Centennial Tidbit Spotlight - "Why is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier important?"
5 years ago
The Centennial Committee recently asked a question about "Why is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier important?" Not only to the individual, but to what it means to our nation.
In this video we share the thoughts of Senator Jerry Moran (KS) who is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. You can view the video here: https://youtu.be/DXDVNJ34mIU
We have received a few recorded videos from a diverse background of Americans, and we will be publishing them on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU8kLEQcWIjiWqOS0XLENTw
If you would like to send in a video to be used, please email them to publicaffairs@tombguard.org so your voice can be heard.
Answer the question(s):
"Why is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier important to you?"
"Why is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier important to our nation?"
We look forward to sharing your thoughts and memories.
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Did you know?
Are the shoes specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet?
The shoes are standard issue military dress shoes. They are built up so the sole and heel are equal in height. This allows the Sentinel to stand with a straight back and perpendicular to the ground. A side effect of this is that the Sentinel can "roll" on the outside of the build up walking down the mat. Done correctly, the hat and bayonet will appear to not "bob" up and down with each step. It gives a more formal, fluid and smooth look to the walk, rather than a "marching" appearance.
The soles have a steel tip on the toe and a "horseshoe" steel plate on the heel. This prevents wear on the sole and allows the Sentinel to move smoothly during his movements when he turns to face the Tomb and then back down the mat.
Then there is the "clicker". It is a shank of steel attached to the inside of the face of the heel build-up on each shoe. It allows the Sentinel to heel click during certain movements. A guard change is considered great when all the heel clicks fall together and sound as one click. The guard change is occasionally done in the "silent" mode (as a sign of devotion to the Unknowns) with no voice commands - every thing is done in relation to the heel clicks and on specific counts.
