November 11, 2020 – French Embassy send message for Veterans Day
2 years ago
November 11, 2020 – French Embassy sends a message for Veterans Day
The French Embassy in Washington DC has helped the Society dive into the history behind the medals presented in October and November 1921 to the World War I Unknown Soldier and have released a video for Veterans Day. Our two nations have a unique bond on the world stage, and as our first allies we honor this bond and look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder again in October 2021 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the selection of the Unknown Soldier.
View the message HERE
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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.
