Here’s What The Tomb Of Unknowns Guards Do During The Current Heatwave

DoD News / Public Domain

If you’ve ever been to Arlington, Virginia’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, you know the place deserves the utmost respect. It’s a bittersweet scene watching the guards walk the mat, preserving the memory of all the soldiers who never made it back home from war and remained nameless. For this reason, these Honor Guards routinely pace the monument all year round no matter what and when we say that, we mean “no matter what.”

Here’s the creed they vow to uphold:

The Sentinel’s Creed

My dedication to this sacred duty
is total and whole-hearted.
In the responsibility bestowed on me
never will I falter.
And with dignity and perseverance
my standard will remain perfection.
Through the years of diligence and praise
and the discomfort of the elements,
I will walk my tour in humble reverence
to the best of my ability.
It is he who commands the respect I protect,
his bravery that made us so proud.
Surrounded by well meaning crowds by day,
alone in the thoughtful peace of night,
this soldier will in honored glory rest
under my eternal vigilance.
– Simon 1971

As July is bringing in intense heat, the Guards do not change a thing. Still dressed in their wool uniforms that are meticulously kept, they do not adjust their routine one bit. They’re more sweaty and are getting pounded by 100°F plus temperatures but they don’t show it in their demeanor. The video below shows exactly that.

All year long, these dedicated men and women don’t miss a single minute of their duties. Even when Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012, one guard stood at his post for 23 hours straight until he was relieved by another. Snowstorms also don’t hinder them as you can see in the picture above. For this, we thank you.