Socialites, come get into this! As we all know, Veterans Day is supposed to be a quiet, respectful day at Arlington National Cemetery. On Wednesday, the Army sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier made sure of that, even if it meant calling out the man who runs the Pentagon.
After the 73rd National Veterans Day Observance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his entourage were seen taking photos, with some chatting and laughing, before an Army sentinel scolded the hell out of them. Hegseth stood 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, according to CNN. Then came the moment that has been all over timelines since.
The sentinel stopped his patrol, faced the group as they walked away, and called out, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!” Now, if y’all know anything about the Old Guard, you know that was not a suggestion…
Soldiers from the Third Infantry have guarded the tomb around the clock since 1948, with a changing of the guard every half hour. That is a post where people spend years earning the right to stand, and they do not play about it.
The incident came less than a day after Hegseth narrowly survived an effort in Congress to impeach him. Republicans blocked that effort in a procedural vote Tuesday night, which kept the process from moving forward. Hours before the vote, Hegseth held a rare Pentagon press conference where he called the impeachment effort a farce.
The Pentagon did not fight it. Chief spokesman Sean Parnell said the Department has always honored military sacrifice, and that “a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”