Subject: NICE STORY
SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU AND ME PROUD
The Third Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer has the responsibility for
providing ceremonial units and honor guards for state occasions, White
House social functions, public celebrations and interments at Arlington
National Cemetery....and standing a very formal sentry watch at the Tombs of
the Unknowns. The public is familiar with the precision of what is called.
"walking post" at the Tombs. There are roped off galleries where
visitors can form to observe the troopers and their measured step and almost
mechanical silent rifle shoulder changes. They are relieved every hour
in a very formal drill that has to be seen to believe. Some people think
that when the Cemetery is closed to the public in the evening in the evening
that this show stops. First, to the men who are dedicated to this work...it
is no show...it is a "charge of honor".The formality and precision
continues uninterrupted all night. During the nighttime, the drill of relief
and
the measured step of the on duty sentry remain unchanged from the daylight
hours. To these men...these special men, the continuity of this post is
the key to the honor and respect shown to these honored dead, symbolic of
all American unaccounted for American combat dead. The steady rhythmic step
in rain, sleet, snow, hail, hot, cold...bitter
cold...uninterrupted...uninterrupted is the important part of the
honor shown. Last night, while you were sleeping, the teeth of hurricane
Isabel came through this area and tore hell out of everything... We have
thousands of trees down...power outages...traffic signals out...roads filled
with
down limbs and "gear adrift" debris...We have flooding...and the place looks
like it has been the impact area of an off shore bombardment. The
Regimental Commander of the U.S. Third Infantry sent word to the nighttime
Sentry
Detail to secure the post and seek shelter from the high winds, to
ensure their personal safety. THEY DISOBEYED THE ORDER...During winds that
turned over vehicles and turned debris into projectiles...the measured step
continued. One fellow said "I've got buddies getting shot at in Iraq
who would kick my butt if word got to them that we let them down...I'm sure
as hell have no intention of spending my Army career being known as the
goddam idiot who couldn't stand a little light breeze and shirked his duty."
....Then he said something in response to a female reporters question
regarding silly purposeless personal risk...."I wouldn't expect you to
understand. it's an enlisted man's thing." God Bless the rascal...In a
time in our nation's history when spin and total bullshit seems to have
become the accepted coin-of-the-realm, there beat hearts...the enlisted hearts
we all knew and were so damn proud to be a part of...that fully understand
that devotion to duty is not a part time occupation. While we slept, we
were represented by some damn fine men who fully understood their post
orders and proudly went about their assigned responsibilities unseen,
unrecognized
and in the finest tradition of the American Enlisted Man. Folks, there's
hope....The gene that George S. Patton...Arliegh Burke and Jimmy
Doolittle left us...survives. Now, go have another cup to pop rivet your
eyelids
I've got to go to work. DN
>From a subvet friend in our nation's capital~
...More....
Nina Swink adds.....
On the ABC evening news, it was reported tonight that, because of the
dangers from Hurricane Isabel approaching Washington DC, the military
members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier
were given permission to suspend the assignment. They refused. "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. The tomb has been
patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
Addition to this e: I saw an interview on Fox News Channel with the
Commander of the soldiers who guard the Tomb of the unknown. He took
the shift when Isabel was unleashing her fury, cause he did not want to ask
any of his men to do this - he felt it was his highest honor to be on duty
during that time.
Very, very proud of our persons in uniform!!!!!!
|