Changing of the Guard

Perhaps one of the most moving experiences of the trip was the changing of the guard in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Tomb sits atop a hill in Arlington, and bears the inscription: "Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Know But to God." The Tomb is guarded by sentinels around the clock...and in the sunshine, rain and sleet...and has been guarded every second of every day since 1937. Each pass by the guarding sentinel consists of 21 steps, signifying a silent twenty-one gun salute. The sentinel then waits 21 seconds before changing rifle positions, and then proceeds to "walk the mat" back another 21 steps. All observers are asked to stand and be silent during the changing of the guard ceremony, and only the ranking officer speaks by giving certain orders to the sentinels who are changing posts. It was a fitting end to our day of sight-seeing.