Why the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Remains Protected Around the Clock

When a U.S. service member dies in war, and officials cannot identify their remains, the country honors that sacrifice through the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Tomb does not hold every unidentified service member, but it represents all unidentified and missing American service members who never made it home by name.

The Tomb sits on a hill at Arlington National Cemetery overlooking Washington, D.C.Since Nov. 11, 1921, it has held the remains of an unidentified World War I service member. Unknown service members from World War II and the Korean War were added in 1958. The idea came after World War I left nations grieving massive losses, including service members whose remains could not be identified. The Tomb is still guarded today, and folks want to know why.

The Tomb is guarded for protection and honor. At first, soldiers guarded it because visitors were stepping on or climbing on the Tomb. Soldiers from nearby Fort Myer began guarding it during daylight hours in March 1926. In 1937, the watch became a 24-hour presence. The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard, officially took over the duty in 1948.

These days, the guard is about much more than crowd control. Sentinels stand watch 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in every kind of weather. According to Arlington, volunteers from The Old Guard go through a strict selection process, intense training, and demanding tests before they earn the privilege.

Even the Sentinel’s walk has meaning. The Sentinel takes 21 steps, pauses for 21 seconds, turns, and repeats the process. The number 21 symbolizes the 21-gun salute, the highest symbolic military honor.

The Tomb was created because war does not always leave families with answers. Before modern DNA testing, dog tags, and detailed records, many troops died in ways that made identification impossible. Arlington states that unidentified remains often resulted from poor records, battlefield damage, rushed burials, or lost grave markers.

Families of fallen service members can claim their loved one’s remains only if officials identify them through evidence and science. The best-known example is the Vietnam War Unknown. In 1998, the Department of Defense exhumed the Vietnam Unknown after evidence suggested the remains belonged to Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down in 1972.

At his family’s request, Michael was reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Missouri. The Vietnam crypt at the Tomb now remains empty and honors missing U.S. service members from the Vietnam War.

If the service member is identified, the government handles the burial process through military/VA procedures. Federal law allows transportation of the remains to the place chosen by the authorized person — or, if no selection is made, to a national or other cemetery selected by the Secretary where burial is authorized. For unclaimed Veterans, the VA says it works with service organizations, funeral partners, public administrators, and others to make sure they receive a dignified burial.