Hello, this is pastor gary from first baptist church of laplata. Veterans Day tomorrow marks the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The first interment was of an unknown soldier from WWI. Subsequently, a WWII and a Korean War soldier were added; a Vietnam unknown was added in 1984 but was later removed upon his identification. The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day by sentinels from the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the “Old Guard,” but that didn’t start until 1937. Prior to 1937, people walked and sat on the tomb, had their pictures taken on the tomb, and even ate picnic lunches on the tomb! The sentinels march 21 paces in front of the tomb, pause to face east for 21 seconds, turn to face north for 21 seconds, then pace another 21 steps. Why 21? Twenty-one represents the highest military honor, and it is also the numerical summation of 1776, the year of America’s Independence. Due to the 100th anniversary, the public is invited to approach the tomb once again and to bring a single flower to lay thereon. The tomb sarcophagus has human depictions of Peace, Valor, and Victory on one side and on the other side the inscription, “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.” The reference to God is just one more acknowledgment in our Nation’s Capitol of our Christian foundation. The inscription is correct, God does know the identity of the interred soldiers even as He knows every other person’s identity–both living and dead, saved and lost.
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