Behind the Old Guard - Sentinels

My husband's grandfather just celebrated his 100th birthday and is the eldest living Sentinel :) He's flying down in May for a private ceremony and the opportunity to see his name placed in its rightful spot on the wall. Grandpa Jack definitely has tons of interesting stories to tell!

"Where did you learn how to sew?" "Oh, I learned how to do it in the armed forces."

I'm 59, honorably discharged from the US Army since 1991 and rarely get over emotional but I'm in tears watching this. That happens to me every single time because I know what it's all about, why the dedicated sentinels do their sacred work and guard the unknown soldiers with great honor and commitment. I salute each and every Tomb sentinel both past and present for the wonderful work you do protecting those soldiers and the ultimate price and sacrifice they paid. Perhaps my active duty military service ended in 1991 but my honoring my enlistment oath to protect the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic, didn't.

It's one thing seeing them during the day but when you realize that at 3:30 a.m on a cold and rainy winter morning, while you're snugly tucked into bed, these sentries are walking their post.

What gives the Old Guard credibility is the fact that they do not just guard the tomb of the unknown soldier, but that they understand the history behind it, and the gravity of their task. As a history student from the Netherlands, I find it reassuring that the task of safeguarding history does not rest squarely on the shoulders of academics. As the Old Guard protects and commemorates the legacy of the unknown soldier, so too must we academics safeguard history as a whole, to ensure that it is not corrupted by false information, and to pass it on to the next generation. I find it troubling when people say that soldiers should not be honoured because something questionable happened during a certain war. Anyone that gave his life in service to his country deserves the respect of it's citizens, the same way that any state that sends men to war has a responsibility to honour the memory of the fallen, to care for those that became disabled during their service to the nation, and to support those that lived to reach retirement age. That's why the Old Guard can be cited as an inspirational group of men. They are the physical embodiment of a nation's gratitude.

As a former Marine, I am in complete awe of this regiment of soldiers. The discipline, poise, integrity, and grace at which they perform their duties is truly exceptional and amazing. It makes me so proud of my country to know that these distinguished gentlemen are representing the finest military organization in the world and are on watch 24/7 for our beloved fallen.

As a New Zealander I'm in awe of this precision professionalism. Also I have a great uncle,who was KIA in France in WW1. All he has is a name plake, on a memorial with 75,000 other names. These young men have no grave. They died in the churning mud of "no man's land", after, "going over the top". We commerate them on ANZAC day, April 25th every year. Thanks sentinels 🌹

I was there with my father , veteran of the Korean War , in 2019 through the Kentucky honor guard , I am not military but am in total awe for these dedicated sentenals , thank you greatly for your service and thank you for your dedication , you are our heroes

i am a retired welsh guardsman . we have the reputation all over the world for drill . but we have nothing compared to the sentinals . it is perfection personified .

As a retired SGM of 29 years of service, I love what these soldiers do, a big salute to them.

I considered myself a pretty damn good soldier. But there's not a chance in hell I could become one of these amazing examples of perfection. Thank you Sentinels for your service to country and the unknowns.

My uncle retired from the U.S. Army fighting 3 wars as a paratrooper with the 82nd airborne and his final duty station was with the old guard as the command sergeant major.

For those who may have some questions, here is a bit of info I found interesting: It takes a special kind of person to be a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why? 21 steps.. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. 2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why? 21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1. 3. Why are his gloves wet? His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle. 4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time, and if not, why not? He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face, and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder. 5. How often are the guards changed? Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. 6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to? For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30." Other requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of their life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that, because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabelle approaching Washington DC, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person. Funny, that our US Senate/House took 2 days off, saying that they couldn't work because of the expected storm. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

9:30 The soldier said something very wise... "It will teach you how to be a leader and teach you how to be led..." Seriously, a lot of people could learn how to be good followers before they become leaders...

Imagine someone asking you what you do and you can say Sentinel. Like how freaking sick is that. “ I AM A SENTINEL ”

Something I find in a lot of military personnel around the world is honor and dedication, but I have to say, American military men and women are some of the most dedicated people i have met. I'm proud that while our government might not be the best right now, our troops are the world standard for skill, efficiency and honor. So much respect to the Sentinels, and my condolences to the families who lost their loved ones to war.

“Have you ever stopped to ponder the amount of blood spilled, the volume of tears shed, the degree of pain and anguish endured, the number of noble men and women lost in battle so that we as individuals might have a say in governing our country? Honor the lives sacrificed for your freedoms.” Richelle E. Goodrich

Its incredible how they walk as though on a tightrope rather than march. Much respect to the fallen and to the men guardian the tomb. From an ex RAF Tornado pilot. I salute you.

4:05 "come to my barracks" "I can't I'm doing some documentary thing" "my CO isn't here"

0:54 That was my Drill Sergeant!