Free Republic

War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday honored a U.S. Army soldier who chastised him and members of his staff for talking too loudly at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, awarding him a military commendation for upholding the memorial's strict standards. Hegseth presented the soldier, identified as Spc. Iglesias, a member of the Army's elite 3rd Infantry Regiment known as The Old Guard, with the Joint Service Commendation Medal following Wednesday's incident at Arlington National Cemetery, WBAL-TV reported. "We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist," Hegseth wrote Thursday in a post on X. "Carry on Patriots." The award...

The Daily Caller recently had an opportunity to talk with the sentinels who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. “Many people think that the ultimate sacrifice is giving up your life. But these soldiers gave up not only their lives but their identities,” Staff Sergeant Shane Vincent said. “When you see a World War II veteran struggling to get out of his wheelchair so that he can stand during taps and salute during taps, that really hits home and lets you know exactly what this place really is about.