Jonas No Match For The Old Guard
Vigilant Sentinels keep watch over The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier in a blizzard.
The East Coast was hammered with white out conditions this weekend. Accumulations of between twenty and forty inches of heavy granular snow coupled with wind gusts of up to 50 mph and single digit wind chill temps prompted even the most well-seasoned cold weather enthusiasts to stay inside and off the roads.
But at Arlington National Cemetery, honor trumped personal comforts. As the snow storm intensified,The Old Guard held fast to their appointed mission: Keeping watch over the hallowed tomb of our nameless fallen heroes. The soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment performed their duties as flawlessly as ever, seemingly uninhibited by Jonas, who has claimed twenty-seven U.S. lives thus far.
Their undaunted patriotism and selfless dedication delivered me a cold shot of American pride, a welcomed and much needed reminder that despite the propaganda (Iran) swirling about the internet, that we are not a nation of the past. Traditions such as The Old Guard are pillars in a history that is still very much unfolding.
Below are photos and quotes from the soldiers who stood guard during the storm despite miserable conditions:
"I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved."
"Alone in the[...]peace of night, this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance."
This week when I find myself feeling anxious about where our nation could be headed in 2016, I will instead meditate on these resolute Sentinels and choose to be at peace.
May God bless them and their service to our nation.
Posted January 24 2016 by Audie Cockings
2 of 2 liked this
Audie Cockings is the author of Little Red Rider, a fiction thriller available at Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com. She holds a Master's in Adulthood and Aging/Health Care Administration and has been published previously in healthcare.