For a lot of people, the annual Veterans Day on November 11 is extremely important, as it’s a time when we honor the military veterans. It also falls on the same date as Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of the end of the first World War.
This holiday gives us all a reason to reflect and be thankful for the sacrifices made by those who serve in the military, past or present.
Living in freedom requires sacrifices, and Veteran’s Day is a very serious and, unfortunately, tragic reminder of that.
Of course, there are special events and ceremonies across the country on November 11th in honor of the men and women in uniform.
Usually, such ceremonies are kicked off by the President, so the entire nation can pay their respects in a moment of silence.
This special ceremony, often called the “Wreath Laying Ceremony”, is a traditional ritual that has been going on for ages and is extremely respected.
“Offering flowers at a memorial site is a ritual that occurs around the world, symbolizing the beauty and brevity of life. Floral tributes are made each day at Arlington National Cemetery — at funeral services, public ceremonies and individual visits to a loved one’s gravesite,” the Arlington Cemetary website explains.
A beautiful message, isn’t it?
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is often the place where this wreath is laid down.
This Tomb serves as a memorial for all of the soldiers who were unknown or have gone unnamed, to show that they too will never be forgotten.
On important days, just like Veterans Day but also Memorial Day, the President is usually responsible for leading the ceremony.
“The most solemn ceremonies occur when the president of the United States, or the president’s designee, lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to mark the national observance of Memorial Day, Veterans Day or some other special occasion. Ceremonial wreath layings also occur during state visits of foreign dignitaries, who pay formal respects to the sacrifices of America’s veterans by placing a wreath before the Tomb.”
These ceremonies are highly regarded and are very serious, and this video from a few years ago perfectly shows that.
In order to keep the order, a guard is always stationed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, just in case. After all, it’s important that everyone behaves in a respectful manner towards the memorial, as that’s the least these fallen soldiers deserve.
When the solder is patrolling, he suddenly notices a number of people being obnoxious and laughing next to the memorial.
You can even hear the laughs very clearly in the video, and the guard knew he had to shut it down.
Even though these people probably didn’t have any bad intentions, this certainly wasn’t the time and definitely not the place to joke around.
The guard turns, strikes a pose, and then shouts out a command to the group.
“It is requested that everyone maintains a level of silence and respect!”
Right away, the laughter stops and the soldier goes straight back to patrolling. Even though this group was probably baffled by the shouting soldier, it’s important to highlight things such as respect and honor for our veterans.
Be sure to check out the short video for yourself below.
