Warren Elroy Reeder

Tomb Relief

Tomb Dates

Jan 1959 - Dec 1960

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Obituary

Warren Reeder, of Mountain View, California, entered into eternal rest on June 8, 2011. He was born in 1938 in Ventura, California, to Donald and Margaret Reeder. He attended St. Catherine Grammar School and graduated in 1955 from Villanova Preparatory High School in Ojai. After High School, he entered the United States Army. He was honored by the Army when they chose him to be a member of the Society of the Honor Guard where he spent the next year guarding the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia.

After his military experience he received his Associate of Arts Degree from Ventura College. He completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree at La Vern College in 1973. In 1975 he received his MAI (Master Appraisal Institute) and was invited to join an appraisal firm in Santa Maria now known as Reeder, Gilman Real Estate Appraisers. Warren was also a senior member of the International Right Away Association, State of California Certified Real Estate Appraiser and a 19 year member of the Santa Barbara County Assessment Appeals Board. He was a qualified expert witness in most Southern California superior courts and a lifetime member of NRA. Warren was also an expert on General Custer’s Battles and a member of Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Association.

While in Arlington, Virginia he met Beverly Morris and they were married in 1962 at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Ventura.

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Did you know?

How many Sentinels have been female?

There have been over 700 tomb guards awarded the badge since 1958 when we started counting. There are hundreds more from the year 1926 when the Army started guarding the Tomb. The 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard) is the unit that has been given the duty of guarding the Tomb. It was given this sacred duty in 1948. The Old Guard was -- and still is -- considered a combat unit. As an Infantry unit, females were not permitted in the ranks for many years. It wasn't until 1994 that females were permitted to volunteer to become a Sentinel when the 289th Military Police Company was attached to the Old Guard. The MP branch is a combat support unit and includes females.

In 1996, SGT Heather Johnsen became the first female to earn the Tomb Guard Identification Badge. She volunteered for duty in June 1995 and earned her badge in 1996. However, SGT Johnson was not the only female Sentinel. Since then, there have been a total of eight female Sentinels awarded the Tomb Guard Identification Badge:

Several other units have since been attached to the Old Guard -- food service, transportation, medics, etc. -- so now females have an ever-greater opportunity to become a Sentinel. Females must meet the same requirements as the male soldiers to be eligible to volunteer at the Tomb. the only difference is that females have a minimum height of 5'8" -- which is the same standard to be a member of the Old Guard.