Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Military memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, US
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a white Yule marble monument of seven blocks in four levels — cap, die, base and sub-base — standing on the plaza of the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington. Its flat-faced die block is carved on all four sides: the west face bears the five-line inscription "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God", the north and south sides carry three wreaths each, and the east side, facing Washington, shows three Greek figures.
The monument was dedicated on November 11, 1921, after one unidentified soldier was chosen from among four sets of remains exhumed from French battlefields. Additional crypts for service members from World War II and the Korean War were added later, making the site represent several conflicts from the 20th century.
Soldiers from the 3d Infantry Regiment perform the Changing of the Guard ceremony with precise movements and measured steps, following a routine that visitors usually watch in silence. The inscription on the marble refers to a service member whose name was never recovered, creating a moment that many people use for personal reflection.
The Tomb Guard of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, "The Old Guard", keeps watch around the clock. The Changing of the Guard takes place every half-hour from April through September and hourly from October through March. The tomb stands in the plaza of the Memorial Amphitheater, with the World War II and Korean War slabs between it and the amphitheater.
The crypt for the Vietnam War has remained empty since 1998, after DNA testing identified the remains as those of Air Force Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie. His remains were later returned to his family and buried elsewhere, making this the only crypt without occupant.
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