Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, "The Old Guard" (Case Study Sample)

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. “Old Guard” Student’s Name Professor’s Name Name of the Institution Date. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. “Old Guard” Warfare leaves behind a significant number of casualties of soldiers. In the old days, it was hard to identify the dead bodies of fallen soldiers because of the damage inflicted on them by the weapons used. In the early 1800s before the civil war in the United States, bodies of fallen soldiers were buried in mass graves at the Arlington National Cemetery. During the civil war, the number of unidentified bodies increased. That led to the formation of National Cemeteries in 1862 to ensure a proper send-off for soldiers in service. Even after the creation of the National Cemeteries, a big number of soldiers remained unidentified. During World War I, soldiers in the Us army wore discs to help identify them in case of death. A new unit (Quartermaster Corps), was formed to conduct burials of fallen soldiers. It was however difficult because there were hundreds of thousands of unidentified bodies during World War I. In 1920, Congressman Hamilton fish jr., a war veteran proposed a bill to have an unknown soldier’s body brought back to the United States to represent all other unidentified fallen soldiers. The unidentified body was brought back a year later in Washington DC at the navy yard. The unknown was transported to the Arlington National Cemetery two days later where a state funeral was held. The tomb was decorated with a wreath on every side. This unknown body was the first to be interred in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Wittman 2019). The idea became popular among Americans. They supported having an unknown from WW2 interred to represent all the other fallen heroes. The idea was hindered by the Korean war in 1950. Later in 1956, the President of the United States of America approved the interring of an unknown from WW2. Since the war was fought on four continents, the army chose 13 bodies to represent other unidentified fallen soldiers. During the Vietnam War, there was already a significant advancement in technology. Advancement in technology happened despite the fear of it (Good Year 2008). In 1984, only one collection of remains could not be identified. The body was chosen as the unknown to represent others in the Vietnam War. There is a group of soldiers known as the “Old Guard” whose duty is to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every hour of the day. The “Old Guard” is the third Us Infantry Regiment who escorts the head of state and conducts ceremonies officially for the Army. Soldiers who want to join the “Old Guard” undergo thorough training before they are allowed to join. They belong to the army national guard serving under the department of defense which is headed by the Secretary of Defence. The “Old Guard” itself consists of a battalion headed by a lieutenant colonel. Apart from guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, they are also involved in escorting the President and holding ceremonies for the military around the Capital. The role of the 3rd US infantry regiment is very important to the army and the United States of America as a whole. It shows the devotion and patriotism of the soldiers towards their country and the American people which reflects the population. The “Old Guard” looks after the tomb of the unknown soldier every hour of the day. They have done their duty since 1948. The guards who are referred to as Sentinels are changed in a ceremony done every hour on the dot from October 1st to March 31st and every 30 minutes from April 1st to September 30th. The shuffle of the guard is conducted by a relief commander. The guard matches twenty-one steps in every direction to signify owner to the fallen soldiers. The soldiers display pride in doing that work despite it being difficult. A high level of dedication is required for this role and that is why they only pick the best to guard the tombs. They have to fulfill their duty every minute of the day despite the weather or any other circumstances. The ceremony has been perfectly done since 1948 which showcases its importance. The soldiers can do their duties because they remember the fallen heroes and the hardships, they had to go through to defend their country. The patriotism that the fallen soldiers showcased in their roles rubs off to the current soldiers which in turn exemplifies their patriotism. The fact that the USA was able to win all the wars it was involved in due to the sacrifice of the army also plays a role in motivating the sentinels to have devotion to their work and their country. The American people hold their soldiers in high regard for the services that they do for the country. This helps the soldiers in carrying out their mandate but, their main motivation solely comes from doing it for the flag. The soldiers in the “Old guard” and the roles they play have made me appreciate the Military and the work they do. I have realized that not everyone can join the Military. It has to be a calling. Learning their roles at first may you think that it is easy because they do not go to the battlefield since they operate in Washington DC. The training they undergo, however, proves otherwise. The dedication the sentinels have is exemplary and cannot be matched by any other profession. I used to think that the burial grounds of former presidents were protected the most but clearly, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier is more secure. The identity of bodies interred there is unknown but it is still highly respected. Serving in the military is a huge honor. I wrongly thought the military was for people who were jobless and could not secure any job. Only the best people in training can make it to serve their country in the military....