Tomb of the Unknowns

Until the recent past, in every war there have been fallen soldiers' bodies whose remains could not be identified. Surely these soldiers were buried by their respective states, but the idea of erecting a monument to these unknown war dead has a relatively recent history. One of the earliest such monuments was an 1866 memorial to those unknown soldiers from the American Civil War.

Following World War I (WWI), the notion of monuments to unknown soldiers became standard for those countries that had participated in that war. In 1920, such a monument was designed when the remains of an unknown soldier from the forces of [Page 958]the British Empire in WWI were interred in Westminster Abbey. Also in 1920, a memorial to the unknown dead of WWI was placed under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris by the French government.

In the United States on November 11, 1921, an unknown soldier from WWI was placed under a marble slab in the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery, the last resting place of huge numbers of soldiers and several presidents in the United States. The soldier was buried with full military honors. On November 11, 1932, the completed monument, a white marble sarcophagus, was erected in the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C. The stone for this monument came from Marble, Colorado. The sarcophagus is plain except that on its east panel (facing Washington, D.C.) are three carved figures from ancient Greece representing peace, victory, and valor. On the west panel facing the Memorial are the words: “Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God.”

On Memorial Day, May 30, 1958, the remains of unknown soldiers from WWII and the Korean War were also placed under marble slabs next to their fallen comrade from WWI. At the time of this ceremony, the name of the monument was officially changed from “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” to the “Tomb of the Unknowns.” An unknown soldier from the Vietnam War was later added to the group. However, in 1998, through DNA testing, these remains were identified and subsequently returned to the family for burial. It has since been decided that no more remains will be buried at this simple, beautiful monument.

In the United States, the Tomb of the Unknowns stands in the center of Arlington National Cemetery, and it is one of the most visited sites in Arlington and, indeed, in the entire Washington, D.C., area. Part of the reason for this interest is related to the ceremony of the changing of the guard. The tomb is guarded continuously, that is, 24 hours per day and 365 days per year no matter what the weather, by elite members of the 3rd United States Infantry—the “Old Guard.” This unit has served the United States continuously since 1784 and is the oldest active duty unit in the United States. Only certain members of this unit are chosen for the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The selection process is rigorous as only well-qualified members of the army can be entrusted with the task of providing a continuous honor guard for those who represent all of America's fallen heroes.

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