The sentinels who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are taking measures to protect against COVID-19. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded by sentinels for the past 83 years. Marking today the 30,209th day.
Transcript
For us, it doesn’t matter what day of the week it is. It doesn’t matter if it’s Christmas morning, if it’s a hot day, a cold day, if it’s thunderstorms, if it’s raining, if it’s a hurricane or if it’s a coronavirus, we’re always here, we are always guarding. It’s a very unique time for us to be in Arlington because there’s no one in here. I think that’s honestly when we feel closest to what we do. When we feel closest to the unknowns is when no one’s here, it’s in the middle of night when we’re still guarding at 2:00 AM, it’s when a blizzard is going on and no one’s here or when it’s incredibly hot. For us, that’s when it’s very personal. I feel like after serving here over a certain amount of time, you honestly feel like you have a connection to our nation’s past, because you feel like you are connected to them.
[Announcer] It is requested that everyone remain silent and standing.
People are working from home, but we’re continuing on. We’re doing the same thing. So, this undoubtedly is a sacrifice to all the families who have tomb guards who are serving here. I honestly have the utmost respect for my fellow tomb guards, regardless of what’s going on around us.
Halt!
Halt, Halt!
For us, we’ve just taken extra steps to ensure, as far as families, we pushed out guidance to ensure that we are being safe as a family. So we are following all the steps that the CDC has pushed out and the DOD to make sure, one, that our families are protected as well, right, because it’s one thing if we as soldiers and tomb guards are doing what we can, but if we don’t protect our families then we could carry that over and it would affect this mission as well. I think it’s important for us to show to this country that we haven’t forgotten, that we will never forget the sacrifices that these soldiers made, that the missing in action, the unknowns made.