Image of a ‘dedicated’ soldier spotted placing a flag at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery during a severe thunderstorm goes viral
- An image showing a solider placing an American flag at the tomb of the Unknown Solider during a thunderstorm has gone viral
- Flags are placed at each grave in Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day weekend
- Some of the soldiers were ordered to stand down until a downpour stopped
- But one solider from The Old Guard continued and was praised for his dedication
By Leah Mcdonald For Dailymail.com
Published: 14:15 EDT, 25 May 2019 | Updated: 16:03 EDT, 25 May 2019
An image showing a solider placing an American flag at the tomb of the Unknown Solider during a severe thunderstorm at Arlington National Cemetery has gone viral.
Each year, the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, which is named ‘The Old Guard,’ places flags at each grave in the Virginia cemetery ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
However, severe weather blew in with heavy rain pouring down on the cemetery, along with gale-force winds on Thursday.
Images showing a solider, (pictured), placing a small American flag at the tomb of the Unknown Solider during a severe storm at Arlington National Cemetery have gone viral
As onlookers ran for cover, the soldiers carried on with their duty including one who stood out from the crowd.
Determined to honored the fallen, some of the soldiers were ordered to stand down until the worst of the weather passed. However one continued on.
A Tomb Sentinel is one of the soldiers responsible for guarding the tomb 24 hours a day, carrying flags to the Unknowns and placing them in honor of the fallen.
In a Facebook post, The Old Guard claimed: ‘During the storm, one of the most extraordinary displays of discipline and dedication to duty ever to be witnessed at Arlington National Cemetery was taking place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
‘With only a few watching from cover, a Tomb Sentinel approached the Unknowns with U.S. flags in hand.
‘As thunder shook the ground and rains washed down without abandon, the Tomb Sentinel pierced through the elements with breath-taking precision.
‘He knelt and placed the flags in honor of the Unknowns. For the select few who saw this moment, it was jaw-dropping. Humans have their limits, but The Old Guard has yet to meet theirs.’
Each year, the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, which is named ‘The Old Guard,’ places flags at each grave in the Virginia cemetery ahead of Memorial Day weekend
A Tomb Sentinel, which is the role of the guard in the image, is one of the soldiers responsible for guarding the tomb 24 hours a day and placing flags in honor of those fallen
The post has been shared more than 125,000 times and picked up by other social media outlets.
Thousands of homes in the D.C. area lost power in the storm, which also knocked down a significant number of trees, WUSA-TV reported.
A comment to the post identified the guard as Tyler McKee, according to the station.
The solider in the image was identified as Tyler McKee and was praised for his dedication
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located at the Arlington National Cemetery, was established in 1921, when an unidentified soldier was interred at the newly created memorial.
There are three figures sculpted into the panel: Valor, Victory and Peace.
It also bears the words: ‘Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God.’
A Tomb Sentinel from The Old Guard watches over it, pacing back and forth a 63-foot walkway, taking 21 steps each time. The sentinel then faces the memorial for 21 seconds, turns, and pauses an additional 21 seconds before retracing their steps.
The number 21 is symbolic of the highest salute given to dignitaries in military and state ceremonies, according to the website of The Old Guard.
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