If you've never been, it's a place that will stick in your memory.
I was in the US Army. First Platoon of Honor Guard Co. At that time we were one of several companies in the Old Guard, but the only company that did ceremonies at the White House, Pentagon, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and high profile funerals (whether we were in our funeral week of duty rotation or not.)
Tomb "jobs" (ceremonies) were usually joint service jobs. Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard along with a military band and a couple other smaller support units like the US Army Colors Team (flags).
There were two types of formations/locations for Tomb jobs. One was a 3X5 which was made up of a 15 man formation that marched onto the top level (where you see the Tomb Sentinels marching back and forth). One 15 man formation for each branch of the service with their Lt. leading/controlling their "movements."
The second was the 2X12 formation. That formation marched up the steps from the bottom. The order of march was always (first to last when marching into position) US Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Whichever band was supplying support that job was also in position near the bottom.
For us it was always a kind of competition. If we here in the front rank, where we faced across the wide steps towards the Marines it was a contest to stare at that Marine for the duration of the job. And he stared back. You did everything perfectly, no mistakes allowed.
Below us was the US Navy (they marched on third, after the Marines). Below the Marines on the steps was the Air Force. Below the Navy was the Coast Guard.
At the end of the ceremony we marched off in reverse order. We were first to march on, last to march off. We held position and focus until it was our turn to march off the steps after the Marines were off.
One job the Air Force guys got their commands to go to attention, then port arms, then left face before marching off the steps. One of the Air Force guys in the front rank knocked his hat off and it hit the step in front of him and just laid there. No one was going to move out of position to pick it up and the guy marched off without his hat. The Navy, below us went next and we stood there locking eyes with the opposite Marine across from us. Then the Marines went to port arms and left faced. When they got their command to march darn near every one of them in the front rank managed to stomp on that Air Force guys hat as they walked down the steps. Like a kid stretching a leg/foot out to step in a puddle as their parents try to get them from the car to the store, or house, without them getting dirty/wet.
Let me tell you, it was no easy task keeping a straight face as we watched that black hat get stomped down as those 12 Marines marched down the steps. It was a relief to go to port arms and right face so we could get off the steps and do our giggling/chuckling when we got to the bottom and marched back to our bus.
I used to wonder if that guy came back to try to get his hat and just how much damage those Marines did to it. For a few months, as we staged at simlar jobs at the Tomb some of us and some of the Marines would ask if anymore Air Force hats would bite the dust that day.
Without the experience of the rivalry and the standards of those days this tale might not be as entertaining as my memory of it.
