Guarding the Tomb

[lcpd24]

> I don't know if any of you saw this in the news but it really impressed me.
> Funny,
> our US Senate/House took 2 days off as they couldn't work.
>
> On the ABC evening news, it was reported tonight that, because of the
> dangers from Hurricane Isabelle approaching Washington DC, the military
> members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown 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 serviceperson.
>
> The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
>
> I don't usually suggest that many emails be forwarded, but I'd be DAMN
> proud
> if this one reached as many as possible.
>
>
> We can be very proud of our young men in the service no matter where
> they
> serve. God Bless them.

[Beau]

Thanks for posting this. It has been close to 20 years since my first and only visit to that living shrine and tomb: It is a moving and impressive symbol of sacrifice of individuals for the "higher" good of all.

Certainly those soldiers were not about to break their units string of service in honoring those unknowns ... in honoring all those who have and will wear the uniform. I think politics and various powers (generally known or hidden) may call for bad and good wars ("conflicts" or "operations") --- but overall, it is the wearing of honorable tradition .... continuously and in such splendid ways, such as those Honor Guards do .... that is so fundamental to the continuity of this country and it's ideals (ideals romantic and unreachable, or reachable but bogged down and twisted in our various collective or personal inner troubles) .... like the Fiddler on the Roof keeping a foothold through tradition, splendor and grace.

Beau