Tomb of The Unknowns

Arlington National Cemetery Virginia USA & Tomb of the Unknowns

Tomb of the Unknowns From The Rear of the Plaza

This page in Memory of
Pilot Officer FRANCIS DEBENHAM MILNE
Royal Australian Air Force who died aged 25 on Thursday, 26th November 1942.
Pilot Officer MILNE was the son of Francis Rupert and Mignonette Milne;
husband of Nance May Milne, of Southport, Queensland.

Remembered with honour
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Virginia, United States of America.

Flight Officer Milne, RAAF, died on a World War II air mission on November 26, 1942. He was a member of a multi-national flight crew whose remains were discovered in New Guinea in 1989. Since his remains, and those of the United States Army Air Corps Technical Sergeant (Joseph E. Paul), were individually un-identifiable, they were buried together in the same casket in grave 4754, Section 34, Arlington National Cemetery.

This information was researched, and then located, due to a number of inquiries received from Australian citizens in November 1997. As far as can be determined, he is the only Australian thus far buried in Arlington National Cemetery. It is reported that in 1997 the Prime Minister of Australia visited the gravesite during an official trip to Washington.

The Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., is also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and has never been officially named.

The Tomb of the Unknowns stands atop a hill overlooking Washington, D.C.

On March 4, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unidentified American soldier from World War I in the plaza of the new Memorial Amphitheater.

The white marble sarcophagus has a flat-faced form and is relieved at the corners and along the sides by neo-classic pilasters, or columns, set into the surface.

Sculpted into the east panel which faces Washington, D.C., are three Greek figures representing Peace, Victory, and Valor. (See photo left)

The Amphitheatre

The Great War (WW1)	The Unknown Soldier lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda from his arrival in the United States until Armistice Day, 1921. On Nov. 11, 1921, President Warren G. Harding officiated at the interment ceremonies at the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery.
World War II	Two unknowns from World War II, one from the European Theater and one from the Pacific Theater, were placed in identical caskets and taken aboard the USS Canberra, a guided-missile cruiser resting off the Virginia Capes. Navy Hospital man 1st Class William R. Charette, then the Navy's only active-duty Medal of Honor recipient, selected the Unknown Soldier of World War II. The remaining casket received a solemn burial at sea.
Korea	Four unknown Americans who died in the Korean War were disinterred from the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. Army Master Sgt. Ned Lyle made the final selection. Both caskets (WW2 & Korea) arrived in Washington May 28, 1958, where they lay in the Capitol Rotunda until May 30.
Vietnam	The Unknown service member (note; service member not soldier) from the Vietnam War was designated by Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Allan Jay Kellogg Jr. during a ceremony at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, May 17, 1984. President Reagan presided over the funeral, and presented the Medal of Honor to the Vietnam Unknown. The president also acted as next of kin by accepting the interment flag at the end of the ceremony. The interment flags of all Unknowns at the Tomb of the Unknowns are on view in the Memorial Display Room.

The remains of the Vietnam Unknown at the Tomb of the Unknowns

The remains of the Vietnam Unknown were exhumed May 14, 1998. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, DoD scientists identified the remains as those of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down near An Loc, Vietnam, in 1972.

The identification, announced June 30, 1998, is under review. It has been decided that the crypt that contained the remains of the Vietnam Unknown will remain vacant.

Tomb of the Unknowns - PHOTO By M. R. Patterson

The Eternal Flame

Inscribed on the back of the Tomb are the words:

HERE RESTS IN
HONORED GLORY
AN AMERICAN SOLDIER
KNOWN BUT TO GOD

The Eternal Flame burns all the time to remind us that the debt we owe is constant.

The Tomb sarcophagus was placed above the grave of the Unknown Soldier of World War I. West of the World War I Unknown are the crypts of unknowns from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Those three graves are marked with white marble slabs flush with the plaza. See photo above left

Tomb of The Unknowns

guarded by

Third United States Infantry Regiment ("The Old Guard.")

details lower on page

The United States Army was given the honor of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1926, as the Army is the oldest of the military services. Prior to 1926, there were no military guards posted at the Tomb. In fact, after the internment of the Unknown Soldier in 1921, the Tomb remained unguarded until 1925, when a civilian guard would be present during the day. The military posted its first guard on March 25th 1926. The Army has been the only military service to guard the Unknown Soldiers.

How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the Tomb of The Unknowns and why?
- 21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one-gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?
- 21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1.

Why are his gloves wet?
- His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time, and if not, why not?
- He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face, and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder. That way the rifle is always presented to the enemy.

How often are the guards changed?
- Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?
- For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30."

Other requirements of the Guard:

They must commit 2 years of 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 cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {e.g. by fighting} 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.

There are only 400 presently worn.

The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.

The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. 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.

There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV.

All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.

Among the notables are:
- President John F Kennedy (JFK) see photo above
- President Taft
- General of the Armies, John J Pershing (& 2 grandsons) CinC US Forces WW1
- Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and
- Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {most decorated US soldier of WWII}.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD,

AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

The US Senate & House of Representatives took 2 days off, as they couldn't work because of the expected storm from Hurricane Isabelle. It was reported 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 respectfully declined the offer, "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 service person. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, traditionally known as “The Old Guard,” is the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army, serving our nation since 1784. The Old Guard continuously prepares for its contingency and infantry missions by conducting year-round tactical training. This ensures the highest standards and the tightest discipline in its soldiers.

The Old Guard - PHOTO

Since 1948, The Old Guard has been stationed in the Washington, D.C., area at Fort Myer, Va. and Fort Lesley J. McNair, D.C. As a Major Subordinate Command of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington (MDW), the 3rd U.S. Infantry is charged with the unique mission of providing security for the nation's capital, serving as the U.S. Army's official ceremonial unit and performing tactical infantry missions.

As the U.S. Army’s official ceremonial unit and escort to the President, The Old Guard represents the U.S. Army and the nation through ceremonies and special events thousands of times each year. Familiar sights in the nation’s Capital, units of The Old Guard participate in official arrival ceremonies at the White House and the Pentagon for visiting heads of state and other foreign dignitaries.

The Old Guard also participates in wreath ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns and conducts funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.

The 3rd U.S. Infantry is made up of eight companies. Company A, stationed at Fort McNair, is the Commander-in-Chief's (President's) Guard, representing one of the most historically famous units in the Army. Companies B, C and D are line companies sharing ceremonial, memorial affairs and field-training missions.

Each company comprises a marching platoon, a firing-party platoon, a casket-team platoon and a headquarters or support section. Company E (Honor Guard) also has additional platoons made up of the Continental Colors.

The Presidential Salute Gun Battery, Caisson Platoon, Drill Team and the 289th Military Police Company compose Company H. The Fife and Drum Corps is a separate company, commanded by a Warrant Officer. Headquarters Company, the eighth company, is responsible for battalion support for The Old Guard.

In 1987 and 1993, the unit was presented with the Superior Unit Award, which is the Army's highest peacetime award.

The Army Superior Unit Award is awarded for outstanding meritorious performance of a unit during peacetime in a difficult and challenging mission under extraordinary circumstances. The unit must display such outstanding devotion and superior performance of exceptionally difficult tasks to set it apart from and above other units with similar missions.