The "Jeopardy Answer Led To Astonishing Story" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Watching two of my favorite TV Quiz Shows, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. I know that Wheel of Fortune is seen all over the world, but not sure if Jeopardy has the coverage that is given to it's sister program.  Many may not know that at the end of the quiz show Jeopardy, a final answer is given to which the three contestants must think of the question that could be asked to yield the final answer.  As the show was coming to a conclusion, I watched and listened to see how many of the three contestants had the correct question to "Final Jeopardy".  In this case the final answer was...How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  For those not knowing what the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier may be, it is a monument in the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, USA that holds the remains of those who died fighting for the USA without ever being identified.  The U.S. Unknowns who are interred here hold the award of the Medal of Honor, the Victoria Cross and several other foreign nations' highest service awards.  Well, all three contestants missed it and Alex Trebek, the host gave the final question of "What is 21".  The 21 also refers to the twenty-one gun salute which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.  But that doesn't begin to tell the tale of those who guard the tomb.  

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia, USA

The soldier guarding the tomb also takes 21 seconds to hesitate after his about face after crossing in front of the tomb and heading back across once again.  He carries his rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb and moves the rifle to the other shoulder as he executes the about face.  The guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year.  Now, I kind of knew most of that information, but as I read on I learned more about the guards that I found remarkable.  To be a guard the person must be between 5' 10" tall with a waist size no larger than 30".  They must commit 2 years of their life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives.  They are not allowed to swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.  After two years the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb.  

The tomb has been guarded every minute of every day since 1930.

If they disobey any of the rules, they must return the pin.  There are currently 400 who wear the pin.  A few interesting facts about the uniform they wear are: (1) The shoes are made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet, (2) There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt, (3) The uniform may have no wrinkles, folds or lint on it. (4) The guards dress in front of a full-length mirror and must spend five hours a day getting the uniform ready for guard duty.  Another rule of being a guard is the first half-year a guard cannot talk to anyone or watch TV.  All off-duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery and the guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred in the cemetery.  One thing I read was that in 2003, during Hurricane Isabelle, and with TV stations broadcasting the danger of the hurricane, the guards never missed a beat.  The tomb has been patrolled every minute of every day since 1930.  I only hope those interred in the tomb appreciate the service these unique individuals give to their country.  One thing I couldn't find was whether all guards are males.  I'm not sure that any of the rules would keep a female from being a guard, but I might be missing something.  I'd like to believe that any one of my grandchildren, male or female, could one day become a guard at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.