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The Pentagon expressed support for a U.S. Army honor guard at Arlington Cemetery who made a remark to a group that included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Video footage from Wednesday's Veterans Day event shows Hegseth, his wife and senior advisers posing for photos at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Then there is loud laughter and the group moves on.
At this moment, a sentry standing at a distance turns in their direction and loudly demands: “All visitors must remain silent and respectful at all times.”
“On this special day, the soldier politely and respectfully reminded everyone of the need to adhere to the rules of conduct,” Chief Pentagon Press Secretary Sean Parnell said in a statement.
“The Secretary and the entire Department have always and will continue to honor the sacrifices made by our service members—men and women—to keep America safe,” he added.
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Arlington National Cemetery regulations require visitors to maintain silence and refrain from any activity that may disturb the peace or disrespect the military personnel buried there.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the most revered war memorials in the United States. The remains of three unidentified servicemen killed in World War I, World War II and the Korean War rest here.
Since 1948, members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment have stood guard at the grave 24 hours a day. According to the BBC's American partner, CBS News, sentries regularly make comments to visitors - several times a day.
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Photo copyright: Reuters
Earlier, President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and other senior officials took part in the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the cemetery.
Trump gave a speech in which he thanked the military personnel who fought for the country and spoke about what he considers to be the success of his administration in the war with Iran.
“Under this administration, someone fought back—and it was long overdue. We all fought back,” he said.
“And we won,” Trump said. “The only question is when we want to end it [the war]. We want to achieve a complete victory, not a 93% victory."
Trump also singled out Hegseth during the ceremony, saying he had done a "fantastic job" as defense secretary.
Earlier this week, Republican Congressman Tom Massie introduced a resolution to impeach Hegseth, accusing him of going to war with Iran without congressional authorization. However, the day before, the House of Representatives voted to return the document to the relevant committee, effectively stopping the impeachment procedure.
The recent midterm elections give Democrats control of both houses of Congress in January. As analysts note, the new Democratic majority may return to the issue of removing Hegseth and resume the procedure for his impeachment.
Trump has repeatedly defended the minister. Hegseth himself called attempts to impeach him a “farce” and a “PR stunt.”
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