Monument
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Marble sarcophagus guarded around the clock by soldiers pacing twenty-one measured steps in all weather.
0:00≈ 2 min
Location
0:00≈ 2 min
About this audio guide
This guide to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, D.C. opens with Sergeant Shane Vincent, who held his post alone through the worst of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 rather than let the mat sit empty. It traces the sentinels' twenty-one step ritual, unbroken since 1937, and the words carved into the marble sarcophagus honoring soldiers from the First World War, Second World War and Korea. Watch the guard's paced turn and twenty-one-second pause as you listen, echoing the highest honor the military gives.
This audio guide was created using AI.