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Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Lorimer Rich & Thomas Hudson Jones

Photo: Arlington National Cemetery · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Location
Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, USA
Client / Owner
—
Year
Completed 1932
Access
Public
Typology
Cultural
Style
—

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stands in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Lorimer Rich was the architect and Thomas Hudson Jones the sculptor. It was completed on April 9, 1932, without a formal ceremony, over the grave of the Unknown of World War I, who was interred on November 11, 1921.

The tomb is Yule marble from Colorado, in seven pieces over four levels. The die block weighed 124 tons when separated from the mountain and 56 tons after cutting. The west panel reads, "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." The east panel shows three Greek figures. The Piccirilli Brothers carved the panels.

Tomb Guards of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment have kept watch around the clock since July 2, 1937. Each walk is 21 steps along a 21-yard (19-meter) mat, with a 21-second pause at each turn. Repairs to a crack in the die block were approved on October 21, 2011.

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