Despite storm, guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier keep watch.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/29/163875922/photo-despite-sandy-soldiers-stand-guard-at-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier

What these guys do is incredible. They really deserve more recognition.

ghandi wrote:http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/29/163875922/photo-despite-sandy-soldiers-stand-guard-at-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier

What these guys do is incredible. They really more recognition.

That is very touching. May God bless them and keep them safe.

Thank you for posting it.

I could not be one of them for the simple reason that they are never alllowed to curse their entire career.

They do indeed deserve more recognition.

I am not a very emotional person in the sense that there's not much at all that makes me cry (something for which I have taken a lot of flak in my life). But when I was sixteen I was fortunate enough to be invited to go to the FFA National Convention then to Washington DC afterward. I sobbed like a baby at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the whole time we were at Arlington. I was glad that my best friend was there with me, and he held my hand the whole time.

PACEDOG#1 wrote:I could not be one of them for the simple reason that they are never alllowed to curse their entire career.

Well shoot, on a much lighter note, that would preclude my ability to perform that function as well.

PACEDOG#1 wrote:I could not be one of them for the simple reason that they are never alllowed to curse their entire career.

They can't drink alcohol either. Ever. For the rest of their lives. Very strict rules to have such a great honor.

I posted the pic to the other storm thread. It is moving, but was taken a few weeks ago during a heavy rain.

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/10/29/incorrectly-captioned-hurricane-sandy-photo-of-soldiers-goes-viral/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PetaPixel+%28PetaPixel%29

Posted to back up what I was saying. (because I know somebody is thinking "bullshit, prove it".)

Regardless of which storm it actually shows, it’s still a beautiful and
noteworthy photograph showing the dedication of those guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:

ghandi wrote:

PACEDOG#1 wrote:I could not be one of them for the simple reason that they are never alllowed to curse their entire career.

They can't drink alcohol either. Ever. For the rest of their lives. Very strict rules to have such a great honor.

Really? wow. I beleive you but can you show me that.

Rogue wrote:

ghandi wrote:

PACEDOG#1 wrote:I could not be one of them for the simple reason that they are never alllowed to curse their entire career.

They can't drink alcohol either. Ever. For the rest of their lives. Very strict rules to have such a great honor.

Really? wow. I beleive you but can you show me that.

If it is true, it is incredible. After having served as an honor guard and after a soldier is discharged, how can the armed services say it didn't happen, should cursing or alcohol be involved later.

Yomama wrote:
Posted to back up what I was saying. (because I know somebody is thinking "bullshit, prove it".)

Regardless of which storm it actually shows, it’s still a beautiful and
noteworthy photograph showing the dedication of those guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:

Right, it doesn't matter what storm it was... those men deserve the highest of praise and respect. It should have been properly cited by the publishing paper though.

That being said, I went and looked at your other post and was not calling BS on you, EE.

Rogue wrote:

ghandi wrote:

PACEDOG#1 wrote:I could not be one of them for the simple reason that they are never alllowed to curse their entire career.

They can't drink alcohol either. Ever. For the rest of their lives. Very strict rules to have such a great honor.

Really? wow. I beleive you but can you show me that.

Here ya go.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/1126293/posts

ghandi wrote:Here ya go.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/1126293/posts

It was a good read. Thanks for posting the link.

ghandi wrote:http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/29/163875922/photo-despite-sandy-soldiers-stand-guard-at-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier

What these guys do is incredible. They really deserve more recognition.

This picture is not from hurricane Sandy, by the way.

boards of FL wrote:

ghandi wrote:http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/29/163875922/photo-despite-sandy-soldiers-stand-guard-at-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier

What these guys do is incredible. They really deserve more recognition.

This picture is not from hurricane Sandy, by the way.

Yeah, we discussed that. It is still a moving picture, one that causes an emotional response in me.

Nonetheless, they manned the duty station during Hurricane Sandy in like manner.

Yomama wrote:

ghandi wrote:Here ya go.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/1126293/posts

It was a good read. Thanks for posting the link.

Definitely a good read. We studied it before my trip to DC when I was sixteen, but this had a bit more information. The most moving -- and relevant to this thread -- portion follows:

"Recently, while you were sleeping, the teeth of hurricane Isabel came through this area and tore hell out of everything. We had thousands of trees down, power outages, traffic signals out, roads filled with downed limbs and "gear adrift" debris. We had flooding and the place looked like it had been the impact area of an off-shore bombardment.

The Regimental Commander of the U.S. Third Infantry sent word to the nighttime Sentry Detail to secure the post and seek shelter from the high winds, to ensure their personal safety.

THEY DISOBEYED THE ORDER!

During winds that turned over vehicles and turned debris into projectiles, the measured step continued. One fellow said "I've got buddies getting shot at in Iraq who would kick my butt if word got to them that we let them down. I sure as hell have no intention of spending my Army career being known as the damned idiot who couldn't stand a little light breeze and shirked his duty." Then he said something in response to a female reporters question regarding silly purposeless personal risk... "I wouldn't expect you to understand. It's an enlisted man's thing." God bless the rascal... In a time in our nation's history when spin and total b.s. seem to have become the accepted coin-of-the-realm, there beat hearts - the enlisted hearts we all knew and were so damn proud to be a part of - that fully understand that devotion to duty is not a part-time occupation. While we slept, we were represented by some damn fine men who fully understood their post orders and proudly went about their assigned responsibilities unseen, unrecognized and in the finest tradition of the American Enlisted Man. Folks, there's hope. The spirit that George S. Patton, Arliegh Burke and Jimmy Doolittle left us ... survives.

On the ABC evening news, it was reported recently that, because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabel approaching Washington, DC, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They refused. "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 service person. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

Very, very proud of our soldiers in uniform."

I don't get why you would be moved by seeing soldiers risking their lives in a a hurricane to guard a tomb? Rituals have their place but that's just downright foolish and a waste of time and money.

Dreamsglore wrote:I don't get why you would be moved by seeing soldiers risking their lives in a a hurricane to guard a tomb? Rituals have their place but that's just downright foolish and a waste of time and money.

And you probably never will "get it".

The property was stolen from the Washington/Lee family after the Civil War. When I say the Washington family, I mean the George Washington family.

The spoils of war.......yes, George is still spinning in his grave. Our First President had his land stole from his grand-daughter...look it up...

NaNook wrote:The property was stolen from the Washington/Lee family after the Civil War. When I say the Washington family, I mean the George Washington family.

The spoils of war.......yes, George is still spinning in his grave. Our First President had his land stole from his grand-daughter...look it up...

Wow. I had no idea... thank you for educating me. What a sad chapter in our nation's history.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Battle-of-Arlington.html

"Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But to God"

The soldiers also remained at their post during Hurricane Isabel on 19 September 2003.

I liked this short clip too of a Guard silencing a disrespectful crowd:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsdHxUXf2CE

Dreamsglore wrote:I don't get why you would be moved by seeing soldiers risking their lives in a a hurricane to guard a tomb? Rituals have their place but that's just downright foolish and a waste of time and money.

I'm not surprised you "don't get it". Fortunately the Soldiers guarding the tomb, patriots, and veterans like myself do "get it."

nochain wrote:"Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But to God"

The soldiers also remained at their post during Hurricane Isabel on 19 September 2003.

I liked this short clip too of a Guard silencing a disrespectful crowd:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsdHxUXf2CE

I was in the midst of responding to this when the forums temporarily went down. To get back to it:

I copied and pasted text from g's link regarding the Guards defying orders and remaining at their post during Isobel (scroll up a few posts).

I've seen several videos with Guards reprimanding disrespectful crowds, but I had not seen that one. Thank you for that great post.

nochain wrote:

Dreamsglore wrote:I don't get why you would be moved by seeing soldiers risking their lives in a a hurricane to guard a tomb? Rituals have their place but that's just downright foolish and a waste of time and money.

I'm not surprised you "don't get it". Fortunately the Soldiers guarding the tomb, patriots, and veterans like myself do "get it."

I don't know who's idea that was guarding a bunch of old bones but it makes no sense whatsoever to put a human's life in danger to do it. We do stupid things in this country in the name of patriotism and old farts like you are to blame. Why don't you get your old butt out there and do it?

Dreamsglore wrote:

nochain wrote:

Dreamsglore wrote:I don't get why you would be moved by seeing soldiers risking their lives in a a hurricane to guard a tomb? Rituals have their place but that's just downright foolish and a waste of time and money.

I'm not surprised you "don't get it". Fortunately the Soldiers guarding the tomb, patriots, and veterans like myself do "get it."

I don't know who's idea that was guarding a bunch of old bones but it makes no sense whatsoever to put a human's life in danger to do it. We do stupid things in this country in the name of patriotism and old farts like you are to blame. Why don't you get you're old butt out here and do it?

The expected answer from a California transplant that hates the military and anything remotely having to do with patriotism.