As has been the case for several years I participate in various Veterans Day ceremonies. This year a major theme expressed across the country is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier situated in the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Unfortunately, it is being found that many of the younger generation and many who have not served in the military have little or no sense of what it is or represents. In response, a major effort is being made to make citizens aware of the “Tomb”, its history, its meaning, and its reverence.
A Little Bit of History
The Tomb was established in remembrance of the many dead soldiers from World War I who could not be identified. Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day to celebrate the end of hostilities in World War I and has always been associated with the dedication of the Tomb – November 11, 1921. The purpose of the legislation to establish the Tomb was “to bring home the body of an unknown American warrior who in himself represents no section, creed, or race in the late war and who typifies, moreover, the soul of America and the supreme sacrifice of her heroic dead.” The first American Unknown Soldier was laid to rest in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Nov. 11, 1921, as President Warren Harding laid a Medal of Honor across the casket. The inscription on the tomb reads:
Here rests in honored glory an American Soldier Known but to God.
Because we have had many wars and armed conflicts since World War I, separate crypts have been dedicated for unknown soldiers of World War II, (one for each theater of operations – Pacific and Europe), Korea, and Viet Nam. The last has been reinstituted to honor the missing in action of all wars. Likewise, Armistice Day has been renamed Veterans Day to honor all who have served in peacetime and in war.
Protecting, Respecting, and Commemorating the Tomb
The Tomb is watched over 24/7 by “Tomb Guards” of the 3rd U.S. Army Infantry Regiment called the “The Old Guard”. The soldiers of that elite unit also conduct (on average) six funerals a day at Arlington National Cemetery. To be a Tomb Guard requires an extensive screening and training process. The key traits that have to be expressed at all times are discipline, respect, and reverence.
The Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, is a non-profit association of retired Tomb Guards committed to the preservation of the history of the Tomb, and to facilitate reverence for what it stands for with a particular emphasis on honoring the supreme sacrifice of the unknown service members buried in the Tomb and nearby crypts. In celebration of the centennial, the Society is sponsoring “Never Forget’ gardens to be dedicated between Nov. 9 through Nov. 20, at 16 different sites including the United States Military Academy in New York.
Other notable centennial events will be offered to include a series of lectures regarding the history of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at several venues. For the complete list of events available, interested individuals can visit the society’s Facebook page. Besides the Society’s activities, a number of American Legion Posts are offering related flag ceremonies and commemorative services over the next week.
Personal Thoughts
In a previous post on Veterans Day, I mentioned that I am the last man standing in my Army outfit and I have lost many comrades. The paratrooper motto is “All the Way” meaning you go all out, give 110%, and never quit. When a paratrooper dies, we say he went “All the Way” It’s the same as saying one “made the supreme sacrifice”. It’s about showing and stating respect and reverence. Whether it be a highly visible ceremony for the Unknown Soldier or a simple service for a common soldier or veteran it is always about those two factors.
I was not a Tomb Guard but I have served as a funeral Honor Guard for deceased service members who were my buddies and at American Legion ceremonies for dead veterans. It is a humbling, respectful, reverent and I would contend “holy” moment. The folding of the American flag and the flag presentation to a family member given with the slow salute to that flag was always a tearful moment for me.
The various rituals for honoring those who have made the supreme sacrifice has a variety of elements but there is always one constant and that is the American flag. Reverence and respect for the deceased are expressed in respect and reverence for the flag. The two go hand in hand. That is one reason why there is a set protocol for using the flag in a funeral service and how an old battered flag should be disposed of in a reverent ceremony. I bring this up because in our culture today the disrespect and irreverence of the flag are commonplace. When I see privileged, rich athletes refuse to stand for the flag and the anthem I “see red”. I consider it a “slap in the face” to all deceased veterans, especially to the unknown soldiers.
Veterans Day should be a day of the ceremony, prayers for service members (active, veterans, and deceased), reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, singing of our National Anthem, and standing and saluting the flag. Veterans have done those in the past and continue them now. I hope that the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier can cause Americans to stop, pause and reflect on what his and the other unknowns sacrificed was all about with a renewed reverence to honor them and a renewed respect to honor those who put on the uniform and go into harm’s way.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)
1 thought on “Honor the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day”
Although I knew the background of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (I’m a history nut) there is much in this article I had no knowledge of. Thank you for taking the time to write this. I, as an immigrant, hold the flag in high regard and respect and am appalled at what I’ve seen from time to time.
And, thank you for your service.