Arlington at Christmas.
Arlington National Cemetery

 

 
Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.

Know the line has held, your job is done.

Rest easy, sleep well.

Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.

Peace, peace, and farewell...

  Readers may be interested to know that these wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The
owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful
guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more
remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state

  Please share this URL with everyone on your address list. You hear too much about the bad things people do. Everyone should hear about this.

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." Other
requirements of the Guard: 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 {fighting} 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
E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most
decorated soldier of WWII} 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.
God Bless and keep them.

  This pages URL should be sent to the friends of those who view this web site. I'd be 
very proud if this one reached as many as possible. We can be very proud 
of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

Peace is watching a sunset and knowing who to thank.

Why "TAPS" is played..

 
 If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which taps were played; this brings out a new meaning of it. Here is something
Every North American should know.. Until I read this I did not know:

We in the North America have all heard the haunting song, "Taps". It's the song that gives us that lump in our throats and usually tears
in our eyes.

But, do you know the story behind the song? If not, I think you will be interested to find out about its humble beginnings.

Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison's Landing
in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land.

During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or
Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention.

Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment.

When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead

The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It
was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the
Confederate Army.

The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy
status. His request was only partially granted.

The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was
turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician.

The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of music al notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the
dead youth's uniform. This wish was granted.

The haunting melody, we now know as "Taps" used at military funerals was born. The words are:

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lakes, From the hills.... From the sky, All is well. Safely rest, God is nigh, Fading light, Dims the
sight .. And a star, Gems the sky, Gleaming bright From afar .. Drawing nigh, Falls the night, Thanks and praise, For our days,
Neath the sun ... Neath the stars... Neath the sky, As we go, This we know .. God is nigh.


 I, too, have felt the chills while listening to "Taps" but I have never seen all the words to the song until now. I didn't even know
there was more than one verse. I also never knew the story behind the song and I didn't know if you had either so I thought I'd pass it
along by adding it to my web site.

I now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before.

Remember Those Lost and Harmed While Serving Their Country And also those presently serving in the Armed Forces. Please send this URL on
to your friends after a short prayer for our soldiers.. please don't break the cycle.