Donald J. Christie
Tomb Position
SentinelTomb Relief
Highest Military Rank
CorporalTomb Dates
Jan 1954 - Dec 1955Obituary
Donald J. Christie age 88 of Wyckoff, died peacefully on Sunday, January 5, 2020. Born in Paterson, Don lived in Prospect Park and Hawthorne before moving to Wyckoff in 1957. He was a graduate of Rutgers University and served his country proudly in the United States Army as a Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
In his early career, Don worked side by side with his father-in-law in the family business, C. Van Howling & Sons, a building moving company located in Wallington. He later became a well-known realtor in Wyckoff working for Weichert Realtors. Don was very active in the Wyckoff Reformed Church where he served as Deacon, Elder, and Vice President of the Consistory. He also served as a trustee of the Christian Health Care Center.
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3d United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard)Support the Society
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Did you know?
Do you guard in a blizzard or a bad thunderstorm?
YES, but the accomplishment of the mission and welfare of the Soldier are never put at risk. The Tomb Guards have contingencies that are ready to be executed if the weather conditions ever place the Soldiers at risk of injury or death (i.e. lightning, high winds, etc). This ensures that Sentinels can continue the mission while ensuring safety. It is the responsibility of the Chain of Command from the Sergeant of the Guard to the Regimental Commander to ensure mission accomplishment and soldier welfare at all times.
It was erroneously reported that during Hurricane Isabel, the Sentinels were ordered to abandon their posts for shelter and that they refused. No such order was ever given. All proper precautions were taken to ensure the safety of the Sentinels while accomplishing their mission. Risk assessments are constantly conducted by the Chain of Command during changing conditions to ensure that soldier welfare is maintained during mission accomplishment.
