We went to Arlington Cemetery a week ago today, and since yesterday Nicole and Grandma were going to a couple more art galleries, I decided that I'd bookend the week with what was probably my favorite part of the trip: Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Here are a few pictures and a video.
Since the Civil War, American Soldiers have been buried at Arlington Cemetery. From virtually anywhere in the cemetery, the ordered rows of headstone stretch literally as far as you can see. this adds a little weight to the fact that _very_ many have sacrificed so we can enjoy the freedoms we have in this country.
My favorite part of the cemetery will probably not surprise you. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with its solitary guard, is something I could visit every day. Had I not wanted to serve a mission so badly, the Third Infantry Division (The Old Guard) was one of the 3 things I most wanted to do in the Army.
The metal taps in the guards' shoes have left lines of rust on the stone where they walk their posts and perform their ceremonies 365 days a year, year in and year out. There are no non-straight lines here, and no non-90-degree angles.
The guards themselves are the pinnacle of solitary military precision and discipline. Their uniforms and weapons are flawless. Their eyes are fixed straight ahead. Their movements are crisp. They stand perfectly straight and still until the 21 seconds of each pause expire. The guard I watched yesterday paused for _exactly_ the same amount of time at each pause in his post. (by my watch it was 21 1/2 seconds)
The Sentinel's Creed, posted outside the quarters of the guard detachment, says it all:
Ignore the crappy camera holding and notice the perfect synchronization of the movements of the guards during the changing of the guard ceremony:
The guards themselves are the pinnacle of solitary military precision and discipline. Their uniforms and weapons are flawless. Their eyes are fixed straight ahead. Their movements are crisp. They stand perfectly straight and still until the 21 seconds of each pause expire. The guard I watched yesterday paused for _exactly_ the same amount of time at each pause in his post. (by my watch it was 21 1/2 seconds)
The Sentinel's Creed, posted outside the quarters of the guard detachment, says it all:
Ignore the crappy camera holding and notice the perfect synchronization of the movements of the guards during the changing of the guard ceremony:
Many units of the Army have paid their respects to the Unknown Soldiers of war. These are posted by two units in which my dad served: the first in Germany, the second in Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
George Washington once said, "Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all."
The soldiers of the who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier exemplify that discipline, and are a credit to a profession I am proud to have been a part of.
The soldiers of the who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier exemplify that discipline, and are a credit to a profession I am proud to have been a part of.
7 comments:
it is a very cool place. it'd really be something to watch the ceremony without the company of all our fellow tourists, though the silence of the crowd did give the whole thing an appropriately solemn feel.
It is truly one of those almost sacred places not to be missed.
Nice post Al.
The cemetary in Normandy and the U.S.S. Arizona are similar but both lack the splendor of the changing of the guard.
I agree with Dad K...these three "places of honor" are incredible to experience.
Thanks for helping us to remember how we felt.
Great pictures and video.
very cool that some things don't change in a world that seems to morph constantly.
Great pictures and comments. I too love the ceremony--but then you would expect that since it has been a big part of my adult life. I always enjoy the serenity and history of Arlington.
Grandma L
i love this entry of yours, alex. in just reading the words you've written, we can tell how important this place was to you - very cool.
Wow...
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