Thanksgiving Thoughts
This article By Maureen Rose published in “The Turret” (Ft Knox’s on post newspaper), is offered for insight, reflection and perhaps inspiration for as much as we differ, we share a common reverence to those fallen unrecognized.
ARLINGTON, Va.—The Army’s 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment - more frequently called “The Old Guard” - marked its 150th anniversary this year. It is the oldest active unit in the Army, with missions that essentially preserve the Army’s traditions and ceremonies.
Units include the Fife and Drum Corps, the Caisson Platoon, the Presidential Salute Battery, the Continental Color Guard, the U.S. Army Drill Team, and the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Tomb Sentinels stand watch at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery, and the changing of the tomb guards is a ceremony marked with precise actions.
Sometimes the changing ceremony is done with such synchronization, the heel clicks executed by both sentinels sound at exactly the same instance. No space separates the sounds, so the audience thinks only one guard executed the click.
A Soldier who served with the Old Guard talked with the Turret about his service on condition that he remain anonymous - not for any reasons other than pride. He said he didn’t want his name to be published when those he guarded weren’t fortunate enough to have the same privilege.
For the sake of clarity, I’ll call him ‘Will.’
“Those folks sacrificed everything - their lives, their futures, and even their identities - so you could have your way of life, and I can put on this uniform every day,” he said.
The exacting duties of the sentinels - from memorizing pages of facts about Arlington cemetery and those buried there, to the time spent keeping their uniforms spotless without blemish - prevents many from volunteering for the job.
“My goal was to be perfect - not so you can see it, but because they deserve it,” Will said, quietly.
Read the entire article at http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/11/10/30177-nco-relates-experience-as-tomb-guard/
9iron:
Even though it is a post paper, the articles in it still are copyrighted. Out of respect to the writer, we shouldn’t be posting the entire work here. So I have provided part of it and a link to the rest.
I hope you understand.
Doug