[Field_Sailor]

MDW News Service, September 26th, 2003 Dennis Ryan

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: leaders ordered or permitted guards to abandon post during the storm, and 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 3rd 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.