 26, 2013 11:57 AM (bJm7W)

3 What a pleasure to watch.

Thank you.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at May 26, 2013 11:57 AM (O6Tmi)

4 Thank you, Dave in Texas.

Posted by: Y-not at May 26, 2013 11:58 AM (5H6zj)

Heck, two vets did brief wreath laying at church today, with Taps. My wife and I got choked up. In part because it resembled the ceremony at her Dad's funeral last summer. I was caught off guard a bit by the power of it.

Posted by: CJ at May 26, 2013 11:58 AM (9G+G5)

6 Those guys with the rifles must be the corpse-men.

Posted by: Barky O'Genius at May 26, 2013 12:00 PM (KrRnU)

7 Thanks Dave in Texas! Someday I'll get up there to see that and honor those that have paid dearly and especially those unknown.

Posted by: Yip at May 26, 2013 12:00 PM (/jHWN)

Thanks for the video DiT. Its powerful on screen; I can only imagine how it is in person.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at May 26, 2013 12:07 PM (x1L8S)

9 Thanks for that video. Not even close, but I was tasked to funereal detail when I was in the Army. It was supposed to be cake duty, but it was a ton of work. I guarantee those guys spend hours getting and keeping their gear in perfect condition. Also, O/T, but you can check out my wife's elbows over at Gateway Pundit...she's carrying the flag, in hot pink top.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at May 26, 2013 12:10 PM (VVBLA)

10 I watched the guards at the tomb early one Sunday morning a few years ago. It is just so humbling and emotionally charged. G-d bless all who gave their lives for us. Especially you, Uncle Harry.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 26, 2013 12:15 PM (+98Gb)

11 thank you Dave for posting that

Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 12:16 PM (BBWjt)

12 Just remembered that there was a beautiful documentary about the Tomb, with interviews of the family and friends of 5 servicemen who were listed as MIA during World War 2. It was narrated by Jason Robards, IIRC. Very moving and worth the search.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 26, 2013 12:17 PM (+98Gb)

13 JJ, that Robards dvd is available for purchase at media outlet dot com, link here:

http://tinyurl.com/nfb5som

Posted by: Peaches at May 26, 2013 12:23 PM (8lmkt)

14 Thanks Dave.

Posted by: Tobacco Road at May 26, 2013 12:25 PM (4Mv1T)

15 I have to wonder, and I'm sure they do this, what the training is like for them to respond to people who will try to forcibly interrupt the ceremony. Of course, for decades they've must have considered that an unhinged nut would try to do it just to get attention, but how long will it be until some jihadi tries to get himself some attention that way. And then I depress myself for having to think like this.

Posted by: AmishDude at May 26, 2013 12:27 PM (xSegX)

16 The Tomb Sentinels are a special breed. Only the best of the best. The discipline required is far beyond my capacity. Our "leaders " aren't fit to shine the boots of those soldiers.

Posted by: Libtardo at May 26, 2013 12:28 PM (yJYwC)

17 AmishDude, here ya go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYCPbP_a46I

Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 12:33 PM (BBWjt)

18 well, that isn't about forcible interruptions, just unintentional interruptions

Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 12:34 PM (BBWjt)

19 JEF hasn't disarmed the sentinels yet, so it's not likely that a "wacko" would attempt anything there. They only like gun-free zones.

Posted by: Libtardo at May 26, 2013 12:34 PM (yJYwC)

20 Do the sentinels have live ammo?

Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 12:37 PM (BBWjt)

21 Cjemjeff...thats fantastic! Well done!

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at May 26, 2013 12:37 PM (rSIYI)

Sorry.... CHEMjef... ;-)

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at May 26, 2013 12:39 PM (rSIYI)

23 Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 04:33 PM (BBWjt) Thanks, chemjeff. Your google-fu is impressive.

Posted by: AmishDude at May 26, 2013 12:40 PM (xSegX)

24 AmishDude, actually, it was just one of the recommended videos at the end of the one Dave posted, so it didn't require any googling at all

Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 12:42 PM (BBWjt)

25 Do the sentinels have live ammo?

Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 04:37 PM (BBWjt)

God....I hope so.

[great link by the way. Thanks!]

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at May 26, 2013 12:42 PM (O6Tmi)

26 Thanks, chemjeff. Your google-fu is impressive.

Posted by: AmishDude at May 26, 2013 04:40 PM (xSegX)

wow, no shit, that was great! although, I kinda though a couple rounds over the head of the crowd would have been a lot of fun. this is probably why I am not in the military, not enough gravitas, not tightly-enough wound.

Posted by: Peaches at May 26, 2013 12:42 PM (8lmkt)

27 Can the President (obviously not the current Resident) salute the Tomb? If so, how would that be done, without interfering or upstaging the Guard?

Posted by: Cannot see the future at May 26, 2013 12:47 PM (nEDGE)

28 Worth noting that the great and powerful sequester ended white house tours bit didn't affect the Tomb. Pols may not get why it matters, but they're still afraid enough to not touch it... which is good enough. Mew

Posted by: Acat at May 26, 2013 12:48 PM (gGEmy)

29 Saw it a couple years ago for the first time. The soldier making the initial announcement spelled out some of the rules, then...shouted you WILL be on your feet at all times! Bunch of kids who were slouching on the curb jumped up so fast their heads spun.

Posted by: USS Diversity at May 26, 2013 12:48 PM (hC80d)

30 24 AmishDude, actually, it was just one of the recommended videos at the end of the one Dave posted, so it didn't require any googling at all Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 04:42 PM (BBWjt) chemjeff, my young padawan, let me explain to you the secrets of academia: (1) Everything you have a hand in doing is 110% your work. Why the extra 10%? Because you had to spend extra time covering for your collaborators. (2) Everything you do is due to a singular brilliance on your part. You can give credit to others' past work, but do so with the air of someone who is doing them a favor in pointing out that their primitive proto-results have some value. (3) The committees you serve on are the most important and most tedious and they involve a lot more work than the same committee required just a few years ago. (4) Your field is the only important field and all others are either onanistic academic nonsense or intellectual triviality. (5) You would have this place running like a finely-tuned clock if it weren't for the idiots in administration (this works in all fields of endeavor, actually). Now, go forth, go forth and annoy!

Posted by: AmishDude at May 26, 2013 12:51 PM (xSegX)

31 If so, how would that be done, without interfering or upstaging the Guard?

Posted by: Cannot see the future at May 26, 2013 04:47 PM (nEDGE)

from a respectful distance and very, very quietly??

Posted by: Peaches at May 26, 2013 12:51 PM (8lmkt)

32 I can't find our if they are using live ammo, but something tells me they are. They take the guard duty extremely seriously.

Posted by: Libtardo at May 26, 2013 12:54 PM (yJYwC)

33
T-Minus 60 minutes on ribs. Initiate main BBQ Sauce Activation System. Activate full safeties, and terminate rib-mopping operations. Increase grill temperature to 300 degrees.

Chief Operations Engineer, (Me!), is authorized per SOP to 'taste test' this mission.

Posted by: Sticky Wicket at May 26, 2013 12:56 PM (0IhFx)

34 32 I can't find our if they are using live ammo, but something tells me they are. They take the guard duty extremely seriously.

Posted by: Libtardo at May 26, 2013 04:54 PM (yJYwC)

Those bayonets look pretty "live" .. the kind of idiots who would disrupt something like this strike me as stupid enough to try a charge. Let them come.

Mew

Posted by: acat at May 26, 2013 12:58 PM (4UkCP)

35 Well if I were there and some asshole tried some shit, the 3rd ID would be the least of his problems.

Posted by: USS Diversity at May 26, 2013 12:59 PM (hC80d)

36 The wikipedia entry is interesting, and worth a quick read.....

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at May 26, 2013 01:01 PM (O6Tmi)

37 Used to be: we killed commies. Now, we elect them.

Posted by: sTevo at May 26, 2013 01:01 PM (VMcEw)

38 From what I understand, first they yell if you are doing something inappropriate (you can find YouTube videos with Guards yelling at people who are talking, coming up the back stairs, and going under the rail to take a picture. I don't think the guns are loaded (but someone more knowledgeable than me can correct me on that). If things go really bad they have a phone they can call for backup, and the other Guards on duty are steps away.

Posted by: Vendette (formerly I lurk, therefore I am) at May 26, 2013 01:03 PM (K+I6z)

39 (4) Your field is the only important field and all others are either onanistic academic nonsense or intellectual triviality.

Well at least you got that part right.

Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 01:10 PM (BBWjt)

40 20 Do the sentinels have live ammo? Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 04:37 PM (BBWjt) I won't be the one to try to figure it out. Watching those men always brings a tear or a hundred to my eyes. Always.

Posted by: Ashley Judd's Puffy Scamper, aka MrCaniac at May 26, 2013 01:15 PM (BXLPR)

41 According to wiki Tomb of the Unknowns, the guards carry unloaded M14s mounted on ceremonial stocks made by them. Would link but on iPod Touch and mama needs something, so gotta go so can't figure it out at the moment. Thanks to all the cobs for the Memorial Day posts of remembering those who gave their all. Someone should have warned me to stock up on tissues. Y'all are great and have kept my spirits up as the political storms of destruction are passing by. Hope someday to have time to join the party in the combox. God bless!

Posted by: Cate in IN at May 26, 2013 01:23 PM (1JJGO)

42 My eternal thankfulness to all who serve our great country, and may God bless the families of those who we remember this Memorial Day. God bless the USA (from Paris).

Posted by: ChristyBlinky wants to come home at May 26, 2013 01:24 PM (YS4l/)

43 40 20 Do the sentinels have live ammo? Posted by: chemjeff at May 26, 2013 04:37 PM (BBWjt) No. But what you never see is that there is also a Pentagon Force Protection Agency cop there 24/7/365 - with live ammo - to guard against vandalism, assaults on the sentinels (although I'm pretty sure they can handle things just fine) and assorted other jackassery.

Posted by: Sean Bannion at May 26, 2013 01:51 PM (dg4lO)

44 My uncle was a Sentinel in the 60's. He said that the guards used to carry live ammunition until one guard committed suicide. After that they were not issued live ammunition. Again, that was in the 60's. Might not be the case now.

Posted by: DanM at May 26, 2013 01:55 PM (bt0hN)

45 Dave in Texas, you never forget to mention the important and the lesser known battles and remember our fallen. As the daughter of a now deceased WWII veteran, my sincere and humble thanks.

Posted by: TxAnn56 at May 26, 2013 02:00 PM (heeg/)

46 I saw this when I was around 8-10 years old. I remember very little about that trip to DC, but I remember this ceremony like it was yesterday.

Posted by: Berserker at May 26, 2013 02:27 PM (FMbng)

47 Then best story but it might not be true that they had to add the black mat because of the dedication of the guards they found the marble was wearing down to fast from the feet of the guards walking it.

Posted by: Trevor (@TJexcite) at May 26, 2013 02:35 PM (CdeLs)

48 God bless those who fight for what's right. You too Dad, a WWII vet who served in Japan and passed last Pearl Harbor Day. I miss you. Rest in peace.

Posted by: TexBob at May 26, 2013 05:04 PM (6S4Ai)

49 last to come to this party. My parents took us to Arlington every summer to see the tomb. My brothers and I watched in amazement because no matter what the temperature or weather they still were there. I just sent a text to my brother who is a "retired" Marine aviator to thank him for what he did for us and to tell him he is still my hero.

Posted by: megthered at May 26, 2013 05:37 PM (iR4Dg)

50 Fortunate enough to see this again this past weekend for the first time in 35 years....still a moving experience.

Posted by: GJB at May 26, 2013 05:54 PM (mheeM)

My Father-In-Law was one of the soldiers who guarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers - years ago. Its a special thing - a special place.

Posted by: Lily at May 26, 2013 07:16 PM (igSv+)

Obama hasn't closed this yet? How did sequester miss this?

Posted by: burt at May 27, 2013 05:15 AM (/QJXp)

53 "This tomb will always have a guard." Probably not.

Posted by: Rollory at May 27, 2013 11:00 AM (4MN+3)

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