The sentinel guard who shouted down Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his crew for giggling at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. (YouTube Screengrab)
The Trump administration’s celebration of Veteran’s Day got a loud interruption when the guard holding vigil over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier had to shout down the group following Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — which had erupted into giggles and laughter against strict Tomb protocols.
“All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect! At all times!” raged the sentinel in a powerful baritone.
The tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the most sacred war memorials in the U.S., marking the final resting place of an unknown soldier killed in World War One. Since 1948, a soldier has been assigned to guard the tomb, rain or shine, in all circumstances, 24 hours a day. A guard has remained vigilant even during a recent hurricane that blasted through the area.
But Hegseth’s crew caught the worst of the sentinel’s rancor, who publicly shamed the defense secretary and his group as they made their way up the tomb steps.
Vietnam Veteran Michale Lemmon bashed Hegseth and company on CNN Wednesday night, complaining that the Sec. of Defense’s entourage reflected the “Animal House” mentality that Hegseth slung over the defense department.
“My first reaction was, God bless that soldier for doing his duty. My second reaction was this is emblematic of — how do I put it? — the ‘Animal House’ type of secretary of defense and Pentagon that we seem to have now,” said Lemmon, who is suing the Pentagon over the construction of the Trump Arch.
“You’d think that they would know better, that you have to be solemn and quiet and respectful at that tomb in particular,” continued Lemmon, “but at Arlington National Cemetery in general. I think this is emblematic of, shall we say, the very shallow appreciation that senior levels seem to have of the symbolic emotional, fundamental importance of Arlington National Cemetery and its sensitivity. It is sacred ground.”
Unlike President Donald Trump’s other “vanity projects,” like the East wing ballroom or the East Potomac golf course, Lemmons told CNN anchor Erin Burnett that the cemetery symbolizes an “unwritten, compact between veterans and their government.”
Burnett replayed for Lemmon Hegseth’s recent monologue extolling the image he plans for the military, namely: “We are no longer the woke department or the weak department. No fanny, no fatties, no trannies, no beards, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors. Just tough, ready committed troops.”
“He is degrading not just the physical capabilities of our beloved military, but the morale,” said Lemmon, “I've got lots of friends who are still serving, as well as many retired. And the rot — you know, a fish rots from the head on down, and the rot is beginning to spread. What [Hegseth] has done to some of our finest generals and admirals and senior officials in the Pentagon is incredible. This is like a juvenile finally, with power and not being able to restrain himself.”
