Photo By Capt. Jasmine Jacobs | Sgt. Mark Fuggiti watches the changing of the guard ceremony as it takes place at the...... read more read more
ARLINGTON, Va. – As a part of the Outstanding Soldier and Airmen of the Year tour of Washington, D.C. service members and their families took time to visit the reverenced Arlington National Cemetery, Aug. 23. Included in this trip was Sgt. Mark Fuggiti, the Army National Guard’s Best Soldier of the Year, Sgt. Matthew Howard, Best Non-commissioned Officer of the Year, Sgt. 1st Class Craig Wester, Best Recruiter of the Year and 1st Lt. Nicholas Plocar, a member of the one of the Best Ranger Teams in the Army National Guard.
“Walking into Arlington Cemetery was surreal,” said Wester. “It was before the cemetery was open and we got the opportunity to have a private tour. It was so peaceful and really gave you time to think about the lives of the soldiers laid to rest there, some that served at the very formation of the National Guard. It gave me a renowned sense of pride in being a veteran guardsmen among the resting places of my fellow brothers and sister in arms.”
Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 300,000 veterans, dating back to soldiers from the Civil War, including Maj. Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier to date in the Army National Guard. The cemetery hosts between 27 and 30 funerals a day and is home of the Tomb of the Unknowns, which is said to house the remnants of unidentified soldiers from World War I and II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. This hollow place is guarded around the clock by the sentinels of the tomb.
The soldiers and their families’ also got the opportunity to view the sacred ceremony known as the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. It is preformed every half hour when sentinels change shifts. They also had the unique opportunity to meet senior enlisted tomb guards after their performance.
“The soldiers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were really impressive,” said Ashley Fuggiti, the wife of Mark Fuggiti. “They were so precise during the changing of the guard, it’s something you don’t see everyday and then being able to talk to them and ask them questions that you always wondered the answer to was really interesting and appreciated.”
The visit to Arlington Cemetery provided not only a moment of reverence and respect for the men guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, but for the service members laid to rest there as well.
“The respect that is afforded to this place and the sacrifices that these soldiers and in some cases their families have made is just awesome to me,” said Jennifer Howard, the wife of Matthew Howard. “No one has to tell you to be quiet or respectful, you just know. You know the lives that were given were given for you, and soldiers and tourists alike stop and respect that, and remember the fallen.”
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2012 01:11 |
| Story ID: | 93843 |
| Location: | ARLINGTON, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 222 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, OSAY soldiers pay respects at Arlington, learn of life as Tomb Guard, by Capt. Jasmine Jacobs, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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