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For the Old Guard, A Renewed Mission; Unit to Swap Ceremony for Combat

For the U.S. Army's Old Guard, the war in Iraq has been one of ceremony: escorting the caskets of fallen soldiers as they arrive at Dover Air Force Base, serving at dozens of burials at Arlington National Cemetery, standing watch over the Tomb of the Unknowns.

In coming days, for the first time since the Vietnam War, a company of soldiers from this prestigious ceremonial unit will join the battle overseas, deploying to the Horn of Africa for the fight against terrorism.

Strained by combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as commitments in South Korea and the Balkans, the Army has ordered soldiers from the unit's Bravo Company to put their dress blues in the closet and don desert camouflage battle fatigues.

At Fort Myer in Arlington, home to the regiment, soldiers are making final preparations for their departure. Inside the post's chilly Conmy Hall, many of the more than 150 soldiers deploying were standing in lines one recent morning to pick up the last pieces of equipment they need to pack, including gloves and an extra pair of tan boots.

The troops spent some final leave time with their families over Thanksgiving after returning from Fort Polk, La., where they underwent specialized training for urban combat and protecting convoys.

"To see us go from a ceremonial unit to a tactically proficient unit was pretty amazing," said SSG Mike Wilson, one of the Old Guard soldiers who is deploying. "People who looked at us a month and a half ago would have seen something completely different."

The soldiers of Bravo Company will soon bid farewell to their families at Fort Myer and board buses for the drive to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where they will fly overseas.

They will join the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, a force of 1,800 U.S. troops headquartered in Djibouti that is under the command of a Marine Corps general and responsible for fighting terrorist activities in seven countries in East Africa. Bravo Company will likely be gone for six months but possibly up to a year, commanders said.

In one sense, the deployment is nothing new for the Old Guard. "It's been amazing to me that a lot of people have raised eyebrows," said COL Chuck Taylor, commander of the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment, as the unit is officially known.

The Old Guard is, after all, the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army, tracing its origins to 1784 and first seeing combat under GEN "Mad" Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in the Northwest Territory in 1794. Among its 50 battle streamers are ones from Chapultapec in 1847, Gettysburg in 1863, Luzon in 1900 and Northern France in World War II.

The regiment's headquarters, in a brick building at Fort Myer, is named after an Old Guard Medal of Honor recipient, CPL Michael Fallon, who sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on a grenade in Long Kahn Province in Vietnam in 1969.

Selection for the Old Guard is considered an honor in the Army, and despite their ceremonial duties, the troops have always regularly trained their infantry skills. "We're basically an infantry unit that does ceremonies," said SFC Fred Silhol, 42, an Old Guard platoon sergeant.

Still, it has been more than three decades since the Old Guard has seen action, and the deployment orders came as a shock to many of the Bravo Company soldiers and their families.

SSG Wilson, 34, a native of California who had served previously with the Old Guard, returned this summer after a stint with the 10th Mountain Division in Bosnia, and he was looking forward to staying in one place. "I came here thinking, they don't deploy much," he said.

Wilson had settled into a routine serving as a squad leader for a casket team detailed to funerals at Arlington. "When you're here, and you're a ceremonial soldier, it can almost be like a regular job," he said. "You're not really participating in global operations."

After his initial dismay when the deployment order came in October, Wilson said, he became excited at the prospect. "Your whole attitude changes," he said. "It puts a fire under you."

But Wilson's face clouded as he described having to leave his wife, Bonnie, and 3 yr old son, Thomas. "Having to explain it to your son, that's the hardest part," he said.

The deployment is interrupting other lives. "I was preparing for a new family," said SPC Robert Meacham, 23. His wife, Bethany, 21, is expecting their first child next month.

Bethany Meacham is leaving their home at Fort Belvoir to be with family in Tennessee. "I don't want him to be over there and in the back of his mind worrying about me," she said.

The two are resigned to the fact that Robert Meacham will miss his child's birth. "It's something I think about every single day," he said. "I think about it, but I don't dwell on it. If I were to dwell on it, it might affect how I do my job."

For some soldiers, it will be a relief to miss funeral details at Arlington. The steady stream of casualties from Iraq that have been buried at Arlington this year has been difficult emotionally.

"Sometimes, something will get to you, especially if they were younger than you," said SPC Travis Steele, 23.

Last month, the Old Guard had to bury one of its own at Arlington. PFC Leonel Cabrera, 20, a medic with the Old Guard's medical platoon, was killed in a training accident Nov. 12 at Fort AP Hill southeast of Fredericksburg when a radio antenna he was helping erect struck a 7,200-volt power antenna.

The death of the popular Manassas native on the eve of Bravo Company's departure has brought home the inherent danger of military operations, commanders said. "The loss of one of our own made everybody realize, no matter how simple the task, there is risk," Taylor said.

Despite the departure of one of its six companies, Taylor said, the Old Guard will be able to meet all its ceremonial obligations, including maintaining a 24-hour-a-day vigil at the Tomb of the Unknowns and escorting the remains of dead U.S. service members when they arrive at Dover. The regiment is planning to curtail the number of Twilight Tattoo ceremonies it holds for the public at the Ellipse in Washington each summer, Taylor said.

The regiment also will maintain its contingency mission to respond to military emergencies in the Washington area, Taylor said. When a hijacked plane hit the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, soldiers from the Old Guard were among the first to respond, including some now deploying to the Horn of Africa.

"A lot of my guys were at the Pentagon September 11, digging out remains," said SFC Silhol. "They had those images burned in their heads."

For those soldiers, Silhol added, motivation to fight terrorism "is not a problem."

Steve Vogel, For the Old Guard, A Renewed Mission , The Washington Post, 12-12-2003, pp A22.

New mission for the Old Guard. A unit that hasn't seen action since Vietnam is called to duty.

International Herald Tribune

Washington - The U.S. Army's Old Guard is best known for its ceremonial duties. Its soldiers stand vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and serve in color guards for visiting dignitaries. But with the army stretched thin by duties in Iraq and Afghanistan, some of the guard's troops were recently assigned to a new and unexpected mission.

The guard's Bravo Company, Pentagon officials said, will join the more than 100,000 new troops being dispatched to carry out missions for the United States Central Command. The Old Guard will not say where it is going, but Pentagon officials say the current plan is to send the company to Djibouti, the tiny East African nation that is strategically situated on the Horn of Africa, across the strait from Yemen and a location where the United States has established a base to respond to terrorist threats.

It is the first time that a unit from the Old Guard will be deployed abroad since the Vietnam War and it underscores the lengths that the Pentagon has had to go to find fresh troops. The headline out of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's briefing on Thursday was that the United States plans to gradually reduce its military force in Iraq to about 105,000 from about 130,000 over the next six months. As Rumsfeld put it, the American military presence is being scaled back to 13 brigades from 17, a reduction that is timed to coincide with the anticipated expansion of Iraq's new and largely untested security forces.

But make no mistake, the American military commitment to Iraq and Afghanistan for the next year is still enormous and is putting considerable strains on the armed forces. The boots on the ground are a visible sign of the Bush administration's commitment in Iraq and, as President George W. Bush vowed, to plant the seeds of Democracy in the Middle East. Pentagon officials say that the military can handle the burden for another year. But military officials are worried that the large-scale deployment will leave the United States ''strategically fixed,'' that is, tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan and short of forces that the nation may need to respond to potential crises on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere.

According to the Pentagon troop rotation plan announced by Rumsfeld, 8 of the army's 10 active divisions will be on their way to Iraq and Afghanistan or returning from those countries over the next several months. Only two active army divisions, the Second Infantry Division, which defends South Korea, and the Third Infantry Division, which took Baghdad and only recently returned home, are not part of the rotation. That's not the whole story. Three army National Guard brigades are being deployed to Iraq. So are the Marines, who left Iraq after turning their responsibilities over to a Polish-led division in September. With the army short of troops and foreign troops scarce, the Marines are being tapped to serve in Iraq again. The First Marine Division will supply a headquarters that will command a combined force of some 20,000 Marines as well as army troops. Another major worry for the army is that a third year of large-scale deployments in Iraq will make it difficult to retain the noncommissioned officers and experienced reserves that are needed for a quality volunteer force.

Reserves will account for more than a third of the troops deployed in Iraq next year. Retention is a lagging indicator, but the anecdotal indications from reservists in Iraq is that some will leave the military at the first opportunity if they conclude that it entails regular yearlong tours of duty away from home. No doubt the Defense Department projects that the occupation force in 2005 will be a fraction of the current troop presence. But that is what the Defense Department initially projected for September 2003. The new troop rotation plan has raised questions about the Pentagon's broader defense policy. Since he came to the Pentagon Rumsfeld has preached the gospel of ''transformation,'' which holds that development of sophisticated intelligence-gathering technology and precision bombing will enable the United States to fight wars with fewer and more agile ground forces.

It is a powerful vision that its proponents insisted was validated in Afghanistan, where the United States relied primarily on air strikes, special forces and proxy fighters furnished by the Northern Alliance, local warlords and disparate tribes to topple the Taliban and destroy Al Qaeda's infrastructure. But the Iraq war and the need for a large occupying force illustrates the limitations of the transformation program, as does the unsteady peace that has followed the 2001 Afghan campaign. When Rumsfeld arrived the scuttlebutt was that Pentagon civilians wanted to cut two army divisions to free up funds for buying the high-tech reconnaissance and other systems that would support the transformation agenda. Now some lawmakers are asking if it is time to expand the army.

Michael R. Gordon, New mission for the Old Guard., International Herald Tribune
11/8/2003; http://www.iht.com

Tomb Guards Stand Sentinel Through Isabel's Threatening Sweep Byline: Steve Vogel Edition: FINAL Section: Virginia Extra Column: MILITARY MATTERS Steve Vogel

Standing guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery at the height of the storm caused by Hurricane Isabel, Sgt. 1st Class Fredrick Geary heard a sharp cracking sound. The tomb sentinel did not flinch as an old tree collapsed a couple of dozen yards from the plaza where he stood.

"There was this crack, and it was on the ground," Geary said the day after Isabel crashed through the Washington area on the night of Sept. 18. "I just watched it."

Geary could have retreated to shelter. As Isabel approached, commanders gave tomb guards the option of moving under the shelter of the tomb' s arches or even inside the trophy room during the storm.

That did not happen. "Other than something earth-shattering, we had no intention of doing anything other than our duty," said Geary, who, as sergeant of the guard, made the decision to keep the sentinels on the black mat that they walk 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

It was a heartwarming story of devotion to duty and honor in the face of adversity, and it made the news around the country and around the world. But the version most people heard was a bit exaggerated.

The Associated Press, which broke the story, reported that the tomb guards "were given -- for the first time in history -- permission to abandon their posts and seek shelter."

Picking up this theme, Tom Brokaw of NBC News saluted "this display of pride and patriotism," reporting that "those who guard the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery were told they could abandon their 24-hour-a-day post and come indoors."

In fact, according to tomb guards and their commander, the soldiers never had permission to abandon their posts. They did have a contingency plan allowing them to withdraw to safer positions while continuing to guard the tomb. If the wind had really been nasty, they could have moved underneath the amphitheater arches, a position that afforded some shelter but would have left them outdoors. If conditions were life-threatening, they could have moved inside to the trophy room.

The sentinels would have been able to watch the tomb even had they been forced inside, according to Capt. Tom Piaget, commander of the company that oversees the tomb sentinels. "The mission was never in jeopardy, and neither were the soldiers," he said.

Most news reports also made it sound as though the guards had stood up to the instructions of confused though well-meaning superiors.

They did not report that it was Geary himself -- the sentinel who stood through much of the storm -- who had suggested that the tomb guards needed a contingency plan. Based on the projected threat of Isabel earlier in the week, Geary, as sergeant of the guard, had recommended to his chain of command that the guards have a backup procedure in case the winds were endangering lives.

The plan was approved by Arlington National Cemetery Superintendent Jack Metzler and by commanders with the 3rd U.S. Infantry (Old Guard), the regiment at Fort Myer in Arlington responsible for protecting the tomb.

"It would have been irresponsible not to have a contingency plan," Piaget said.

The version viewers heard on CNN even had the soldiers disobeying orders to stay at their post. "The soldiers who stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery were given permission to leave their posts and seek shelter," Anderson Cooper told viewers on Sept. 19. "It was an order the soldiers on duty did not obey."

It made for a better story that way.

The actual version is still impressive. At the cemetery the day after the storm hit, ground crews were busy cleaning up 24 fallen trees, including two near the tomb and its sentinels.

However, tomb sentinels are accustomed to all kinds of bad weather while on duty. Geary, 37, a resident of Prince William County, was downright dismissive of Isabel. "This storm did not live up to anywhere near the hype that the media made," he said. "It wasn't anything more than we've seen at other times."

Superintendent Metzler was impressed. "There were trees coming down, the wind was blowing, but they stood their post," said Metzler, who lives at the cemetery. "These guys are young studs."

Guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns is a solemn duty, reserved for only the finest soldiers. The tomb, dedicated to lost and missing American soldiers from all wars, has been continuously guarded since 1937.

Steve Vogel, Tomb Guards Stand Sentinel Through Isabel's Threatening Sweep. , The Washington Post, 10-02-2003, pp T04.

Tomb guards' hurricane hoopla overblown
Soldiers guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns made waves in national news last week for standing vigil as Hurricane Isabel blew through Arlington National Cemetery.

After a newspaper article depicted a tomb guard stubbornly refusing to abandon his post, hundreds of fan e-mails and requests for follow-up interviews from network television, syndicated radio and major newspapers poured in.

The attention isn’t something the Fort Myer unit is comfortable with, because it’s mostly a story that never was.

The media storm gathered around two misperceptions first appearing in Associated Press reporter Sharon Theimer’s article: that leaders ordered or permitted guards to abandon post during the storm, and that statements made by a guard on duty could be understood as a refusal to follow orders.

The Associated Press distributed the story nationwide, and it appeared in newspapers from Bradenton, Fl. to San Diego, Calif. Newscasters borrowed from the article during television blurbs that inevitably mentioned the words “abandon” or “leave.”

“There was no order given to abandon or leave the guard mount. It wasn’t even considered,” said Col. Chuck Taylor, commander of 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). “They did exactly what we asked them to do, and they did it well.”

When meteorologists predicted 120 mph winds and dangers such as falling trees and wind-tossed debris, Sgt. 1st Class Fredrick Geary proposed the guards have options to move between pillars on the guard mount, and if the storm’s severity increased, behind glass doors in a building on the mount.

“The guards are still within the limits of their post and can see the tomb. If anyone was crazy enough to try to get to the tomb during a hurricane, the guards would be in a position to stop them,” said Geary, who is sergeant of the guard and stayed at the tomb through the brunt of the hurricane.

Geary said he briefed all the guards that there would be no changes when he realized the storm was less severe than forecasted. There were no orders given, and none refused. It was business, or better said, duty as usual.

Taylor entrusted the sergeant to assess conditions and determine if his troops should seek shelter.

“My concerns were about our ability to accomplish the mission and the safety of our soldiers. What was planned, but never took place, would ensure both and never compromise either,” Taylor said.

The public outpouring over the story seems fueled by misperceptions tomb guard Sgt. Christopher Holmes ignored orders, or blew off permission to abandon his post during the hurricane. The story also suggested it would have been the first time in history soldiers left the post unguarded.

The article reported Holmes as responding to orders or permission to leave his post, “They told us that. But that’s not what’s going to happen. That’s never an option for us. It went in one ear and right out the other.”

This supposedly renegade refusal to seek shelter struck a chord with readers, even if it was an inaccurate portrayal.

An e-mail from one reader thanked Holmes for “showing young and old that there is great honor still alive in America.”

Holmes’ quotes were taken out of context and pieced together from several different responses, Geary said.

The tomb guards are grateful for the public’s support, but unhappy their devotion to duty could mistakenly be viewed as a willingness to disobey orders, Geary added.

Taylor and Geary understand the nation’s interest in a story about a national shrine that in Taylor’s words is “a celebration of the Soldier,” but believe the article may have created some misplaced heroism.

“Ultimately it’s a great story, but the emphasis is on the wrong point,” Taylor said.

“Everyone did the same job we do every day,” Geary said. The rain a few days after the hurricane caused more difficulties for the guards than experienced during the hurricane, he pointed out, but the mission was, as always, accomplished.

“This isn’t about the Soldiers, it’s about what they are guarding. Sentinels come and go, but the tomb stays and it stands for something a lot bigger than each of us,” said Geary. “The guards understand that, and they are devoted to what they do.”

“The real story is why we put guards there in the first place, because guarding it is our sacred trust to those who paid the ultimate price, the last full measure,” Taylor concurred.

SPC Chuck Wagner, Tomb guards' hurricane hoopla overblown, The Pentagram, 09-26-2003

From Quarry to Glory - Coloradans Take Pride in Creating Next Tomb of the Unknowns. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS Dateline: Marble [Image omitted]

In the damp, cool darkness of a vast subterranean cathedral that was painted with an impasto of shadows and emotions, a floodlit 260-ton white wall of marble began an eerily slow descent toward a gravel cushion, moving like a tired head toward a pillow as 100 unblinking eyes waited to see if they were watching a new beginning for one of America's most cherished icons.

"Oh, geez, it's spectacular,'' Rex Loesby said moments later as he clambered up a ladder and began inspecting the 20-foot by 20-foot by 8-foot monolith. "Of course we won't know for sure until we cut it, but it looks good now.''

Good enough perhaps to stand proud and sentrylike over the remains of three
servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Good enough to dampen the eyes of strong men and demand respectful silence from all who see it. Good enough to detonate a public fund-raising effort that is more about giving back than just giving. Good enough perhaps to arise one day soon in Arlington National Cemetery as the next Tomb of the Unknowns.

Of course, as Loesby - the operator of the Yule Quarry that is perched three miles above the Edenic mountain hamlet of Marble - allowed, the marble upon which he stood might yet fail to meet the stringent purity and structural standards required of it when it is trimmed to a spindly 55 tons.

'Victory, Valor and Peace'

But that won't be known for weeks. What was known on Wednesday, 400 feet beneath a mountain, was the mammoth stone that had just been nudged and had fallen as soft as a sigh moments earlier could be worthy, could replace the current Tomb, which had been mined in this same quarry more than seven decades ago.

In its heyday, the Yule Quarry was a hive of marble harvesting in the United States. From 1905 until 1941, the stone exhumed from its Rocky Mountains cache by the Colorado Yule Marble Co. routinely became part of the fabric of numerous state capitols and federal buildings, including the exterior of the Lincoln Memorial.

The outbreak of World War II saw the quarry shut its doors - not to open them again for more than 40 years. During this time, however, it became a popular tourist attraction, luring thousands of curious visitors. In the mid-1980s, the mill site in the town of Marble was declared a National Historic Site.

In the late 1980s, the quarry was purchased, but it soon shut down and lay dormant for a short time. In 1999, Loesby and his Sierra Minerals Corp. bought it out of bankruptcy for $300,000. Buoyed by a worldwide renaissance of interest in using natural stone as a building material, Loesby began carving out a new niche for his quarry, likely unaware that it might soon be carving out a niche in history as well.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was completed in 1932, a solemn, powerful testament to the bravery and sacrifice of American soldiers. On the east side of the die (the principal section of the four-part tomb) were three Greek figures - Victory, Valor and Peace - commemorating the spirit of the World War I allies. Both the north and south faces were divided into three pillars, in each of which was a wreath. On the west side was inscribed the graceful paean: "Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known but to God.''

Although in 1958, after it became the final resting place for the remains of both a World War II and Korean War soldier the monument's name was changed to the Tomb of the Unknowns, it remained an immutable salute to the country's fallen warriors. But, if the Tomb's ethos was eternal, its facade proved otherwise.

From the people of Colorado

As early as the 1940s a crack had appeared in the Tomb. Although it was eventually theorized that a tiny crack may have been first detonated when the block was rolled in the quarry for trimming, over the years as water seeped into it and then froze and expanded, the crack grew more pervasive.

Eventually, it encircled the entire tomb once and was beginning a second lap, spoiling the aesthetics and giving rise to the fear that one day the unthinkable could happen and one of the nation's most revered symbols might break apart. Given the tomb's place in the pantheon of American icons - 4 million people visit it each year - something had to be done.

Expediting that "something'' was Loesby. After visiting the tomb in 2000 and seeing the encroaching fissure in the marble, he contacted John Metzler, superintendent of Arlington, suggesting a new monument be quarried and fabricated.

After what Loesby remembered as a "three-year'' decision, he received preliminary approval for his idea. But, after the Department of the Army agreed to allocate the necessary money for the mining and creation of a new tomb, the project took a more populist - and patriotic - turn when Glenwood Springs businessman John Haines got wind of the plans.

Haines, a former car dealer and self-described "ski bum,'' offered $31,000 of his own money to pay for quarrying the stone.

Why?

`"You look at the freedoms you and I have today and then you remember that those guys (soldiers killed in the line of duty) are the ones who fought for us. The Tomb stands for them and the sacrifices they gave for the freedoms we have,'' he said. "So I thought, 'Let's just give the stone to them. I can afford that.' ''

After Haines came forward, another idea evolved in Loesby's mind. Namely, "`To make it (the tomb) a gift from the people of Colorado and this country. The government shouldn't pay for anything.''

A memory for those lost

The Marble Historical Society, with its 501-c3 nonprofit status, agreed to sponsor the project. As Tom Williams, society president, said, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a party to history in the making.''

As discussions proceeded, it became known last February that the carving of the tomb could be done in Colorado: Right in nearby Glenwood Springs lived Janusz Obst, a Polish émigré whose sculpting artistry had been employed in rebuilding the Royal Palace in Warsaw.

For Obst, who had befriended a number of U.S. Army Green Berets while working for UNICEF in Vietnam, helping to rescue children caught in the war, the opportunity to be involved in the tomb was a beautiful touch of fate.

As he explained in awkward but eloquent English: "Is very important project for everybody who knows what is soldier's job, who knows what is war about. Is not political thing, is emotional. Is a memory for guys who leave for war and never come back. It helps people to understand the tragedy.''

Furthermore, as an artist, the involvement in sculpting a replacement tomb would constitute for Obst "honor, pleasure and beauty.''

With Obst more than capable of supervising a team of local artisans to sculpt the new die, the decision was made to do everything in state. So the plan arose to construct the necessary facilities in Marble, on the National Historic Site where the old Colorado Yule Marble Co. fabricating plant was located.

Not only that, but to provide a safety net of sorts against deterioration of the new die, it was decided that two tombs would be fashioned. (An "insurance block,'' as Williams put it.) The second tomb would remain in Marble, housed in a new building, available for people in the West to view.

Though the Colorado flavor of the mission became more pronounced, Loesby, Williams and others still wanted the Tomb of the Unknowns Project (as it became christened) to send ripples across the nation and generate a current of grass-roots funding support and interest.

In the past few months they have solicited the help of the Ketchum Group, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit fund-raising organization. Beyond that, Loesby and Williams have been actively courting the American Legion, seeking the organization's aegis - and access to its 3 million-member base.

'Tipping' ceremony intense

Although nothing has been finalized, Williams enthused that "When we met with the American Legion it was amazing how they resonated with the project. It has a very emotional appeal.''

Currently, the cost of the Tomb of the Unknowns Project is projected at $2.05 million, although Williams said that, ``We'd feel comfortable starting the project once we had between $800,000 and $1 million in hand.''

He speculated that the fund-raising campaign could begin in earnest as soon as late summer. He also suggested that the tomb project could prove to be such a rallying point for patriotism that the fund-raising effort could conceivably surpass $2 million.

If this happens, there is talk of using the surplus to augment targeted charities. High on the list, said Loesby, is "the American Legion's (college) scholarship fund for the children of Armed Forces people who are killed in the line of duty. That would be really worthwhile, I think.''

But, ultimately, the unblinking focus is on the Tomb. Which is why Wednesday's "tipping'' ceremony was fraught with tension, anxiety and a cavalcade of hushed breaths.

Loesby and his crew had been at this stage before. Last September, he recalled, "We had a block that we thought might work.'' But when all six of the block's sides were visible, an abundance of "chert'' ( grayish discoloration) immediately disqualified it.

Although there was understandable disappointment over the discovery of flaws in that block, Loesby kept his sense of whimsy, observing, "We're very cognizant that the quarry gives us what it gives us in the time it wants to give it to us.''

The only acceptable marble could be the quarry's trademark: an uncompromisingly white stone with golden veins and no cracks, flaws or discolorations.

"We're determined to make sure this stone is the very best we can produce,'' said Loesby, emphasizing that nothing less than quintessential marble will suffice.

Marble must prove perfect

Euphoria over Wednesday's preliminary good news about the quality of the proposed tomb block prompted Loesby to say, "We're shooting for Memorial Day 2005'' as the dedication of the new monument in Arlington. (Its predecessor will be transferred to the Smithsonian.)

Nevertheless, he also took pains to add, "We have asked Arlington to be sure to not put time pressure on us.''

For his part, Arlington superintendent Metzler concurred, insisting, "I'm not about to rush to a piece of marble that is not perfect. And when they find the 'perfect' piece, I'll come out to the quarry, bring a representative from the Veterans Administration who works closely with monuments and marble and we'll listen to the experts and decide. But most
important, we want to do it right.''

While the paramount concern is that the marble be pristine and structurally sound, sometimes the glacial speed of the process can be curious to some. In other words, Loesby wasn't the only one who had to wait a while for the bureaucracy to render a decision.

Take, for instance, Haines' offer of a $31,000 gift to the government to pay for the quarrying fees.

"I sent them a letter sometime in September and I got the acceptance letter back in May,'' he said, laughing. ``The wheels of government turn slowly, I guess, huh?''

Said Metzler, "It didn't take the Army any longer to accept Mr. Haines'offer than it usually does. Everything has to go through a normal vetting process. But if you're not used to dealing with the government, well, let's just say things aren't done instantaneously.''

Certainly the carving of the tomb won't be. Once the die block is approved and moved three miles to the carving site (itself no small logistical feat since the stone will weigh 55 tons) it will likely take rotating teams of five to eight carvers (with Obst overseeing the operations) about 10 months to complete the work.

In short order, they will be working on the second die as well, once it is cut from the quarry.

And both works will be painstaking because, as Williams noted, "The new tombs have to be an exact replica. There's no artistic license allowed here.''

Meanwhile, the fabrication of the rest of the tomb - the caps and bases - will take place at a specially equipped plant in Minnesota.

Generations of marble men

But what happens in Minnesota wasn't a concern for Kirk Blue as he sat in the darkness, operating the hydraulic jack that was slowly tipping the tomb block toward its gravel bed.

During breaks in the operation, Blue, a fifth-generation Marble man (a relative of his helped cut the original Tomb block) and a Navy veteran explained, "It's hard to put it into words for someone who's not a veteran, but this feels very special, very emotional.

"You can't describe the pride I'm feeling being here. That's going to be a symbol of all the men who never came back.''

Then he looked at that symbol, the block of stone about to become part of history.

The block that is a catalyst for an artist's honor, pleasure and beauty. The block that is a gift from the heart of Colorado and given to the soul of America.

An enormous slab of pristine white marble with delicate gold veins that, when all is said and done, will stand like a sentry, allowing soldiers known but to God to rest forever in honored glory.

James B. Meadow, From Quarry to Glory, Rocky Mountain News, 07-10-2003, Section: City Desk/Local, pp 18A.

'Unknowns' Monument to Be Replaced

LOS ANGELES TIMES

Washington - The Tomb of the Unknowns, the memorial that honors unidentified American servicemen and women killed in battle and attracts millions of visitors annually, is being replaced after 72 years.

The white marble monument atop a hill in Arlington National Cemetery is cracked on all four sides. The fault runs diagonally 1 1/2 times around the rectangular tomb, cutting through its classic facade, slicing the three laurel wreaths etched on two sides and marring the Greek relief figures of Peace, Victory and Valor carved into one end.

The crack doesn't obscure the solemn inscription: "Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God."

Many tourists hardly notice the crack, which has been growing about an inch a year. Others say the crack detracts from a symbol of national pride.

"It makes a difference; they need to repair it," said Dale Cottrell, a retired Air Force captain from Alamogordo, N.M., who was visiting the tomb. "It's important as far as honoring guys who I served with who aren't here anymore."

Arlington Cemetery officials agree. The crack, possibly caused by impurities in the marble, first appeared in the 1940s. At one time, officials tried to repair it by filling it with marble dust, but the fault continued to grow. A 1990 study recommended either enclosing the tomb or replacing it completely, said Kerry Sullivan, a cemetery spokeswoman.

With 3,000 outdoor ceremonies conducted every year at the tomb and 4 million annual visitors, an enclosure would "just destroy the entire setting of the tomb as we know it," said John Metzler Jr., the cemetery's superintendent.

So in 2001, cemetery officials approved a project to replace the original tomb with an identical one to be carved from stone from the same quarry.

Replacing the structure is a painstaking process that has begun in Marble, Colo., about 70 miles east of Aspen. The mountain town is known for the purity of the stone for which it is named.

"It's one of the whitest marbles in the world," said Rex Loesby, president of the Sierra Mining Corp. The company owns Yule Quarry near Marble, which produced the stone for the original tomb in 1931.

A 10-person crew is searching the quarry for just the right 20- by-20-foot slab to replace the monument. (The finished memorial measures about 13 feet long by 6 feet wide by 7 feet high.)

"We're looking for the best of our best material," said Gary Bascom, the quarry superintendent. That means a superior quality and a clean, off-white color with flecks of gold to match the original tomb, he said.

"We feel pretty proud the replacement one would be coming from our quarry," he said.

That pride means Bascom's crew, four of whom are military veterans, is willing to search as long as it takes to find the perfect stone. So far they've been at it a year.

Cemetery officials have agreed not to pressure the crew, Loesby said. "They know they're going to get a better product that way," he said. Bascom and his crew are cutting a promising rock from a vein two miles long, 300 feet thick and of unknown depth. The slab has only one face exposed, so there is a 50-50 chance it will be the right quality on the back side. If the marble meets expectations, it would take about a month to extract it.

The carving of the stone - a sculptor has not been chosen yet - would take an estimated six to nine months.

In the meantime, crowds still stand silently to watch the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment - the "Old Guard" - march in measured step, guarding the memory of fallen comrades.

With scientific advancements in DNA testing, officials say, there will probably never be another unidentified casualty. But sentiment and pride remain strong for those who died and whose identities are still unknown. "These men not only gave their lives," Metzler said, "but they gave their identities for our freedom and values."

The Los Angeles Times is a Tribune Co. newspaper. Susannah Rosenblatt, The Los Angeles Times is a Tribune Co, 'Unknowns' Monument to Be Replaced. , Newsday, 07-14-2003, pp A08.

Dateline: WASHINGTON [image omitted]

The 71-year-old Tomb of the Unknowns is cracked on all four sides and Arlington National Cemetery officials have decided to replace it.

The fissure cuts through Greek figures representing Peace, Victory and Valor, said Arlington Superintendent John Metzler Jr.

Miners are searching for matching marble, returning to the old Colorado Yule Quarry site in the central part of the state where the original marble was found.

It should take a year to complete the work after the mining operation is finished, Kerry Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the cemetery, said Monday.

The crack was first discovered in the 1940s during the Truman administration, repaired in 1989, but has now become more visible again.

The blemish may be unsightly, but it does not diminish the emotional experience for visitors, said Sgt. Paul Basso, of the 3rd U.S. Infantry "Old Guard" Regiment that provides security at the tomb.

Basso said he's never had anyone ask specifically about the crack.

President Bush laid a wreath at the tomb Monday before addressing the annual Memorial Day observance at the cemetery.

The rectangular memorial, sitting on a Virginia hill overlooking Washington, solemnly tells visitors: "Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But to God."

The tomb has been at the site since 1921, more than a decade longer than the memorial, when an unidentified soldier from World War I was buried there.

Sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones carved the memorial with wreaths, the three Greek figures and the inscription.

While unknown soldiers from World War II and Korea also are buried at the site, remains from the Vietnam War were disinterred in 1998 after DNA testing identified them as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie.

Members of the Old Guard regiment provide security at the tomb 24 hours a day, their dress uniforms, polished buttons and changing-of- the-guard ceremony watched by 4 million annual cemetery visitors.

Once the new marble is located, a master carver will have to copy the original design by architect Lorimer Rich.

"Right now we're concentrating on finding the best piece of marble, " Sullivan said.

On the Net: Arlington National Cemetery http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org.

A Time to Mourn / President honors U.S. war dead in somber tribute

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Arlington, Va. - President George W. Bush led the nation yesterday in remembering all Americans who have died in war, including soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, some now resting in fresh graves at Arlington National Cemetery just beyond the Tomb of the Unknowns.

"The moral force of democracy is mightier than the will and cunning of any tyrant," Bush said under overcast skies at the cemetery. "Today we recall that liberty is always the achievement of courage, and today we remember all who have died, all who are still missing and all who mourn."

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said continuing threats to America's freedom "will be met with the same courage and the same commitment and, like the foes of times past, they too will be defeated."

Joining the president at an outdoor amphitheater near the Tomb of the Unknowns was Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said on a TV talk show appearance earlier that he was "confident" weapons of mass destruction will be found in Iraq.

It will take time to find such weapons, Myers said on ABC's "Good Morning America." The assertion that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction was the Bush administration's stated reason for going to war.

Cannons sounded as the president's motorcade moved along winding roads of the cemetery where troops stood at attention. Small American flags had been placed in the damp grass in front of many of the cemetery's rows of white headstones.

"This nation does not forget," Bush declared after placing a wreath at the tomb and standing with his hand over his heart as "Taps" was played. He said the nation honors those in uniform from "conflicts in Korea and Vietnam to the trials of world war, to the struggles that made us a nation."

Most of the service was somber, but the crowd chuckled when Bush recalled a letter that Army Staff Sgt. Lincoln Hollinsaid, 27, of Malden, Ill., wrote from the Middle East, telling his family that he enjoyed getting mail from them. "I wish my truck and boat knew how to write," Bush said, quoting Hollinsaid, who was killed April 7. "I sure do miss 'em."

The president also quoted from a letter that Army Capt. James Adamouski, 29, of Springfield, Va., wrote to his wife shortly before he died in a helicopter crash on April 2. "I do my job 110 percent and don't get distracted or discouraged when I'm out flying on missions," Bush said he wrote. "However, when I have some down time and get to really thinking, I realize that for all the good things we're doing here, I just plain miss you."

Before attending the ceremony at Arlington, Bush hosted a reception for about 200 members of veterans' service groups, the families of prisoners of war and those missing in action and relatives of troops killed in battle.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, A Time to Mourn / President honors U.S. war dead in somber tribute. , Newsday, 05-27-2003, pp A07.

Unknowns Monument Will Be Replaced Byline: Annie Gowen Washington Post Staff Writer Edition: FINAL Section: Metro

A dark crack meanders along all four marble sides of the Tomb of the Unknowns, one of the country's most hallowed war memorials, and the soldiers who spend their lives guarding the tomb say the fault line is growing.

Sgt. Paul Basso of the Army's 3rd U.S. Infantry "Old Guard" Regiment stood on a temporary platform erected for this weekend's Memorial Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery one recent morning to point out the unsightly fissure splitting the expanse of white marble, glinting in the sun.

"See?" Basso said. "It's worsening."

Cemetery officials say the crack -- which has long been creeping across the 71-year-old monument -- now takes more than a 360-degree course around the facade and has gotten so bad that they have decided the entire memorial must be replaced, a process expected to take about a year.

Arlington Superintendent John C. Metzler Jr. said last week that cemetery officials decided to replace the stone after concluding that a 1989 cosmetic repair job -- which cemetery historian Thomas Sherlock compared to fixing a bathtub with tile grout -- had done nothing to conceal the problem and may have exacerbated it.

"Because the tomb itself has cracked . . . I'm concerned that it will have an effect on the integrity of the tomb itself, as well as its decorative finishes," Metzler said. Metzler detailed the problem in August 2001 in a request for funds to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which gave the go-ahead for the project last year.

Metzler said he did not know yet how much the project will cost. John Haines, a retired automobile dealer from Glenwood Springs, Colo., has donated the $31,000 price of the marble. Rex E. Loesby, the president of Sierra Minerals Corp., which operates the quarry excavating the marble, estimated the cost of finishing and carving the stone at an additional $500,000 to $1 million.

The memorial, which is known both as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Tomb of the Unknowns (it has never been officially named), has sat atop a hill in Arlington National Cemetery with sweeping vistas of the Washington skyline since 1921, when an unidentified soldier from World War I was interred there. The enormous rectangular marker atop that soldier's crypt, made from a 55-ton block of white marble from the Colorado Yule Quarry, was dedicated in 1932.

Sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones carved the memorial with mourning wreaths, three figures representing Peace, Victory and Valor, and the inscription, "Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But to God, " now split by the unsightly crack.

Remains of three other unknowns, from World War II, Korea and Vietnam, were interred there over the years, but the one from the Vietnam War was disinterred in 1998 after DNA testing requested by the family of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael J. Blassie identified the remains as his.

The solemn changing of the guard ceremony by the tomb's sentinels, members of the Old Guard regiment in immaculate battle dress uniforms who guard the tomb in 24-hour shifts, has long been a quietly moving experience for many of the 4 million people who visit the cemetery yearly.

Sherlock, the cemetery historian, said that the appearance of the crack was first documented in the 1940s, in pictures of President Harry S. Truman placing a wreath on the tomb on Memorial Day.

Over the years, the entire surface of the marble has lost 1.46 millimeters to erosion, according to the cemetery. At one point, the crack sprouted green and black algae.

"At this rate significant loss and erosion of the stone can be expected within the next 20 years. This deterioration will result in an effect on the visitors' experience to this national shrine," a cemetery study concluded in December 2001. The possibility that the memorial will crack clean through and slide apart is "remote," the report said.

Loesby said he thinks that the crack started when mine workers from the Colorado Yule Marble Co. in central Colorado accidentally "shocked" the white slab of marble when they removed it from the quarry in 1931. The quarry was later shut down for decades. It was reopened, then failed and was reopened again by Loesby in 1999.

Now the lengthy search for the right replacement block of marble has begun. Loesby has employees feverishly mining the area in the quarry where the original slab was found in hopes of finding a suitably white replacement stone.

Loesby hopes to have the right stone cut out of the quarry and transported down the mountain to a celebration in the tiny nearby town of Marble by Labor Day.

Metzler won't put such a timeframe on the project, saying the clock won't begin ticking until the right piece of marble is found. After that, Metzler said, it could take about a year before the new tomb is installed. The tomb will be closed to the public for about two weeks while the renovations are going on, he said.

Basso and the others who guard the tomb spend hours shining their shoes, polishing buttons and rehearsing their somber rituals. And they can recite the tomb's flaws by heart, like wrinkles on the face of a loved one. There's the chipped leaf on the north side, the tomb guards say, and the letters "r" and "e" run together in the inscription.

When the right stone is found and approved by the cemetery, its surface will have to be smoothed and finished by a master stone carver, either in Colorado or on the East Coast. Then the carver will have to copy the original design -- by architect Lorimer Rich -- as closely as possible, even copying the cherished imperfections.

"We think it's a beautiful design and a historic design," historian Sherlock said. "It's been here for many, many years . . . so we want as close as humanly possible to replicate it."

Annie Gowen Washington Post Staff Writer, Unknowns Monument Will Be Replaced, The Washington Post, 05-26-2003, pp B01.

President George W. Bush gives a Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery. Monday, May 26, 2003. White House photo by Tina Hager.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much for the warm welcome. Mr. Secretary, thank you for your leadership. Secretary Principi, members of the United States Congress, General Myers, members of the Joint Chiefs, General Jackson and Colonel Ray and Colonel Steedley, veterans, honored guests and my fellow Americans, we come to this Memorial Day with deep awareness of recent loss and recent courage. Beyond the Tomb of the Unknowns, in Section 60 of Arlington Cemetery, we have laid to rest Americans who fell in the battle of Iraq. One of the funerals was for Marine Second Lieutenant Frederick Pokorney Junior, of Jacksonville, North Carolina. His wife, Carolyn, received a folded flag. His two year old daughter, Taylor, knelt beside her mother at the casket to say a final goodbye. An uncle later said of this fine lieutenant, "He was proud of what he was doing and proud of his family, a hard working guy -- the best guy you can ever know. I hope the American people don't forget." This nation does not forget. Last month, in Section 60, First Lieutenant Rob Jenkins was buried, along with five other members of a bomber crew. They were lost when their plane was shot down over North Africa in 1942. Rob Jenkins had joined the Army Air Corps after Pearl Harbor, and he was 20 years old on his final mission. Six decades later, his plane was found and the remains of the crew were carefully identified, returned home and buried with military honors. Rob's sister, Helen, said, "We were very proud that the government would care that much. After all, it was such a long time ago." This nation does not forget. (Applause.) President George W. Bush visits Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day and lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. White House photo by Tina Hager. On Memorial Day, Americans place flags on military graves, walk past a wall of black granite in Washington, D.C., and many families think of a face and voice they miss so much. Today, we honor the men and women who have worn the nation's uniform and were last seen on duty. From the battles of Iraq and Afghanistan, to the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, to the trials of World War, to the struggles that made us a nation, today we recall that liberty is always the achievement of courage. And today we remember all who have died, all who are still missing and all who mourn. And on this day, especially, our nation is grateful to the brave and fallen defenders of freedom. In every generation of Americans we have found courage equal to the tasks of our country. The farms and small towns and city streets of this land have always produced free citizens who assume the discipline and duty of military life. And time after time, they have proven that the moral force of democracy is mightier than the will and cunning of any tyrant. The widow of one of our Marines in Iraq made this point very simply. "There is good and evil in the world." she said, "That's what's going on. And he was the good." All the good people we honor today were willing to die in the service of our country and our cause. Yet all of them wanted to live. And the images they carried with them at the end were the people they loved and the familiar sights of home. Not long before his death last month, Army Captain James Adamouski of Springfield, Virginia, wrote this to his wife Meighan. "I do my job 110 percent and don't get distracted or discouraged when I'm out flying on missions. However, when I have some down time and get to really thinking, I realize that for all the good times -- all the good things we're doing here, I just plain miss you." President George W. Bush, Major General James T. Jackson and Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld (right) observe a 30-second moment of silence after a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. Monday, May 26, 2003. White House photo by Tina Hager. In his last letter home from the Middle East, Staff Sergeant Lincoln Hollinsaid, of Malden. Illinois, said how much he appreciated getting mail from his family. He added, "I wish my truck and boat knew how to write." (Laughter.) "I sure do miss them." (Laughter.) He went on, "Today would be a beautiful fishing day. I can see it now: drop my electronic anchors, kick my feet up, three poles out with hooks in search for that elusive, yet loveable, catfish." Americans like these did not fight for glory, but to fulfill a duty. They did not year to be heroes, they yearned to see mom and dad again and to hold their sweethearts and to watch their sons and daughters grow. They wanted the daily miracle of freedom in America, yet they gave all that up and gave life itself for the sake of others. Their sacrifice was great, but not in vain. All Americans and every free nation on earth can trace their liberty to the white markers of places like Arlington National Cemetery. And may God keep us ever grateful. (Applause.) Almost seven weeks ago, an Army Ranger, Captain Russell Rippetoe was laid to rest in Section 60. Captain Rippetoe's father, Joe, a retired Lieutenant Colonel, gave a farewell salute at the grave of his only son. Russell Rippetoe served with distinction in Operation Iraqi Freedom, earning both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. On the back of his dog tag were engraved these words, from the book of Joshua, "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee." This faithful Army captain has joined a noble company of service and sacrifice gathered row by row. These men and women were strong and courageous and not dismayed. And we pray they have found their peace in the arms of God.

May God bless America. (Applause.)

INDSTRY GROUP 91, PRESIDENT BUSH HONORS THE BRAVE AND FALLEN DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM. , Regulatory Intelligence Data, 05-26-2003.

Wreaths for all

In addition to the wreath he laid at the Tomb of the Unknowns on Memorial Day, President Bush has once again sent a wreath to the hallowed grounds of the Confederate Monument at Arlington National Cemetery.

Earlier this year, Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat after reading a misleading article in Time magazine took to the Senate floor to criticize the administration for having reinstituted wreath layings at the Confederate Monument, after the practice purportedly was dropped by his father in 1990.

Mr. Reid said placing such a wreath at the monument was "racially motivated."

But it turned out wreaths had been placed at the Confederate Monument for years.

President George Bush did change the date of the wreath laying from Jefferson Davis' birthday June 3 (recognized as Confederate Memorial Day) to the national Memorial Day celebration.

The Clinton administration and the current Bush administration have continued the practice.

Time later issued a correction. And when it was his turn, Mr. Reid apologized for repeating the inaccuracy, but not for his sentiment. The senator said Mr. Bush should discontinue the wreath-laying tradition, "regardless of the past history of the practice."

In addition to the Confederate Monument and Tomb of the Unknowns, the White House Military Office placed wreaths on behalf of the president at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the Civil War, placed atop 2,111 anonymous Civil War dead buried at Arlington; on the mast of the USS Maine; and at the Spanish-American War Memorial.

Celebrating heritage

While we're visiting the Confederate Monument, the Confederate Memorial Committee (CMC) of the District of Columbia will hold its Confederate Heritage Celebration at the Arlington National Cemetery site Sunday at 3 p.m.

Before Sen. Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, cries foul, we're advised that the ceremony also commemorating Jefferson Davis' birthday has been held annually since 1914, when the Confederate Monument was given as a "gift to the nation" by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

"Our objective is to honor the memory of our soldiers who fought for the Confederacy as well as to celebrate our Confederate heritage, " says CMC Chairman Vicki Heilig, who is encouraging participants to carry Confederate flags to the celebration, "where we will wave them proudly."

New this year, besides so many flags, will be the singing of five verses of "Dixie," helped along by a pipe and drum band, brass instruments and eight-member color guard with all the Confederate colors.

"If you cannot hold up while singing five verses of 'Dixie,' then take a few seconds to listen to the strains of this Confederate anthem as it floats across the countryside once belonging to Robert E. Lee, " Miss Heilig says, not forgetting the fact that Union troops evicted the Lees from their property while burying war dead on their front lawn.

Author not available, NATION; INSIDE THE BELTWAY. , The Washington Times, 05-29-2003.