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AP
Hegseth and staff reprimanded by guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
Updated 5:28 PM PST, November 11, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — A soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier issued a verbal reprimand to a group of advisers and staffers with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Video shows Hegseth taking photos on the empty steps in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.
As the group broke from taking photos, a loud laugh could be heard, and the soldier guarding the tomb shouted that “all visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, said that “while commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
“The Secretary and the entire Department have always honored — and will always honor — the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe,” he added.
The tomb is considered to be one of the most solemn and revered war memorials in the U.S., being the final resting place of unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. It has been guarded around the clock — rain or shine — by a soldier from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as “The Old Guard,” since 1948.
Hegseth and his staff were at the tomb as part of a larger ceremony commemorating Veterans Day that also was attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The incident comes a day after Hegseth narrowly survived an effort to impeach him by lawmakers in Congress.
To 3/14/1998 ( ) From 11/2/1965 ( my known birth date in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA, as Kerry Wayne Burgess ) is 11820 days
23640 = 11820 + 11820
To 11/11/2026 ( ) From 2/20/1962 ( John Glenn becomes the first United States of America astronaut into orbit of planet Earth ) is 23640 days
by me, Kerry Burgess, posted by me: H.V.O.M at 12:18 PM Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Was 3/15/1998 the last day I spent with my wife as her husband, Thomas Ray? I used a similar method to arrive at that date as I did with 6/28/1998. The date 6/28/1998 is when I think I woke up, similar to the first episode of “Quantum Leap” that I read about recently, but cannot actually remember watching, with this new identity.
It could be that 3/14/1998 was our last day together and 3/15/1998 was the day I said goodbye to her, until we meet again, as I went to the facility where I would undergo the medical procedure to consciously suppress my memories and replace them with artificial and symbolic memories.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Unknown_Soldier_(Arlington_National_Cemetery)
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Arlington National Cemetery)
From Wikipedia
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, United States, was originally the burial site of a World War I soldier whose remains were unidentifiable.
The Tomb is guarded around the clock by a Tomb Guard from the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, "The Old Guard".
Tomb Guards
Tomb Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (TUS) are volunteer, enlisted, United States Army soldiers
It is considered one of the highest honors within the American military to serve as a Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD3z6OYrtak
Soldier shouts at Pete Hegseth's group to 'maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect'
Associated Press
November 11, 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his group were reprimanded by a soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Wednesday after laughter was heard as they took photos following a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
- by me, Kerry Wayne Burgess, posted by me: 11:46 PM Pacific-timezone USA Wednesday 11/11/2026
