Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a national military memorial honoring unidentified American service members who died in war. An unknown soldier from the First World War was interred there on November 11, 1921, followed by unknown service members from the Second World War and Korean War in 1958. A Vietnam War Unknown was buried in 1984 but identified through DNA testing in 1998 as Air Force Captain Michael Joseph Blassie.

His remains were returned to his family, and the empty Vietnam crypt was rededicated to honor missing American service members from that conflict. The monument, beside Memorial Amphitheater, is constructed from white Colorado Yule marble. Its eastern panel depicts three Greek figures representing Peace, Victory, and Valor, while side panels contain inverted wreaths representing major American military campaigns. The tomb has been guarded continuously, 24 hours a day, since July 2, 1937. Since 1948, this duty has been performed by soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard. The public Changing of the Guard takes place every half hour from April through September and every hour from October through March during cemetery opening hours. The Tomb also serves as a setting for military ceremonies and wreath-laying events, with Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances held nearby.

Visitors may watch the sentinels and guard ceremony from designated areas while maintaining silence and respectful behavior. The memorial symbolizes unidentified and missing Americans who served in the United States Armed Forces.