Arlington National Cemetery
If I had to pick one highlight of my trip, this would be it, without a doubt. 
This is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers...
There is always...ALWAYS...a Marine guarding the tomb. They continually walk in front of the tomb... 21 steps, stop, turn, face the tomb, face it for 21 second, turn, walk 21 more steps. Every hour or maybe it's the half hour, there is the Changing of the Guard. This was something I really wanted to see... and this proved to be the highlight of the trip for me. It was highly emotional for me... I'm not sure exactly why. Is it because Joshua is a marine? Is it because of the fact that our freedom 'is not free' as is said. All I know, is I was overwhelmed. I took several little videos, but this one is the actual changing of the guard. This was only the last 5 minutes and 18 seconds of it:
This is an amphitheater that is adjacent to the area where the tomb is. It's beautiful.
The graves of President Kennedy and Jacquelyn Kennedy Onassis... and the eternal flame.
Silence? Yes. Respect? Definitely.PostScript: Be sure and read Joshua's comment for a correction to what I wrote. Plus, Yes, it is Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers...I always thought it was singular - Soldier - but this actually holds the remains of unidentified servicemen from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. There used to be someone from the Vietnam War. The remains were removed in 1998 after they were identified.
1 comment:
Jutze, that is an awesome video! I would have loved to be there. It's actually the Army's Honor Guard who guards the tomb. Either way they are very impressive. I think they have been guarding the tomb since the 40s and I'm sure it will always continue.
Love you
Josh
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