Yesterday I was privileged to get a private tour of Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns by a former Tomb Guard and badge holder who did three years there.

This video is 7 minutes long, but shows the changing of the guard and the inspection.

If you noted the brown streaks in the marble, those are actually tracks worn in the marble by the countless thousands of changing of the guards over the years. The lighter streaks to each side are where the sergeant of the guard walks.

Everything is based on 21. 21 steps, 21 seconds, like a metronome. 30 minute shifts in the summer, 1 hour shifts in the fall, winter and spring. My guard did it 1967 times…

He, and all the other guards are also experts on Arlington in general and the Tomb in specific. Where select people are buried, when various things were built, how much it cost, and on and on. SEVENTEEN pages, single spaced of information. Four hundred pieces of information. And one chance to pass the test and get the Tomb Guard badge, minimum score required is a 98.

The amount of detail he still remembers fifteen years later is amazing, to put it mildly.

We were also allowed into the guard’s area beneath the Amphitheater, and I got a chance to meet some of the current crop of guards.

This is the sergeant of the guard’s ‘ready’ gear. The flag you see under the hat is that individual’s flag where they record the number of tours walked, and various other functions performed as sergeant of the guard. The holstered pistol is an M-9.

Here’s a closer picture of one. Note the wooden grips, inlaid with the Tomb Guard’s badge. These were donated by a gentleman as a way to thank the guards for what they do.

This is the ready locker of the next guard in rotation. The white bands are used to strap the white gloves on so that they don’t slip.

And this is one of the M-14’s carried by the tomb guards. Bonus points if you pick out what is different about this rifle.

One other thing, they do what they call the ‘three minute’ drill. If something happens ‘up top’ as they say, they can be in uniform and out the door in three minutes. Dressing is a team effort, it takes three guards to prep each one. Measuring emblems, belt stays, ensuring no irish pennants, no stray lint, etc.

Their uniforms are highly modified to allow them to be as perfectly presented as possible. Interestingly, the pants and blouse don’t match in color. This is due to the cavalry beginnings, and the fact that the cavalry seldom wore their blouses, hence the lighter color of the pants.

The shoes are also rather unusual, in that the soles are about an inch thick, and they have both heel and toe taps, in addition to taps on the inside heels of each shoe.

Sorry for the lousy picture, but this shows a fully uniformed guard, note the difference in color of the pants and blouse. The Tomb Guard Badge is the silver badge on the right blouse pocket. Only 622 of them exist. The medals you see in the display case to the left are medals earned in combat by former tomb guards.

And one last picture…

The story of this plain headstone is worth repeating. According to my guide, Audie Murphy did not want any ‘special’ headstone, apparently to the point that he didn’t even want the specific Medal of Honor tombstone that is available, with the medal etched in gold or the Medal of Honor mentioned on his stone. He got half of his wish.

And Murph, I did go by and put a nickle on Ras’ headstone.