[Updated] Soldiers Keeping Watch Even Through Hurricane Sandy

Soldiers of the 3rd Inf Reg continue to stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, despite the worsening weather conditions surrounding Hurricane Sandy. The tomb has been guarded continuously since 1948.

Updated: The photo below that went viral after being tweeted out this morning by the Dept of Veteran Affairs is actully from a storm in September 2012, not from Hurricane Sandy. The below statement regarding the photo was released Monday afternoon:

The 3rd Infantry Regiment used Twitter to clarify that the picture was not actually taken on Monday during Hurricane Sandy but in mid-September. However, the regiment — the oldest active-duty infantry regiment in the Army — is also on Facebook and posted several photos of soldiers guarding the Tomb on Monday.
“The Old Guard has guarded the tomb every minute of every day since April 6, 1948,” the regiment posted. “Today will be no exception.”

Everyone on the east coast has boarded up and hunkered down Monday afternoon as Hurricane Sandy began to pound the Mid-Atlantic. Well, almost everyone…

Soldiers continued to stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery, dedicated to the common memories of all soldiers killed in any war, as the first major rain bands from Hurricane Sandy began to lash Washington, D.C.

Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, assigned to stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery, dedicated to the common memories of all soldiers killed in any war, are still on-duty as wind and rain lash the area.

As of this time, there are no plans to remove the guards from their posts.

God Bless the USA and the Men and Women who dedicate their lives to protecting our freedom.

About The Tomb of the Unknown and The Tomb Guards (https://tombguard.org/)

Tomb Guards are part of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment “The Old Guard“. The Old Guard is the oldest active infantry unit in the military, in service to the U.S. since 1784. After a valorous performance in the Mexican War, the Old Guard received its unique name from General Winfield Scott during a victory parade in Mexico City in 1847. The Old Guard has a long history of service to the U.S., from the Revolutionary War to the Iraq War.

Sacrifice, suffering, and grief are synonymous with war. A nation of families, friends and citizens, mourning the loss of their loved ones, need closure in order to start their grieving process. They need a place that represents this loss and celebrates the sacrifice that protect the liberties of free nations.