[Shotimes] The military honor

[Don Johnson]

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 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 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 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: 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!!!!!!

Don Johnson
    DPC, USN, Ret
        "El Jefe"
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'95 White Taurus SHO MTX
    "the White Rhino"
        "Fears No Other Species"
            "Call me crazy ... The faster I go the bigger my smile!"
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