What occurs at the Veterans Day ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington?
The national Veterans Day ceremony begins with the laying of a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns exactly at 11 a.m. on November 11 – the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The Memorial Plaza on which the white granite tomb rests overlooks the Nation’s capital. The Tomb is protected by members of an elite military honor guard 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year regardless of weather conditions. Dignitaries from the federal government and the military and veterans service organizations flank the President or the President’s representative in front of the Tomb. At exactly 11 a.m., the President steps forward, presents the wreath at the Tomb’s base and places his hand on his heart. There is utter stillness and then the honor guard bugler plays the haunting refrain of Taps. It is a poignant moment that symbolizes our Nation’s respect and honor for those who have served and the many who have sacrificed. Is it always the President who pla
