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More from:: "My Time in Service:"
1SGT McMahon commented about having earned the TGIB badge, while guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. My first visit to the Tomb, and watching the Guard exchange- was back in 1979.
I was TDY to Ft. Bragg for a few months. And we had a six day break. So one of the Officers had relatives buried at Arlington. So five of us piled into his Van and drove up to see those Graves. And the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier...with the Guard doing that very difficult march step.
It was a very calm day...but the weight of all those Heroes and Heroines - was on our minds. The only "joking" came later in the Parking lot.
We all tried to imitate that march step. To no avail. The real Guards would have laughed us off the Parade Ground.
We stopped at a Greasy Spoon on the way back. None of us, including the Officer, thought we could "spit and polish" at the level of those guards. Nor did we think we could do that step for hours at a time, in any weather. So we came away with a great deal of respect for those Guards.
And I didn't even know they got a Badge that very few Soldiers ever earned. I love learning about these things. So proud of those Soldiers.
1SGT McMahon commented about having earned the TGIB badge, while guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. My first visit to the Tomb, and watching the Guard exchange- was back in 1979.
I was TDY to Ft. Bragg for a few months. And we had a six day break. So one of the Officers had relatives buried at Arlington. So five of us piled into his Van and drove up to see those Graves. And the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier...with the Guard doing that very difficult march step.
It was a very calm day...but the weight of all those Heroes and Heroines - was on our minds. The only "joking" came later in the Parking lot.
We all tried to imitate that march step. To no avail. The real Guards would have laughed us off the Parade Ground.
We stopped at a Greasy Spoon on the way back. None of us, including the Officer, thought we could "spit and polish" at the level of those guards. Nor did we think we could do that step for hours at a time, in any weather. So we came away with a great deal of respect for those Guards.
And I didn't even know they got a Badge that very few Soldiers ever earned. I love learning about these things. So proud of those Soldiers.
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Guard
Honor Guard
Soldier
Heroes
Posted 19 d ago
Responses: 5
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SGT Kevin Hughes - The weight of visiting Arlington and watching the changing ceremony was certainly palpable. During AIT (~1983) we who wanted to go were bused to D.C. from Fort Lee, VA, for a day trip, which started at Arlington.
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Great share Brother Kevin. Watched a show going over selection the daily routines was very interesting to say the least.
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I have had the privilege to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier both in uniform and as a civilian,nothing but a ton of respect for those walk that honored post, Welcome Home Brothers.
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SGT Kevin Hughes
Yeah, and it is a privilege. It is a much different experience than visiting the Wall ...but just as powerful.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
SGT Kevin Hughes Ya, the Tomb is my father's buddies, the Wall is mine!
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SGT Philip Roncari
SGT Kevin Hughes
Kevin my visits to The Wall are of a entirely different nature,I knew some of these men when they weren’t just cuttings of black granite,we trained together in those wet pine woods of Ft.Lewis,drank and got rowdy in bars and gin mills from Seattle to Tacoma and Olympia,took that miserable boat ride to Vietnam,shared Crats and Foul smelling Halizone flavored water,even each other’s precious mail goodies,finally watched the Medivac choppers take our fallen Brothers Home,for me a much different experience to be sure, Welcome Home Brothers.
Kevin my visits to The Wall are of a entirely different nature,I knew some of these men when they weren’t just cuttings of black granite,we trained together in those wet pine woods of Ft.Lewis,drank and got rowdy in bars and gin mills from Seattle to Tacoma and Olympia,took that miserable boat ride to Vietnam,shared Crats and Foul smelling Halizone flavored water,even each other’s precious mail goodies,finally watched the Medivac choppers take our fallen Brothers Home,for me a much different experience to be sure, Welcome Home Brothers.
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SGT Kevin Hughes
SGT Philip Roncari - I kinda know what you mean Sarge. While I wasn't next to them when they passed. I do have several friends on that wall. And you can always tell the ones that were there when they fell. The guides often just quietly slip up next to them and put a hand on their shoulders. No words. When I was there a granddaughter put her Prom picture below her Grandfather's name. Her Mother was born without ever seeing or meeting her Dad. But grandma put little things at the wall, then her daughter. And now, here was the third generation remembering him. I got a bit teary eyed at that one.
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