Tomb of the Unknown Soldier nears 100 years of military guard

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia will reach a milestone of being continuously guarded by service members for 100 years on March 25.

The tomb was established in the wake of World War I, when an unknown soldier who died in the war was interred on Nov. 11, 1921, according to a news release by the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment. It did not have an assigned military guard until March 25, 1926, after the Army’s deputy chief of staff ordered such a presence over concerns the monument was not properly respected.

It was a daytime guard until July 1, 1937, when it became guarded 24 hours a day, seven days a week in all weather conditions.

Army

Featured on Instagram

previous coverage

• Tomb guard who went viral last year takes her final walk, aims for new role