What Is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?

American soldiers have stood guard over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every minute of every day since July 2, 1937. Learn what this monument means and who's interred there in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Brainstuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain Stuff,
Lauren Vogelbaum here. The third U. S. Infantry Division is
the oldest active duty infantry regiment in the nation. It's
the army's official ceremonial unit and the escort to the President,
known as the Old Guard. Select Third Infantry soldiers are
also assigned to a platoon with a duty unlike any

(00:24):
other in the armed Forces, guarding the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Each year, more than
three million tourists stream into Arlington National which sits just
west of Washington, d C. To visit the Tomb of
the Unknowns. Their sentinels of the third U. S. Infantry
have stood guard every minute of every day since July second,

(00:44):
ninety seven. They've stood through snowfalls and hurricanes. They were
witnesses terrorists flew a plane into the nearby Pentagon on
September eleventh, two thousand one. We spoke via email with
Major Stephen C. Von Jett, the director of Public Affairs
for the regiment. He said, the vigil remains unbroken to
honor the sacrifice of the Unknowns because they gave their
very identities for our nation. The Tomb of the Unknown

(01:07):
Soldier as it is today, contains the remains of more
than one soldier. Once it honored a soldier who was
later identified. The idea of a tomb for unknowns began
in nine one. The original idea was to honor an
unidentified soldier killed in World War One. The Army exhumed
four soldiers from American cemeteries in France on Memorial Day
of that year and shows one for the spot in

(01:29):
Arlington in an elaborate ceremony. After the casket was transported
to the US by the Navy cruiser U. S. S. Olympia,
President Warren G. Harding presided over the internment ceremonies. On
November twenty one, a white marble sarcophagus was placed over
the grave with this inscription. On the west side, here
rests an honored glory, an American soldier known but to

(01:51):
God over the years. To the west of the original tomb,
three other graves were erected, marked with white marble slabs
that are flushed to the ground. These honor the unknown
dead of World War Two, Korea and Vietnam. The soldiers
in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are among more
than five thousand unidentified soldiers buried throughout Arlington National Cemetery.

(02:13):
Von Jett says of the other unknowns at Arlington, generally
their gravestones read unknown and then what service the unknown
served with if known. If known, there will be a
date of demise. We recently placed a flag on every
grave side for Memorial Day. During flags in I've seen
hundreds of unknown markers myself. Some are just right next
to the tomb plaza. The ceremonial unknowns of World War

(02:35):
Two and Korea were interred at the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier in nineteen fifty eight, and the Vietnam War
unknown was ceremoniously interred on Memorial Day in nine four
In after investigations pointed to the identity of the Vietnam Unknown,
the remains were exhumed and later positively identified through DNA
testing as those of First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassi of St. Louis, Missouri,

(02:56):
a pilot shut down over Vietnam in nineteen seventy two.
Blassies remains were returned to his family. He was reinterred
at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on the banks of the
Mississippi in St. Louis County, Missouri. The Army made the
decision to leave the Vietnam crypt empty. The cover has
been replaced with one with this inscription, honoring and keeping
faith with America's Missing Servicemant eight to nineteen seventy five.

(03:20):
According to von Jette, no plans exist for any further
disinterments of unknowns from any previous wars. These days, a
DNA sample is now taken from every service member upon
joining the armed forces, which helps identify fallen soldiers. A
former Secretary of Defense, William Cohen, told reporters after Blassie
was returned home, it may be that forensic science has

(03:41):
reached the point where there will be no other unknowns
in any war. Von Jette said the U. S. Army
has made great strides when it comes to service member identification.
While some incidents might make initial identification of remains challenging,
there are no unknowns from current or recent conflict. Standing
vigil over the unknowns are the Tomb Guard Sentinels of

(04:02):
the Old Guard, a handpicked group of Army soldiers who
are arduously trained and fiercely dedicated to honoring the memory
of those who gave their lives for their country. Whether
it's in the dead of summer in front of thousands
of sweaty tourists or at midnight in the dark of winter,
the sentinels carry out their duty with remarkable precision. On
every hour in the winter while Arlington is open, and

(04:23):
on every half hour in the summer, the soldiers moved
through an intricately choreographed ceremony that includes a rifle inspection
and the literal changing of the guard. Oh. Once the
ceremony is complete, the sentinel, who has come on in relief,
begins the slow and steady walk down a mat beside
the tomb, rifle on shoulder until the next change. After
hours of arlington, a sentinel sometimes walks a longer shift,

(04:45):
but a soldier is always on guard at the tomb.
The guards walk consists of twenty one slow steps. These
refer to the twenty one gun salute, the highest honor
given any military or foreign dignitary. Then a sharp military turn,
a heel click, a twenty one second pause while facing
the tomb, then another turn and another twenty one second
stop before beginning the twenty one steps to the other

(05:06):
end of the mat. Soldiers rifle has switched to the
shoulder farthest from the tomb, between the tomb and any threat.
Noon is often thought to be the most prestigious time
for the changing of the guard because of the big crowds,
especially in the summer, but von Jette says that prestige
it doesn't come into Playford sentinels quote. All of our guards,
and this is going back years, will tell you that

(05:26):
knights on the plaza are special. Just about everyone says
night duty is their favorite. It's the opportunity for the
guard to be alone with the unknowns, to think about
their sacrifice and what guarding the unknowns means to them.
The Honor Guard has three groups or reliefs, which each
include a relief commander who addresses onlookers and announces the
changing of the guard, and about six sentinels. They currently

(05:48):
do a twenty six hours on twenty two hours off
schedule for six days before they take a ninety six
hour administrative block before starting again. They train every day
even when they're off. When they're on not on the plaza,
they're performing many daily rituals in preparation for their walk,
including pressing and steaming their uniforms. Buffing their medals and decorations,
and practicing their rifle movements. And that's every day, twenty

(06:11):
four hours a day since nine seven, whether anyone's watching
or not. Von Jett said, I've been on the plaza
when no one was there but me and the guard.
I've been there with thousands packed shoulder to shoulder. Both
are special and I recommend both experiences. Today's episode for

(06:32):
written by John Donovan and produced by Tyler Clang. Brain
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