Excerpted from an article in the January 2009 issue of the Decatur Dispatch about the servicemen who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. What discipline concerning these modern day samurai! It would be interesting to interview some of them to explore what kind of insights they gained and impact their service has had on their lives.
“In 2003, as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senators and Representatives took two days off in anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, 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 serviceperson.
“Interesting facts about the dedicated guards of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Guards are changed every thirty minutes, 24/7, 365 days a year. The tomb has been patrolled continuously in this fashion since 1930. Guards must commit 2 years to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty or swear in public for the rest of their lives. After their two-year duty, the guards are given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying their service. Guards must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. There are only 400 presently worn.
“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 can be no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniforms. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.
“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.”
Quote of the Week 419 - Listend/Hearing for Non-material Sustenance
Quote of the Week 419 - Listening/Hearing for Non-material Sustenance
Every one who is thirsty, come and drink. He who has no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good. Let your soul delight in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, that your soul will live…
--Isaiah 55:1-3, The Living Torah translation by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
Meditation (Click your selection, scroll down to view it)
- Audio Link: Interview - You Cannot Avoid Mystery; Eastern Meditation
- Audio Link: A Foundation for a Fruitful Meditation Practice: Science of Breath/Pranayama/Relaxation - Theory and Practice
- Audio Link: (Scroll to 11/04/18 entry) The Breath and Life Force; Guided Meditation - I Am an Empty Shell, Therefore I Am Full, etc.
- Meditation Basics - Expanded Version
- Meditation Basics - Condensed Version
- Mantra Meditation Basics
- Nada Meditation - Anahata/The Unstruck Sound
- Jewish Yoga Meditation
- Hebrew Mantras
- Hebrew Mantras, Part Two
- Hebrew Mantras, Part Three
- Hebrew Mantras - Adonai Hineni
- Healing Meditation: Ruach El Shaddai/Breath of Balance
- Meditating, Eating and Sleeping
- Shortcuts to Spiritual Development?
- Audio Link: Guided Meditation - I Am and Empty Shell, Therefore I Am Full; A Meditation on Emptiness and Dark Luminescence Based on the Opening Lines of Genesis
- Guided Meditation: The Stage
- Guided Meditation: I Am an Empty Shell, Therefore I Am Full; A Meditation on Emptiness and Dark Luminescence Based on the Opening Lines of Genesis
- Guided Meditation: The Rod, The Staff, and The Star
- Torah-Veda Meditation Class Site
- Interspiritual Contemplative Group
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1 comment:
There have been a few email communications generated by this quote about some inaccuracies (mostly exaggerations) that I am summarizing below:
I have received an email pointing out some inaccuracies in the above quote. Fortunately, the inaccuracies are not all that egregious, as are some things floating around the Internet that Snopes catches. But I am disappointed that a print publication was not a little more thorough in checking its sources, and I regret forwarding on inaccurate information.
From the email:
Some of the information presented in this news article is inaccurate. It comes from an e-mail sent around years ago. For an excellent analysis of what pieces of information are true and what aren't see the following article: http://www.snopes.com/military/unknown.asp
I emailed the publication’s editor about this, and received the following response:
I appreciate your calling this to our attention. We received the article from
one of our long-time advertisers who is usually very accurate in her research.
Guess we both made a mistake! We will surely check this type of story out more
carefully in the future on Snopes.
This is the first time in 17 years that we have made this kind of mistake, and
hope it will be the last.
Sincerely,
Marge Heal
Senior Editor
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