Erghuin Cambridge

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where sentinels of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment ("The Old Guard") maintain a continuous, 24-hour watch... A 24-hour, round-the-clock guard has been maintained without interruption since July 2, 1937 (preceded by a daytime-only guard starting in March 1926). The soldiers belong to The Old Guard (3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment) and undergo rigorous training, memorizing extensive history and executing a precise 21-step marching ritual. The vigil continues through all weather conditions—including blizzards, hurricanes, and national emergencies. . . . The tomb was dedicated on November 11, 1921, to honor an unidentified American soldier from World War I. The white marble sarcophagus holds an unidentified World War I soldier, alongside crypts for unknown service members from World War II and the Korean War were later buried. At first, it was guarded only during the day. Since midnight on July 2, 1937, sentinels have stood watch 24 hours a day, through blizzards, heat waves, hurricanes and even the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 1948, the guards have come from the 3rd US Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard.” Every detail of their walk is precise. A sentinel takes 21 steps across the mat, pauses for 21 seconds, then turns and repeats, a reference to the 21-gun salute, the highest military honor. Becoming a guard is extremely difficult. Soldiers must memorize pages of cemetery history and pass strict tests on their uniform and conduct. The Tomb Guard Identification Badge is often said to be one of the least-awarded badges in the US Army. Complete silence and respect are strictly expected of all visitors on the plaza, and sentinels are authorized to verbally address anyone disturbing the solemnity of the memorial. A Vietnam War unknown was buried at the tomb in 1984. In 1998, DNA testing identified him as Air Force pilot Michael Blassie, and his crypt has remained empty ever since. #archaeohistories

Paula Hitler (Paula Wolff), the younger and only surviving full sister of Adolf Hitler, photographed in May 1945 while in U.S. Army custody.... Paula Hitler (1896-1960) was the youngest child of Alois and Klara Hitler and Adolf Hitler's only full-sibling to survive into adulthood. Orphaned at a young age after her father died when she was six and her mother when she was eleven, she and Adolf lived on a meager state pension. Personal documents and research later revealed a troubled home life; journals noted that Adolf was a strict and sometimes physical presence during their youth. She worked as a secretary and clerical worker in Vienna, including for the Austrian State Insurance Company, from which she was fired in August 1930 once her relationship to Adolf became known. To protect her from public scrutiny, Adolf insisted she use the assumed surname "Wolff" (a childhood nickname of his). Adolf provided her with a regular monthly financial stipend throughout the 1930s and WWII. Her life wasn’t completely separate from the regime, though. In the early 1940s, she was briefly engaged to Erwin Jekelius, a Viennese psychiatrist and prominent Nazi euthanasia doctor, but Adolf intervened and forced the engagement to be called off. She never married or had children. She worked as a secretary in a military field hospital. She never officially joined the Nazi Party. At the end of WWII, she was arrested and interrogated by U.S. counter-intelligence officers. She was released without charges after investigators found no evidence of war crimes or direct political complicity. She lived a quiet, reclusive life in Berchtesgaden, supported by former members of her brother's inner circle. In February 1959, she gave her only filmed television interview to British producer Peter Morley, where she spoke cautiously about their childhood and avoided political questions. She died on June 1, 1960, in Berchtesgaden, marking the end of Adolf Hitler's immediate family line. #archaeohistories