...But I force a smile, knowing that my ambition far exceeded my talent. There are no more white horses or pretty ladies at my door.
Peyton Place, MO
Joined April 2011
- Tweets20.7K
- Following752
- Followers643
- Likes109K
Pedro retweeted
What an interesting read...........
On Jeopardy the other night, the final question asked: “How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the Tomb of the Unknown?”
All three contestants missed it.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the Tomb and why?
He takes 21 steps — symbolizing the 21-gun salute, the highest military and foreign tribute.
2. How long does he pause before turning to walk back and why?
He waits 21 seconds, again in honor of the same tradition.
3. Why are his gloves damp?
They are lightly moistened to ensure he never loses his grip on his rifle.
4. Does he keep his rifle on the same shoulder, and if not, why?
He always carries it on the shoulder farthest from the Tomb. After each crossing, he performs an about-face and moves it to the outside shoulder.
5. How often are the guards changed?
Every 30 minutes, 24/7, 365 days a year.
6. What are the physical requirements for a Tomb Guard?
Applicants must be between 5'10" and 6'2" and have a waist no larger than 30".
Other expectations of the Guard:
They devote two years to the Tomb, live in the barracks beneath it, and must refrain from drinking alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives.
They can never swear in public or dishonor the uniform or the Tomb.
After two years, they earn a wreath pin signifying their service — fewer than 400 are currently worn.
If they violate the code, they must relinquish the pin.
Their shoes have thick soles to protect against extreme temperatures and metal heel plates that create the crisp click when they halt.
Uniforms must have zero wrinkles or lint and are inspected in a full-length mirror.
For the first six months, guards do not speak to anyone and do not watch television.
Their off-duty time is spent studying the 175 notable individuals buried at Arlington National Cemetery, memorizing who they are and where they rest.
Among them: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis, and Audie Murphy, the most decorated WWII soldier.
Every guard spends five hours daily preparing their uniform.
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM, O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
When Hurricane Isabel approached Washington, D.C. in 2003, Congress shut down for two days. The guards were offered permission to suspend duty due to danger.
They replied: “No way, Sir!”
Drenched and marching through the storm, they insisted that guarding the Tomb is the highest honor, not just a task.
The Tomb has been continuously guarded — day and night — since 1930.
God Bless and Keep Them
I don’t often encourage sharing posts, but I would be honored if this one reached as many people as possible. We should always feel proud of the men and women who serve, wherever they are stationed.
Duty – Honor – Country
IN GOD WE TRUST — with Herbert F Wieland.
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
Some claims in this post are inaccurate. The Society of the Honor Guard says the Tomb has been guarded since 1937, the guard changes hourly in winter, sentinels can drink off duty, and there is no lifetime ban on alcohol or swearing.
tombguard.org/society/faq leadstories.com/hoax-alert/202…
Pedro retweeted
He had a grenade blast tear off part of his ear, then took a bullet through the face that went in his mouth and came out behind his ear. Most men are dead at that point. Einar Ingman stood up, killed the entire enemy machine gun crew in front of him, and only then let himself fall down.
Ingman was a farm kid from Wisconsin, a corporal in Korea in the winter of 1951. On February 26 his company was attacking a fortified enemy ridge near a place called Maltari when the two lead squads got caught in the open under murderous machine gun fire. Both squad leaders went down. Several other men were hit. The attack was dead in its tracks and starting to fall apart.
Ingman, just a corporal, took over. He pulled the two shattered squads together, reorganized them, moved from man to man telling them where to shoot and steadying them. Then he decided the only way forward was to go deal with the guns himself.
He charged the first machine gun position completely alone, got close, and knocked it out with a grenade. Then he turned toward the second gun, only about fifteen yards away, and kept coming.
That is when it happened. A grenade went off right next to him. The blast ripped his left ear half off and knocked him flat on the ground. As he was dragging himself back up onto his feet, an enemy rifleman shot him in the face. The bullet went through his mouth and tore out behind his already wounded ear.
By every reasonable expectation, that is the end of Einar Ingman. Head torn open, face shot through, on the ground.
Instead he got up. He rose to his feet, lifted his rifle, and killed every single man on that second gun crew before the wounds finally dropped him unconscious.
And that broke the whole enemy defense. With both guns silenced by one impossibly stubborn corporal, his squad took the objective, and more than a hundred enemy soldiers threw down their weapons and fled the ridge.
Ingman should not have lived. He was left with terrible wounds, lasting damage to his hearing and his face, years of surgery. But he did live. President Truman gave him the Medal of Honor, and Einar Ingman went home to Wisconsin and lived into his eighties, a quiet man who once got back up with half his head gone because his squad still needed him to.
Pedro retweeted
Happy Heavenly Birthday
GySgt Michael Clark
USMC EOD
KIA July 20, 2004
Birthday July 25, 1974
KIA July 20, 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq. Mike was on the tail end of his deployment and couldn't wait to get home.
Pedro retweeted
With profound sorrow, we mourn the passing of one of America's Greatest Generation, WWII hero Ray Curtis, who has left us at the remarkable age of 109. Ray passed away peacefully at an assisted living facility in Minot, leaving behind a legacy that will never be forgotten.🕊️🇺🇸
Born on February 11, 1917, in Portal, North Dakota, Ray moved to Minot with his family in 1927 and graduated from Minot High School in 1935. He went on to answer his nation's call, serving with honor in the United States Army for five years, first as an enlisted soldier and later as a commissioned officer, including service overseas during one of history's darkest chapters.
Ray's life was a testament to courage, sacrifice, resilience, and unwavering patriotism. Across more than a century, he witnessed the world change in extraordinary ways, yet his legacy remained rooted in humility, duty, and love of country.
Today, we don't simply remember a veteran, we honor a hero whose service helped preserve the freedoms generations continue to enjoy. His story reminds us that true heroes never seek recognition; they earn it through selfless acts and steadfast devotion.
Thank you, Ray Curtis, for your extraordinary service, your sacrifice, and your lifetime of example. Your watch has ended, but your legacy will endure in the hearts of a grateful nation.
Rest in Peace, Sir. You will never be forgotten.
Remarkable long life wasn’t it?
Pedro retweeted
Rest easy, Johnny Gage. 🙏🏼
On July 9th, Hollywood lost more than an actor. The fire service and EMS community lost someone who inspired generations.
Randolph Mantooth, best known for portraying firefighter/paramedic John Gage on 'Emergency' passed away at the age of 80.
For many of us, 'Emergency' wasn't just another television show. It was the first time millions of people saw what firefighter/paramedics did and how important prehospital emergency care could be. The show arrived at a time when paramedic programs were still in their infancy, helping introduce the profession to the public and inspiring countless communities to embrace modern EMS.
There's no way to count how many firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, and first responders first dreamed of the job while watching Squad 51 roll out of that station. For countless kids, John Gage wasn't just a TV character, he was a hero. He showed courage, compassion, humor, and the importance of serving others.
Even today, when 'Emergency' comes on in a firehouse, the remote usually gets set down. It's more than nostalgia, it's a quiet tribute to the show that inspired generations of firefighters and paramedics.
Thank you, Randolph Mantooth, for inspiring generations to answer the call.
Rest easy, brother. We’ve got it from here. 🇺🇸 🚒 🙏🏼
Pedro retweeted
"Squad Fifty-One, this is Rampart…”
The #LACoFD is saddened to hear that our dear friend, Randolph Mantooth passed away yesterday.
Best known for portraying FFPM Johnny Gage in the iconic 1970s television series #Emergency, his character was an integral part of #Squad51, helping to popularize the paramedic and EMS system across the U.S.
Randy was a great friend and supporter of our Department and Fire Museum. He will be truly missed but his memory and legacy will live on in our hearts and in our paramedic program.
RIP 5️⃣1️⃣🚒🚑💔🕊️
Pedro retweeted
WATCH: Pilot of a Cessna Skylane RG has drawn a “250 YEARS” in the skies over Ohio to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence.
Pedro retweeted
Happy Independence Day USA. 250th, 1776, wow, awesome. The Kingdom of Denmark, founded in 960. May you grow old with us.
Pedro retweeted
This is a disgrace.
A Gulf War Marine veteran named Albert O’Toole who served this country, took a blast that left him with TBI, and was later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s was beaten by his aide Matthew Cox inside the New York State Veterans Home in Montrose, New York.
His wife Angela Sangro became concerned after seeing unexplained bruises and heavy sedation. She installed a hidden camera. The footage shows the aide yanking food out of Albert’s hands, grabbing him by the neck, throwing him into a chair, punching him, and striking him in the head with a broom while he cried out in pain. No one came to help.
The state fired the abuser.
But the federal VA? Still has him employed. Still paying him while the case drags on.
You make veterans fight through hell just to get the benefits and compensation they earned with their blood and sacrifice. You move fast to cut or reduce what’s owed to them.
But when one of your own is caught on camera assaulting a defenseless veteran? You keep him on the federal payroll like it’s nothing.
@SecVetAffairs you talk about accountability. Here it is. Fire this man from the VA now. No pay. No protection. No more dragging it out.
@SecWar our warriors come home broken from fighting for this nation. They deserve better than a system that protects abusers while making veterans fight for every dollar they earned.
@SpeakerJohnson this is on you too. Oversight without teeth is just theater. Do your job.
This isn’t how you treat the men and women who served. This is a betrayal.
Veterans FIRST.
Zero tolerance for those who abuse them.
Immediate action. No excuses.
If you’re not outraged by this, you’re not paying attention.
Semper Fi.
@TheTankGuns
Pedro retweeted
“We gave up our yesterdays for your tomorrows.”
98-year-old World War II veteran David Yoho delivered an emotional message at the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C. as Americans gathered to honor the more than 400,000 U.S. service members who died during the war.
Standing before the crowd in the rain, Yoho urged younger generations to remember the sacrifices made by veterans and to keep telling their stories long after they’re gone.
“Tell them it was a 16-year-old boy in the hearts and mind and body of a 98-year-old veteran of World War II.”
Pedro retweeted
Nick Shirley went to investigate Cuba and talk to the local people
He was told the government gives every citizen a little ration booklet for food
One person hasn’t has eggs in a year. People have to wait years to eat a piece of chicken
“The government controls how much food they get and they're like, this is horrible. We haven't even had eggs in a year. Takes years to get to eat a chicken.
Like stuff that you wouldn't even think about here in the United States. But because of communism and the government controlling what people can actually do and what they can eat, it dictates their entire life”
Keep in mind this is what Democrats want to bring here. Karen Bass and top Democrats would literally go listen to political speeches in Cuba
Nancy Pelosi and a large group of House Democrats go with Barack Obama to Cuba
Barbara Lee (Congresswoman, D-CA): Visited Cuba more than two dozen times. Met with Fidel Castro multiple times
Pramila Jayapal (Congresswoman, D-WA, Chair of Congressional Progressive Caucus): Recent trips in 2024 and April 2026
Ilhan Omar also went to Cuba
Jonathan Jackson (Congressman, D-IL) went too
This should horrify every American
Pedro retweeted
Hello, Moon. It’s great to be back.
Here’s a taste of what the Artemis II astronauts photographed during their flight around the Moon. Check out more photos from the mission: nasa.gov/artemis-ii-multimed…
ALT A crescent Earth setting behind the Moon\u2019s horizon. Credit: NASA
ALT Earth setting behind the Moon as seen by the Artemis II crew. Over half the left side of the image is filled by the gray lunar surface, pocked with craters. Credit: NASA
ALT A close view of the Moon. Jagged circles of craters dot the gray surface, fading to dark on the left side of the image. Credit: NASA
ALT A crescent Earth setting behind a hemisphere of the Moon. Credit: NASA
Pedro retweeted
May 16, 1963. Gordon Cooper was orbiting Earth alone inside a capsule barely big enough to turn around in, moving at 17,500 miles per hour.
He had been up there for over a day.
Then the warnings started.
First a faulty sensor screaming that the ship was falling — it wasn't. He switched it off. Then something far worse: a short circuit knocked out the entire automated guidance system. The one that kept the capsule steady. The one that was supposed to bring him home.
Without it, reentry was nearly impossible.
Too shallow an angle and the capsule would bounce off the atmosphere back into space. Too steep and it would incinerate. The margin for error was razor thin — and every computer that was supposed to hit that margin was dead.
Down on the ground, NASA engineers watched the telemetry in silence. They could see everything going wrong. They could fix nothing.
Cooper didn't panic.
He uncapped a grease pencil and drew lines directly on the inside of his window to track the horizon. He looked up at the stars he had spent months memorizing and used their positions to orient the ship by eye. Then he set his wristwatch.
Because when you have no computers left, you become the computer.
At exactly the right moment — calculated in his head, confirmed by the stars outside — he fired the retrorockets. The capsule shook. The sky turned to fire. For several minutes, no one on Earth could reach him as plasma swallowed the ship whole.
Then the parachutes opened.
Faith 7 hit the water just four miles from the recovery ship — the single most accurate splashdown in the entire Mercury program.
The man with a wristwatch and a few pencil marks on a window had outperformed every automated system NASA had.
We talk a lot about technology saving us. And it often does.
But Cooper's story is a quiet reminder that behind every machine, there still has to be a human being who can look out the window, think clearly under pressure, and decide what to do next.
The final backup was never the software.
It was him.
Pedro retweeted
OTD in 1980, we defeated Finland 4–2 to capture Olympic 🏅. Trailing after 2 periods, 3 third-period goals completed an unforgettable run & secured USA's first hockey gold medal since 1960!
A team. A moment. A legacy that still endures. 🇺🇸
#OTD #MiracleOnIce #GoldMedal
