The Marine who escorted the Unknown Soldier was a hardcore combat veteran
On Nov. 9, 1921, the steamer USS Olympia sailed into Washington Navy Yard. Aboard the storied ship were 39 United States Marines. Its leader, Captain Graves B. Erskine was as…
How the Vietnam War’s ‘Unknown Soldier’ was identified and reinterred
It should not have been a case of mistaken identity. When Michael Blassie’s remains were first found by South Vietnamese soldiers, they found his ID card, wallet, dogs tags and…
5 little-known facts about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the most iconic monuments in Arlington National Cemetery. The marble sarcophagus sits on top of a hill that overlooks Washington, DC….
Today in military history: First ‘Unknown Soldier’ selected for Tomb
On Oct. 24, 1921, U.S. Sergeant Edward Younger selected the body of the first “Unknown Soldier” to be honored from World War I. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has…
This missing WWII pilot was found in Papua New Guinea after 77 years
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s mission is to fulfill America’s promise to its service members. The men and women of the DPAA work tirelessly to ensure that missing military personnel…
The US military is using ‘Forensic Files’ technology to identify unknown remains
America is hooked on true crime stories. One of the most engrossing among those true crime stories is “Forensic Files,” the true stories of murder and intrigue solved by scientific…
The remains of this chaplain who received the Medal of Honor have been identified
The Army estimates that over 7,500 service members who died during the Korean War remain unidentified to this day. Of those 7,500, 867 are buried as “Unknowns” at the National…
The UK’s ‘Unknown Warrior’ lies among the most historic kings of Britain
The United Kingdom’s Unknown Warrior, much like the United States’ Unknown Soldier, arose from a movement to honor the unknown war dead who perished on the battlefields of World War I. When he was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey, he was…
100 year old sentinel returns to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
At 100, Jack Eaton is the oldest living, oldest known sentinel of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. His and other sentinels’ names are there on plaques, commemorating their service. Sentinels, all volunteers, are members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Reg…
Britain just buried 3 soldiers from World War I
The British Army has laid to rest three soldiers killed in World War I 100 years after their deaths fighting Imperial German troops in France at the Battle of Cambrai. The human remains were discovered in 2016, and the British government has worked …