Tomb of the Unknowns - long

[Bob58]

I rec'd this today from my kid brother; His Father-in-law USMA 1967 fwd'd it.

 

Subject: usma1967: This is what makes me proud

 

Dear Classmates & Friends,

When I returned from Fairfax on the 20th, my wife mentioned that she'd

heard this on ABC news.

 

Rob

> ----------

> In case you haven't seen this .........

> The Third Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer has the responsibility for

> providing ceremonial units and honor guards for state occasions, White

> House social functions, public celebrations and interments at Arlington

> National Cemetery....and standing a very formal sentry watch at the Tombs

> of the Unknowns. The public is familiar with the precision of what is

> called "walking post" at the Tombs. There are roped off galleries where

> visitors can form to observe the troopers and their measured step and

> almost mechanical silent rifle shoulder changes. They are relieved every

> hour in a very formal drill that has to be seen to believe. Some people

> think that when the Cemetery is closed to the public in the evening that

> this show stops. First, to the men who are dedicated to this work...it is

> no show...it is a "charge of honor". The formality and precision continues

> uninterrupted all night. During the nighttime, the drill of relief and the

> measured step of the on-duty sentry remain unchanged from the daylight

> hours. To these men...these special men, the continuity of this post is

> the key to the honor and respect shown to these honored dead, symbolic of

> all American unaccounted for American combat dead. The steady rhythmic

> step in rain, sleet, snow, hail, hot, cold...bitter

> cold...uninterrupted...uninterrupted is the important part of the honor

> shown. Last night, while you were sleeping, the teeth of hurricane Isabel

> came through this area and tore hell out of everything... We have

> thousands of trees down...power outages...traffic signals out...roads

> filled with down limbs and "gear adrift" debris...We have flooding...and

> the place looks like it has been the impact area of an off shore

> bombardment. The Regimental Commander of the U.S. Third Infantry sent word

> to the nighttime Sentry Detail to secure the post and seek shelter from

> the high winds, to ensure their personal safety. THEY DISOBEYED THE

> ORDER...During winds that turned over vehicles and turned debris into

> projectiles...the measured step continued. One fellow said "I've got

> buddies getting shot at in Iraq who would kick my butt if word got to them

> that we let them down...I sure as hell have no intention of spending my

> Army career being known as the idiot who couldn't stand a little light

> breeze and shirked his duty." .... Then he said something in response to a

> female reporters question regarding silly purposeless personal risk...."I

> wouldn't expect you to understand, it's an enlisted man's thing."

> God Bless the rascal...In a time in our nation's history when spin seems

> to have become the accepted coin-of-the-realm, there beat hearts...the

> enlisted hearts we all knew and were so damn proud to be a part of...that

> fully understand that devotion to duty is not a part time occupation.

> While we slept, we were represented by some damn fine men who fully

> understood their post orders and proudly went about their assigned

> responsibilities unseen, unrecognized and in the finest tradition of the

> American Enlisted Man. Folks, there's hope.... The gene that George S.

> Patton...Arliegh Burke and Jimmy Doolittle left us...survives. Now, go

> have another cup to pop rivet your eyelids I've got to go to work. DN

> From a subvet friend in our nation's capital

> ...More.... Nina Swink adds.....

> On the ABC evening news, it was reported tonight that, because of the

> dangers from Hurricane Isabel approaching Washington DC, the military

> members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were

> given permission to suspend the assignment. They refused. "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. Addition to this e: I saw an

> interview on Fox News Channel with the Commander of the soldiers who guard

> the Tomb of the unknown. He took the shift when Isabel was unleashing her

> fury, cause he did not want to ask any of his men to do this - he felt it

> was his highest honor to be on duty during that time. Very, very proud of

> our persons in uniform!!!!!! I don't usually suggest that e-mails be

> forwarded, but I'd be DAMN proud if this one reached as many as possible.

>

 

[Fat Old Guy]

Let's see. . . these guys disobey an order, something that they have a legal an sworn obligation to obey, and we're supposed to be proud of them. The fellow comments on not "shirking his duty" but he did by not obeying an order. By playing macho he risked injuring himself for no reason which would cost the taxpayers money and deprive the country of a fighting man.

 

I respect the fire fighters and ambulance crews that stayed out in the storm but not those guys.

 

 

[Bob White]

While much of the story is no doubt true it appears that an important part (that the soldiers guarding the tomb would ignore a direct order) is internet embellishment.

 

 

BW

[hops_scout]

http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/969061.asp?0cl=cr

 

This is what I have found on this topic. There was an article about them last year sometime in the Boys' Life featuring an Eagle Scout who is one of the Guards.

 

FOG, are you always critzizing something?

They do something to honor men and women who have died for this country and you are just worried about your tax money.:(

[dsteele]

God bless the United States of America and the proud people who protect her.

 

DS

[Fat Old Guy]

Hopper, you're a military wannabe. When you turn 18 and sign your papers, you'll get something hammered into your head, you obey orders. You don't have to like the orders, you just have to obey them. If the order is to stay, you stay. If the order is to leave, you leave.

 

Bob White did some research and discovered that this is yet another urban myth. Thank you, Bob.

 

 

[hops_scout]

What was a myth??? You've got two sources, no myth there. Somewhere I read that they were told they COULD leave their posts, If they WANTED to.

[Fat Old Guy]

Hopper the Helmetless, I can't wait until you sign up.

 

The report was that they disobeyed an order and fortunately that appears to be a myth. I don't want soldiers who disobey orders, no matter how nobel the cause.

 

For you disobeying an order could result in being grounded, if your parents would even do that much.

 

Disobyeing an order is a serious offense in the military. You can be restricted to quarters, forfeit pay, lose a stripe or even spend time in the brig.

 

Permission to do something is greatly different than an order to do something. "The smoking lamp is lit," gives you permission to smoke but doesn't require you to run out and buy cigarettes.

 

Maybe I'll make a call to the Old Guard today and get the real skinny.

 

 

[nldscout]

 

Not so many years ago I spent a few years serving in The Old Guard. I agree that the part of disobeying orders was an imbellishment. The part about staying on guard and honoring our fallen hero's was not. These young men stand this post year round in all kinds of weather, driving rain, hotest days, coldest winter. The dedication of these gentlemen is second to none. It was my great please to be able to support them in many ways and to know a great many of the Tomb Guards.

 

While parts of this story may have grown with each retelling, rest assured that there is no more dedicated group of soldiers in the US Army. The Time spent training and preparing for this duty and attention to detail that that they display is second to none. If you have never visited this site, when in the DC area you should.

[Bob58]

Quick notes...

FOG, I ckecked snopes.com before posting and reread the post before hitting submit. Its a great story even if the West Pointer who wrote it highlighted the disobedience of an order. If you want to make these soldiers derelicts that's your business take it elsewhere. At ;east people will get to see the story before they get tied up im your negativity.

 

Hops, let it go. I've said it before "some people aren't happy unless they're making other people unhappy."

 

BW, Thanks for posting the clarification, as I said I had checked & chose to passs on what I rec'd.

 

I don't do chain e-mails, but I often delete the instant miracle or rewards promises and pass on the stories. (Kinda like Scoutmaster's Minutes or maybe even parables (at the risk of being politically incorrect?)

 

Bob

[acco40]

The tomb used to be guarded only during the daylight hours. Also, more trivia, although unknown to this day, the WWII and Korean Conflict "unknowns" have received the Medal of Honor. The Vietnam "unknown" crypt remains empty.