Troop 322                 Dickson City          Pennsylvania

Washington Day 3 - May 21, 2006

When asked on Saturday night what they wanted to do on Sunday, the consensus among the scouts was to go to Arlington National Cemetary to see the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. To Arlington we go!

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, is an American military cemetery established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Robert E. Lee's wife Mary. It is situated directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., next to the present day location of The Pentagon.

Memorial Drive entering Arlington National Cemetery with the hemicycle of the Women in Military Service for America at its terminus, Arlington House tops the hill.

These are the places we want to visit.

The Tomb of the Unknowns

The Tomb of the Unknowns (also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, although it has never been officially named) is a monument in Arlington National Cemetery, United States dedicated to the American soldiers who have died without their remains being identified. The Tomb sarcophagus was placed above the grave of the Unknown Soldier of World War I. West of the World War I Unknown are the crypts of unknowns from World War II (north) and Korea (south). Between the two lies a crypt which once contained an unknown from Vietnam (middle). His remains were identified in 1998 and removed. Those three graves are marked with white marble slabs flush with the plaza.

Wreath changing ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknows.

The Tomb Guards

It is considered one of the highest honors to serve as a sentinel for the graves of the Unknown Soldiers. Over 80% of soldiers who try out for this duty do not make it. The sentinels do not wear a badge of rank on their uniforms, so they do not outrank the Unknowns, whatever their rank may have been.

Walking the Mat

There is a meticulous ritual the guard follows when watching over the graves:

The soldier walks 21 steps across the Tomb. This alludes to the 21-gun salute, which is the highest honor given to any military or foreign dignitary. His weapon is always on the shoulder opposite the Tomb (i.e., on the side of the gallery watching the ritual). On the 21st step, the soldier turns and faces the Tomb for 21 seconds. The soldier then turns to face the other way across the Tomb and changes his weapon to the outside shoulder. After 21 seconds, the first step is repeated. This is repeated until the soldier is relieved of duty at the Changing of the Guards.

Changing of the Guards

During the summer months, from March 15 to September 30, the guard is changed every half hour. During the winter months, from October 1 to March 14, the guard is changed every hour.

The ceremony can be witnessed by the public whenever Arlington National Cemetery is open.

The ceremony can be witnessed by you right now by clicking HERE! (Please excuse my shaking hands and attempt at getting to a better spot)

Memorial Amphitheater entrance opposite the Tomb of the Unknows.

The Maine Memorial

USS Maine (ACR-1), the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the state of Maine, was a 6682-ton second-class pre-dreadnought battleship.

Her active career was spent operating along the U.S. East coast and in the Caribbean area. In January 1898, the Maine was sent from Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba, to protect U.S. interests during a time of local insurrection and civil disturbances. Three weeks later, at 9:40 on the evening of February 15, a terrible explosion on board the Maine shattered the stillness in Havana Harbor. Later investigations revealed that more than five tons of powder charges for the vessel's six and ten-inch guns ignited, virtually obliterating the forward third of the ship. The remaining wreckage rapidly settled to the bottom of the harbor. Most of the Maine's crew were sleeping or resting in the enlisted quarters in the forward part of the ship when the explosion occurred. Two hundred and sixty-six men lost their lives as a result of the explosion or shortly thereafter, and eight more died later from injuries.

The explosion was a precipitating cause of the Spanish-American War that began in April 1898 and which used the rallying cry, "Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain."

There is a memorial to those who died at the Arlington National Cemetery, which includes the ship's main mast.

The Maine Memorial.

At the Maine Memorial.

The Kennedy Gravesites

The Troop at John Kennedy's grave with Arlington House in the background. If you look close you can see the eternal flame just to the right of Tony's head.

Above and Below - The John F. Kennedy gravesite. Buried here are President Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, and two children - Patrick Bouvier Kennedy from Brookline — who had predeceased JFK by 15 weeks — and an unnamed stillborn daughter from Newport, R.I.

Robert Kennedy Gravesite.

Arlington House

Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, is a Greek revival style mansion located in Arlington, Virginia, on bluffs overlooking the Potomac River, directly across from the National Mall in Washington, D.C.. During the American Civil War, the grounds of the mansion were selected as the site of Arlington National Cemetery, in part to ensure that Confederate General Robert E. Lee would never again be able to return to his home. Yet the United States has since designated the mansion as a national memorial to its former opponent, a mark of widespread respect for Lee in both the North and South.

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Last modified: June 16, 2006