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 ”I went to the Garden of Love, / And saw what I never had seen; / A Chapel was built in the midst / Where I used to play on the green.

“And the gates of this Chapel were shut, / And ‘Thou shalt not’ writ over the door; / So I turn’d to the Garden of Love / That so many sweet flowers bore;

“And I saw it was filled with graves, / And tomb-stones where flowers should be; / And Priests in black gowns were walking their rounds, / And binding with briars my joys & desires.”–William Blake

 When my wife and I moved here in 1990, we lived in a small community that was close to a very old cemetery. On Sundays in autumn, we would walk the paths that wound their way beneath towering trees that were probably planted when the cemetery was founded. It seemed that no sooner did you pass through the old iron gates, all the noise of traffic and the city lessened. On our walks we passed by plots and headstones that dated back to the 1800s. There were also above-ground tombs with iron gates. Interred in these mausoleums are some of the pillars of the community. I immediately recognized the names engraved in the stone and marble above the doors. On every one of the graves we passed was a name and a few dates; the date of birth and the day of death were recorded. Some had faded due to time and the elements but the details could still be made out. There wasn’t one grave, no matter how old, that didn’t have the name of the person who lived his or her life to the fullest. To find a grave without a name you would have to look somewhere else…

 My wife received this in her e-mail just the other day. It is “Author Unknown.” I wanted to share the gist of it with you now that Remembrance Day has passed. Since this arrived in her e-mail, you may have received a copy of it with the powerful photos that accompanied this writing. If not, it’s worth searching the net for them.

 This writer begins by saying that one night on the game-show Jeopardy, the final question was something to the effect, How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery? Apparently all three contestants missed it… This writer had the answer, as well as some other fascinating details about those who devote a great portion of their lives to this respectful duty.

 The guard takes 21 steps. It is to signify the twenty-one gun salute, the highest honor that is given to any military or foreign dignitary interred there.

 This writer also included these facts. After his about-face, the guard hesitates 21 seconds before the return walk, to once again signify the twenty-one gun salute.

 You will notice that the guard’s gloves are wet. There is a very good reason for this. It is done so that he does not lose the grip on his rifle. The rifle itself is carried on the outside shoulder away from the tomb. Once he completes his march, he does an about-face and again moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

 The guards are changed every thirty minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is a duty that requires very dedicated military personnel. These are the requirements for duty at the Tomb:

 * His height must be between 5′ 10″ and 6′ 2″ and his waist must not exceed 30″.

 * Those who volunteer for this duty must commit two years of their time, live in the barracks located beneath the tomb, and they must promise not to drink any alcohol whatsoever, on or off duty, for the rest of their lives…

 * The shoes are specially made. They feature thick soles as insulation against the heat and the cold. The heel plates are made of metal and extend to the top of the shoe. This is to ensure the loud “click” when the soldier comes to a halt.

 * The uniform is wrinkle-free. There are no folds or lint on the garment. The guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. Five hours each day is spent preparing the uniform for guard duty.

 * During the first six months of duty, a guard of the Tomb is not permitted to talk to anyone or even watch television. All off-duty time is spent in the study of the 175 notable people who are laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. The study includes memorizing who they are and where they are interred. President Taft is laid to rest there. So, too, is Joe E. Lewis, the boxer, and the most-decorated soldier of World War II. He was movie star and Medal of Honor winner, Audie Murphy.

 * They cannot use foul language (swear in public) for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the Tomb in any way.

 * After the two year period is up, the guard receives a wreath pin that is to be worn on the lapel of the uniform. It signifies their service at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. There are only 400 presently worn on uniforms today, according to this writer. The guard must adhere to these strict rules and guidelines for the rest of his life or give up the wreath pin.

 After reading this over with my wife, I commented that it would take a very special person to make this kind of commitment. It would be one thing to adhere to these strict regulations for the duration of the duty served at the Tomb, but to follow them over the course of that person’s lifetime describes something of the character of the guard who volunteers.

 You might remember that in 2003 Hurricane Isabelle was making its way up the east coast of the United States and was approaching Washington. Both the Senate and the House were preparing to take two days off due to the storm’s imminent arrival. The writer who compiled the information said that on the ABC Evening News, “…it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, 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. 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.”

“I do not understand … / They bring so many, many flowers to me– / Rainbows of roses, wreaths from every land; / And hosts of solemn strangers come to see / My tomb here on these quiet, wooded heights. / My tomb here seems to be / One of the sights.

“The low-voiced men, who speak / Of me quite fondly, call me ‘The Unknown’; / But now and then at dusk, Madonna-meek, / Bent, mournful mothers come to me alone / And whisper down–the flowers and grasses through– / Such names as ‘Jim’ and ‘John’ … / I wish they knew.

“And once my sweetheart came. / She did not-nay, of course she could not-know, / But thought of me and crooned to me the name / She called me by-how many long years ago? / A very precious name. Her eyes were wet, / Yet glowing, flaming so … / She won’t forget.” –The Unknown by E. O. Laughlin, featured in the collection Best Loved Poems of The American People selected by Hazel Felleman and published in 1936 by Doubleday. This book is always in print and available to be ordered.

 The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery has been continuously patrolled and guarded by this elite detail since 1930…

 ***

 Don Jackson

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 at 5:41 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.