This photo of soldiers guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the rain has gone viral over social media especially Facebook in advance of Hurricane Sandy.
Soldiers of the 3rd Inf Reg. continue to stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, despite the worsening weather conditions surrounding Hurricane Sandy. The tomb has been guarded continuously since 1948.
The photo was taken by Karin Evink Markerton at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery, September 18, 2012, in the rain. (UPDATE: The actual photo of the guard during the hurricane is here)
Markerton posted a note on her Facebook wall to people tracking the origin of the photo.
For everyone who has asked, yes, the picture of the changing of the Tomb Guards is one that I took, was taken last month. The link to my online album is below, with the original photo. Apparently the picture has gone "viral", which is kind of shocking me today.
I've seen it a bunch of places, with credit given to a whole lot of other sources. That just doesn't matter to me. What's most important, and please remember this, is that no matter how the photo ended up on everyone's computer, I am just so very proud of these soldiers and the mission that they fulfill every day.
The Old Guard Soldiers were not only guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier today, but also participating in funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, filling thousands of sandbags, dragging water buffalos and generators around. There are some amazing men and women in this unit. It is such a blessing to get to know them, the service of the soldiers and support of their families.
