On Friday, December 16, the JHS Senior Class had the opportunity to attend a wreath presentation at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Seniors Emily Bonson, Sean Fitzgerald, Dakota Nealman, and Shelby Zeiders were chosen by the faculty for the honor of walking down the stairs with the host and placing the wreath onto a stand, honoring the fallen soldiers lying in the tomb. 

The class also had the opportunity to watch the Changing of the Guard, the precise routine of one guard switching places with another guard at the changing of a shift. The guards belong to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, and between October 1st and March 31st, they change precisely every hour; however, from April 1st to September 30th, they switch every half hour. Interestingly, every part of the ritual is based on the number twenty-one because of the honorary twenty-one gun salute. This includes twenty-one steps back and forth on the mat and pausing for twenty-one seconds at both ends of the mat.

Watch the video to see our seniors laying the wreath and also for footage of the Changing of the Guard.

Videos courtesy of Hailie Shertzer