0553
Chase Neely
Tomb Position
Assistant Relief Commander, SentinelTomb Relief
1stTomb Dates
Apr 2006 - Jan 2009Society Membership
Lifetime MemberTomb Reflections
The best sounds were the heel clicks on the first walk of a cold winter morning. The scrape you get after a change. The sound that will always stick with me is the sound of thunderous footsteps down the hallway on a dress drill. I hope no one ever finds the First Relief Book...I will always be grateful to have been granted the opportunity to serve at the Tomb. RIP SSG Adam Dickmyer (#528) and Mr. Jim Friedman.
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Did you know?
Has anyone ever tried to get past the Tomb guards, or attempted to deface the Tomb?
Yes, that is the reason why we now guard the Tomb. Back in the early 1920's, we didn't have guards and the Tomb looked much different. It was flat at ground level without the 70 ton marble 'cap'. People often came to the cemetery in those days and a few actually used the Tomb as a picnic area, likely because of the view. Soon after in 1925, they posted a civilian guard. In 1926, a US Army soldier was posted during cemetery hours. On July 1, 1937 guard duty was expanded to the 24 hour watch. Since then, the ceremony has evolved throughout the years to what you see today. Today, most of the challenges faced by the Sentinels are tourists who are speaking too loudly or attempting to get a better picture (by entering the post).
