copied and pasted

[Crappie Reaper]

> ARLINGTON
> CEMETERY
>
>
> Jeopardy
> Question:
>
>
>
> On
> Jeopardy the other night, the final question was
> "How many steps does the guard take during his
> walk across the tomb of the Unknowns" ----
> All three contestants missed it! --
>
>
> This
> is really an awesome sight to watch if you've
> never had the chance.
> Very
> fascinating.
>
>
> Tomb
> of the Unknown Soldier
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 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 serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled
> continuously,
> 24/7, since 1930.

[wwwUncle]

Not totally true. read the various links in the Arlington National Cemetery web page below.

Arlington National Cemetery:: Ceremonies

[fishinRod]

if youv'e not seen the changing of the guard in person, you're missing something

["G"]

if youv'e not seen the changing of the guard in person, you're missing something

I have been there in person and witnessed the changing of the guard..... It is fantastic.......very impressive.