Thursday, October 23, 2014

Wondering About The Unkown Soldier.

It was on this date, October 23rd, back in 1921 that the "Unknown Soldier" was about to be selected.  Did you know that the U.S. lost around 77,000 servicemen who were killed on the Western Front during World War I?  I am sure that a lot of them had lost their dog tags, and could not be identified.  Here are a couple of examples of dog tags that the servicemen wore:


 
By the way, did you know that dog tags were provided to Chinese soldiers way back in the mid-19th century?
 
OK, back to the "unknown soldier" and how he was picked out of the many.  The first step was that four bodies were collected from cemeteries at great battlegrounds of WWI.  The bodies were shipped to a hotel in Chalons-sur-Marne (in eastern France) on October 23, 1921.  The next morning, Sergeant Edward Younger, carrying a spray of white roses, entered the room that contained the caskets.  He circled the caskets three times and placed the flowers on the third casket from the left.  The casket was inscribed with "An Unknown American who gave his life in the World War".
 
Here is a picture of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:
 
So now you know the story behind the "Unknown Soldier.  Now, I hope you all have a great day, you hear?


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10 comments:

  1. GypsyOctober 23, 2014 at 9:54 AM

    Is this the Unknown in Arlington Cemetery? Are there other monuments honoring unknown soldiers, from other wars, etc.

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    1. Dizzy-DickOctober 23, 2014 at 9:59 AM

      Yes, there are a lot of them. Here is a link to a site that tells about ten of them:
      http://www.tiptoptens.com/2011/12/13/10-renowned-tombs-of-the-unknown-soldiers-around-the-world/

      Delete
  2. TROUBLEnTXOctober 23, 2014 at 11:02 AM

    Lots of those from all the wars.

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  3. RobOctober 23, 2014 at 11:30 AM

    I've got my dogtags somewhere, I kept one in a boot lace for almost 20 years..
    That was a lot of dead Americans for a year & a half of war...
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_casualties_of_war has all the sad news you care to read

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    1. Dizzy-DickOctober 23, 2014 at 11:59 AM

      I went and looked at that site. Wow, that is an awful lot of needless deaths!!

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  4. Chuck and Anneke's RV travelsOctober 23, 2014 at 7:13 PM

    I have known that story for a very long time, but it sure needs to be repeated regularly! I still have mine somewhere and remain very grateful no one had to pull them off of me:)

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  5. EdOctober 24, 2014 at 9:31 AM

    When honoring the Unknown Soldier please also honor the Tomb Sentinels from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment’s “The Old Guard”. They have guarded the Tomb for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year regardless of the weather, since 1948.

    The Sentinel's Creed

    My dedication to this sacred duty is total and whole-hearted.
    In the responsibility bestowed on me never will I falter.

    And with dignity and perseverance my standard will remain perfection.

    Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability.

    It is he who commands the respect I protect, his bravery that made us so proud.

    Surrounded by well meaning crowds by day, alone in the thoughtful peace of night, this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance.

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  6. Dizzy-DickOctober 24, 2014 at 9:55 AM

    Of course, they are a whole story all by them selves.

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