The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the most sacred monuments in the United States. It is dedicated to the men and women lost in battle whose remains have not been identified, and serves as a symbol of the brave soldiers who might otherwise have been forgotten.
Located in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the site is visited by millions each year who come to pay their respects.
Tomb of the Unknown Solider in Arlington, Virginia. ( dbking/Flickr)
The marble sarcophagus sits high atop a hill overlooking Washington, D.C. The setting of the monument often produces spectacular visuals at sunrise and sunset.
Check out the video below of the tomb with a beautiful time-lapse of the sky in the background:
The idea of honoring unknown soldiers who died in battle was conceived following WWI. A multitude of unknown dead had amassed in Europe by the end of the war, and a burial ceremony was planned in the United States in 1921 for the first unknownAmerican .
On Memorial Day, four unknown soldiers were exhumed from an American cemetery in France. The soldiers were placed in identical caskets, and decorated WWI veteran Edward F. Younger was chosen to select one of the caskets for burial.
Tomb of the Unknown Solider in Arlington, Virginia. (3d U.S. Infantry Regiment The Old Guard/YouTube)
The tomb itself was constructed in 1931 out of seven marble panels weighing 79 tons in total. One side of the tomb shows a relief of three Greek figures representing Peace, Valor, and Victory. The other side houses six carved inverted wreaths which each represent a major campaign from WWI.
In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill to select and pay tribute to the unknowns of World War II and the Korean War. The selection ceremonies and the interment of those unknowns took place in 1958. Today, four unknown soldiers are buried at the site: one from WWI, two from WWII representing the wars in Europe and the Pacific, and one from the Korean War.
Tomb of the Unknown Solider in Arlington, Virginia.
(Sgt. Erica Vinyard, U.S. Army/WikiMedia)
The tomb is guarded 24/7 by Tomb Guards who come from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, nicknamed The Old Guard. Serving since 1784, the Old Guard is the oldest active infantry unit in the military. The guards keep watch over the monument in shifts and never leave the site unattended, even during extreme weather.
The changing of the guard is one of the most impressive military displays and occurs every hour in winter and every half hour in summer. The event can be witnessed by those visiting Arlington National Cemetery.
