Arlington, Virginia.

Traditionally, the kickoff to summer vacations is the Memorial Day weekend. Of course, for many families, it is a weekend to remember one or more of the family who served and gave the last full measure of devotion. On a hill in Virginia, overlooking our nation’s capital city, there stands an imposing tomb. The Tomb of the Unknowns actually contains the remains of a World War I soldier, a World War II soldier and a Korean War soldier who are “known but to God.” In 1984, a Viet Nam War soldier was selected to join his comrades. The soldier rested there until 1998 when advances in DNA testing confirmed that he was 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. The US Air Force veteran’s remains were returned to the family and he was buried at his family home in St. Louis. At this point, the Viet Nam Veteran’s crypt remains empty. Since 1937, the tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, seven days a week by members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment; the oldest active infantry unit in the military dating back to 1784.

About the photo: The photo was captured on my Samsung S7 at f/1.9; 1/2000 sec.; ISO-40. The rule for Cellpic Sunday is simple. The image must be captured on a mobile device.

John Steiner