 Well, hello from the National Archives Public Programs and Education team. My name is Missy McNatt, and I am an Education Specialist in Washington, D.C. And welcome to the National Archives Young Learners Program. You can find information about our future programs on the National Archives website, please.gov, under attend an event, and on the National Archives Facebook page. Tomorrow, November 11th is Veterans Day. And Veterans Day is a day when we honor and we remember, we celebrate, and we commemorate past and present veterans. It is also a day when we show gratitude for active military service. This year, November 11th, 2021, is a particularly special Veterans Day, because it is the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia. And we have two very special guests with us today, author Jeff Gottfeld and Tomb Guard Sergeant First Class Chelsea Porterfield, who will help us to learn about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its importance and its significance. Mr. Gottfeld will share his book, 21 Steps, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and then Sergeant Porterfield will talk about what it means to be a Tomb Guard. And after both of their presentations, we will have a question and answer session with them. So please write your questions in the YouTube chat box. And let me know who your question is directed towards, Jeff Gottfeld or Sergeant Porterfield. We have a National Archives staff member who is monitoring the chat box. And let us know where you're watching from this morning. Now, it is my great pleasure to introduce to you Mr. Jeff Gottfeld. Mr. Gottfeld writes for the page, the stage, and the screen. His books have won awards at the American Library Association, the Association of Jewish Libraries, and the National Council for the Social Studies. And his other picture books are The Tree in the Courtyard, a New York Times best illustrated book for children, No Steps Behind, runner up for the National Jewish Book, an illustrated book for, I'm sorry, a National Jewish Book Award and winner of the Freeman Award for the Best Kids Book about Asia, and the Christmas Mitzvah. Raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, he currently lives in Los Angeles. Welcome, Mr. Gottfeld. Thank you. It's great to be here and an honor to be here with you. The book I wrote is 21 Steps, Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I'm Jeff Gottfeld and the illustrator is Matt Tavares, published by Candlewick Books last March. 21 Steps. The book begins with a poem that I did not write. It is called The Sentinels Creed, and it was left handwritten at the door to the tomb guard quarters underneath the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1971. It was signed only Simon. Is Simon male, female, African American, white, Latino, Asian? No one knows which is perfect. My dedication to this sacred duty is total and wholehearted. In the responsibility bestowed on me, never will I falter. And with dignity and perseverance, my standard will remain perfection. Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability. It is he who commands the respect I protect. His bravery that made us so proud. Surrounded by well-meaning crowds by day, alone in the thoughtful piece of night, this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance. 21 Steps. Jeff Gottfeld illustration, Matt Tavares. I am an unknown. I am one of many. We fell for the last time in the Argonne forest. At some bellow wood, faced down in trenches, faced up on hillsides, we fell a thousand ways. In life, we were our mother's sons. In death, we are faded photos on the mantle. Empty chairs at Thanksgiving. Prayers in the dark before dawn. We are known but to God. After the war to end all wars, most of America's fallen came home. Their families could place flowers on their graves and pebbles on their headstones. But combat's vile fury left others nameless and faceless. There was no way for loved ones to claim us. No place for our nation to honor our sacrifice. In 1921, one unknown returned to stand for all. I was transported by the Navy to Washington and lay in state in the capital, where an army of mourners filed past my casket. Many were families whose sons died nameless and faceless. As they knelt, prayed and anointed my flag with tears, I felt their stories. The stories of a Boston kid who swung for the fences, a Texas boy who broke horses, a Choctaw nation farm hand, a Nevada minor. In that moment, I became Paris. The 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour. A team of horses bore me to Arlington. Thousands packed the amphitheater. There were speeches, taps and a 21 gun salute when I was laid to rest. As the day lengthened, those for whom I died lingered and drifted on the roiled waters of loss, I gave them peace. People, though, forget easily. My tomb stands on a hill crest. It did not take long for visitors to come for the view and not the meaning. Some blood picnics feasting gaily above my bones. Volunteers put a stop to that desecration. But as the plaza emptied in the gloaming, I lay alone with my war. Bustered gas and barbed wire, bayonet charges and names unanswered at roll call. Late one half moon night, I heard footsteps. The sharp click of heels. Silence. Another click, more silence. 21 footsteps. Click, 21 seconds of silence. Click, 21 seconds of silence. 21 more steps. With each step, my war was over. From that moment, I have never been alone again. No matter the hour or the weather, a sentinel guards the plaza. It is the most difficult post to earn in the army. Many fail for each one chosen. Those granted the privilege may walk the mat for two years. Everything they do honors the unknown fallen. They press their creases, sharp as a razor. Rehem their trousers so they lie just right. Singe loose threads from their jackets topstitching. Space their medals down to 1 64th of an inch. Practice keeping their forearms at 90 degrees. Recount pages of cemetery history. Set their hat brands, two fingers above their eyes. Dampen their gloves to better grip their rifles. March, set their head stay ever level. And medal to their heels for the sharpest click. Polish their spits for hours every day. The tomb guards are men and women of every race, religion, and creed. Before joining the army, they were students, mechanics, and supermarket backers. They have names, families, and stories. Once on the mat, they are only Americans. Their standard is perfection. My guards were present when more unknowns came home, one from World War II and one from Korea. Then, years later, one from Vietnam. They lay in state in the capital as I did, where an army of mourners filed past the caskets. Many were families whose sons died, nameless and faceless. Mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers knelt, prayed, and anointed the flags with tears. Their stories were different at the same. In time, through the wonder of science, the Vietnam unknown was named and returned to his family. His crypt is now empty. We who remain are never alone. Our guards keep faith. There is admiration in their pants crease, duty in their hams, focus in their topstitching, gratitude between the medals, reverence in the angle of their rifles, discipline in their wording, respect in their hat prints, fidelity in their gloves, appreciation in their step, devotion in their heel clicks, and love in their gleaming spits. I am an unknown. I am one of many. From Bunker Hill to Heartbreak Ridge, we gave all we had for our country and freedom. The tomb guards give all they have for us. In glorious sunshine, on bluebird days, the plaza shimmers with life. Crowds gather, aging veterans, tourists, and school groups line the marble steps. They marvel at our sentinels. Then they gaze past the mat to the tomb and imagine our stories. In that moment, we become theirs. In wretched night, when stinging sleep makes daybreak a distant dream, the plaza is desolate. Our guards need no audience in their quest for perfection. As they walk the mat, they listen for our voices on the howling wind. In snow, in rain, on days the birds don't dare to sing. 21, 21, 21, by day, by night, before many, few, or none. 21, 21, 21, guard our perfect rest. Give us now your very best. 21, 21, 21, 21, the end. Thank you so much, Mr. Geisfeld, for sharing your story. It is just, it's inspiring. And so now, we have a wonderful opportunity to hear from one of those tomb guards who actually has walked those 21 steps. So just a few words before we introduce Sergeant First Class Chelsea Porterfield. Tomb guards are handpicked and rigorously trained, as you mentioned, Jeff. And they describe their service as a privilege and an honor and are undeniably proud of their service. They are part of an unbroken chain of soldiers dating back to March 25, 1926. And now it is my great pleasure to introduce to you Tomb Guard Sergeant First Class Chelsea Porterfield. So welcome, welcome Sergeant Porterfield. So with Sergeant Porterfield, we are going to do a question and answer session format. So I will ask the questions, and then she will answer them. And these are questions that many people ask about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Tomb Guard. So the first question is, how does the guard rotation work? Is it an eight hour shift? Yes, this is a very frequent question that we constantly ask the visitors that come down to the tomb. The guard rotation is on three shifts. They're shift workers, and it's been three teams. They work 24 hours on, 24 hours off for a total of five days. They'll take a three day rest period and come back for the next training day. Even though it sounds like that's a lot of hours to be working, those three days off that you're dedicated for rest isn't necessarily a rest. It can take up to eight hours for any Sentinel or Tomb Guard to reset their uniform for the next duty day. And we are at the heart of it, United States Army soldiers. So there are still soldier requirements as training, PT tests, ACFPs, uniform maintenance, standards and appearance, anything else that is outside of our duties at the tomb that's still masking it. Thank you. So the next question, Mr. Jeff talked about the 21 steps, but the question is why? Why 21 steps? 21 steps is the highest number of, it's the highest represented for the salute. The highest number to salute to our nations are senior military officials and foreign officials. It's the most, forgive me, the 21 gun salute is what a small laughter. It's the highest honor we can pay any of our senior government officials or military officials or foreign dignitaries. And that's what our unknowns receive on a daily basis. Okay, thank you. And then how long does the Sentinel hesitate after the facing movement to begin the return walk and going along with it, is the rifle carried on the same shoulder all the time? It's not now. The rifle is between the crowd and the tomb. Anytime that we execute a facing movement, it is a pause for 21 seconds. Just like Jeff said in his book, beautifully articulated. 21 steps, face, pause 21 seconds, face, pause 21 seconds, 21 steps, execute a shoulder change. The rifle will never be between the tomb guard and the tomb. It's between the individual, the viewers and the tomb. Okay, thank you. That helps. And how often are the guards changed? The rotations based on the weather, during the summer months of April 1st to September 30th, it is 30 minute rotations. And then the winter months, they change to our rotations, one October to the beginning of April. Okay. Is it so some questions about what they actually do? Is it true a sentinel must commit for two years to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives? So this is my favorite rumor to debunk. One, there is not a standard length of time to commit. The standard length of time or the legacy in which you were expected to leave is when you complete training, you are now going to train your replacement. That is how our unbroken chain of tomb guards have worked since 1926. No, we don't live in the basement under the tomb. That small area, what we like to call the quarters is a fully functional space to house and operate a relief and sustain them for 24 hours. That's because their place of duty is there. That is where they will maintain their uniforms and that is where they will execute all of their requirements for duty. At the end of their 24 hours, they go home to their families. Lot of them are moms, their dads, their wives, their husbands, and they go home to their family. They do not stay in the quarters. Okay, thank you. Is it true that after two years, the guard has given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel, signifying they served as the guard of the tomb, and there are only 600 presently worn and the guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. So it is one of the least awarded badges. This one that's displayed on my shirt here, the guard to the unknown soldier identification badge. To date, there has been 696 awarded since our history. It is not, it is the only one that can be taken away at any time in your life, not during your service or as a veteran, but in your lifespan. Because you represent what America and our Patriots sense of duty as are unknown to the unknowns, that is where any acts that could potentially bring discredit upon our organization or the United States Army or the unknowns could be caused for revocation. Okay, and are the shoes specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from your feet? No, I wish so, but they are not. They are standard leather oxfords. The only difference is that they are built, the soles are built up to a certain height from front to back, heel to toe. That way, as our posture, which is very, very different than the rest of a ceremonial organization's posture. It helps keep our balance and make sure we maintain the appropriate straight rigidity that is required. Okay, and how many times will a sentinel be on duty during their shift? This is another most commonly asked question. It could be somebody, a soldier, could go out every 30 minutes for the duration, or it depends on how many people are available that day and are not currently required to task somewhere else. There have been situations where it has been a minimal amount of people due to training or availability where we had to work 24 on and 24 off for a undetermined amount of time. It could be as rough as every 30 minutes they're up, every hour they're up, or they go up, they get a two hour break and they go right back up. It's just based on the days operational or the days requirements for our duties. Okay, and how do soldiers get to and from the quarters without being seen? And that everybody wears the civilian clothes when we go to and from work. And most of them can stand out because they have a high in tight or really sharp looking bun walking to and from the quarters. But you'll notice during pre the truck when someone comes out from the quarters before the guard change, you'll see typically a soldier standing in a polo with a representation and some khaki pants. Okay, it's that there's a small green shack next to the tomb. What is that for? So we, the box, our heart turned, heartfelt term, the box. This is something that is for the tomb guard or for the Sentinel as a place for them to stand. If there's, we have a full honors funeral during a presidential wreath laying ceremony that is a place for the Sentinel to go in and rewet their gloves if they need to. The gloves are wet because it provides a stronger grip on the rifle during their facing movements. There's also, we also have, it's for security reasons as well, a place they are soldiers at the heart of it for a place to wipe their nose if they need to in a ceremonial fashion. And has anybody ever tried to get past the tomb guards or done anything, you know, trying to deface the tomb? Yes, prior to us being guards between 21 and 26, defacing and disrespecting was very much at the forefront until we started guarding. As far as getting past the tomb, yes, there's been many incidences where people tried to get a closer look or a closer picture or something of the tomb or the tomb guard and a verbal correction is traditionally issued to the population that is observing the guard to remain behind the chains and rails. And then kind of together questions, what's it like to guard in bad weather? And do you guard in a blizzard and or a thunderstorm? Yes, so my personal favorite time to go is during the rain. That is my personal, Southern Porterfield's favorite time is during the rain. But it doesn't matter the weather conditions, there will be somebody out there. Even during thick, thick snow, we will definitely take care of the plaza if you're not currently on ship to make sure that the sentinel who was currently on duty doesn't slip or fall during lightning storms, during all of it. Somebody is out there, braving the weather. Wow. And how many sentinels have been female? There have been five out of 696. Five of them have been women or are women starting in 1995. Okay. And is the rifle the sentinel carries loaded? The rifle is not loaded. It is those rifles are custom created by the sentinel themselves, but they are not loaded. Okay. And then I am sure that this will happen tomorrow. The question is, what is the process to lay a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier? So that is our oldest ceremonial tradition starting back with Gold Star Families. The process to lay a wreath is through our own two national cemeteries public website. There is a request process through them or you can go through tombguard.org and submit a request process through our nonprofit organization as well. Okay. Well, thank you. We have lots of questions, lots of people viewing and I asked where everybody is from. I'm gonna try to go through, you know, my concern is I'll miss someone and then we'll start with the questions. But we have some folks from the Chatsworth suburbs of Los Angeles. We've got lots of third, fourth, fifth graders. We've got some folks from East Tennessee from, let's see, from Auburn, Kentucky, Columbus, Ohio, Lichfield, Maine, more Kansas folks, Grayport, South Carolina, Oxford, Maine, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, the fifth grade Lamas class, Idaho, Heyborn, Connecticut, Charles Summit, Pennsylvania, Colorado, some homeschoolers from Colorado, Ulysses, Kentucky, first graders, San Antonio, Texas, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, let's see, Sellersville, Pennsylvania, more Maine folks, Phoenix, Arizona, Canada, fantastic. Burwick, more Hilton Head, South Carolina, Charles Reed in Plainfield, Illinois, Charles Reed Elementary, Glencoe, Middle School, Alabama, Ottawa, Kansas, fifth graders are sunflowers, fifth graders in Winchester, Massachusetts, fifth graders in Illinois, New York, fifth graders, Mrs. Crabtree's class at Merch Elementary in Washington, DC, Newton, Connecticut, Willard East Elementary in Missouri, Wichita, Kansas, Oceanside, New York, let's see, Spring Lake, North Carolina, Palantine, Little Rock, Colverton School in Maryland, glad you're watching folks, Polo, Illinois, and let's see, 10th graders, so wow, there may be more and if I apologize, if I missed you. So we have an Army vet from Vietnam who salutes the unknown soldiers and all fallen American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, thank you. We have Oklahoma, so here's our first question and I think it's probably for you, Chelsea, from Sergeant Porter, do you know the changing of the guard ceremony overnight when there is no one there or is there a shorter check before starting? So I guess it's asking what happens overnight, yes. So the changing of the guard happens at night still, yes, it's just a different sequence. It's something similar to what you probably have seen yesterday if you watched any of the live feeds or the flower ceremony, we call it a post one sequence. That happens in the evening time. The way I like to explain it is that during the day, you don't practice during the Super Bowl and sometimes at night time until someone has ceremony a little proficient and they will practice their full guard changes in the evening. Okay, and actually I think earlier, I missed a question about, and maybe Mr. Jeff, you could jump in on this or either one, you mentioned the spit, what is that? What does that refer to? The spits, we use that term. We call them our spits, our ceremonial dress shoes because you polish them with shoe polish. Many, many years ago, spit and water or elbow grease, a polish cloth was the term of endearment, it's your spits. But that's just a term that has been passed through legacy down in the quarters, but yes, spits is a term used to call our training or ceremonial shoes. Okay, from Sarah Flascher, my fifth grade class is watching and the question they have is, why did you wanna become a tomb guard? I get this one quite often as well. I wanted to be a part of the team and the soldiers of the tomb of the unknown soldier, that specific organization. In order for me to be on that team, I had to become a tomb guard. To start training, just like most everybody, I didn't think I was good enough to do it, but luckily I didn't quit and I was able to be a part of a small individual, small group of individuals that had the honor to guard our nation's unknown. And going along with this from Mrs. Ledbetter's third grade class, how did you feel when you were chosen to be a tomb guard? Was very humbled to know that I was being considered as capable to come down and start training to this day. I still don't think that I'm ever gonna be good enough to represent the unknown. But I'm gonna strive to be perfect because that's what our grade is. Well, thank you, that's wonderful. Another question for you from Kingson fifth grade, can you talk to civilians when you are on duty? Absolutely, the only time education, educating the American public whenever they come to see the unknown or pay their tribute or their respects, if a service or a tomb guard isn't actively on duty, guarding or walking to and from quarters, that's part of our missions to educate and connect the public or the community to the unknowns and make sure that America doesn't forget the sense of patriotic way of what they all started out as. So yes, you can outside of the tomb or even through our nonprofit organization you can request a brief as well. Okay, and here's a question from fifth grade class, Mickey. Does the uniform change in different seasons? Yes, we have many uniform items that have to be prepared and ready to go at any time. Part of our morning inspection is what does the weather look like and what is the percentage of the weather going to change over the course of the day? So in the morning at zero five, everything's lined up and dress for what could potentially be worn. We have an overcoat with a scarf and we also have that fuzzy looking chipper cap that connects underneath your chin, black gloves. We have the raincoat. It's all standard issue, ceremonial attire, but it's something that we maintain and we fully prepare for any of these events. Okay, thank you. We have a question from Mr. Guy's self. Who came up with the idea of the tomb of the unknown soldier? Well, this was something that actually did not begin in the United States. Following the First World War, other countries which also suffered grievous losses in Europe created tombs of the unknown and the movement in America for a tomb marking an unknown soldier came from the bottom up. People clamored for it and a resolution was introduced and the house represented it. So I believe it was representative Hamilton Fish of New York introduced this resolution and the tomb came together actually quite quickly after that. Okay, and how many unknown soldiers names have been discovered over the years? I know we talked about Vietnam. I don't know if there have been any others, but right now we won't have any more unknown identified or unknown remains. It's only missing in action or killed in action. Missing in action predominantly the largest from the most recent, I say recent Vietnam and still in Korea, they're identifying those remains but as far as unknowns after Korea Medical Advances and became so large that documentation and tracking individuals was not an issue. Okay, back to Mr. Geisel. How did you get all the information used to write the book? Oh, Lord, look, I'm not military. You know, I'm a civilian so I approached this with great humility. Fortunately, there's a lot of great material about Arlington and about the tomb. There have been books written about Arlington, documentaries done. And then finally, when I felt I was at least sufficiently educated to not make a fool of myself, I began to speak with Tomb Guards, the Society of the Honor Guard and the graciousness and willingness to help was just critical for this project. My standard for this book was perfection. My illustrator's standard for this book was perfection and without the assistance of Tomb Guards past and present, there's no way we could have ever come close. And here, kind of going back to that question about the unknown, this could be it for either one of you. Will there ever be any testing on those who are in the tomb to try to determine their identity? So is, yeah, because with all the DNA testing and people going, being able to do that, I wonder if that's ever been considered? So what I can, Jeff, I can answer a little bit. All right, please. So what I can say when it comes to the Congressman Fish and continuing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and what they are, they are unknown and through the selection process completely remained identity-less whenever they did select our, not only World War I, World War II and Korea unknowns. The next of kin at the internment was the president at the time. So as the next of kin being the president of the United States of America, in order to request exhumation or there needs to be quite a bit of preponderance of evidence or corroborating evidence that would need to go through congressional legislation. And that's what happened with the Vietnam unknown. It took a very long time for it to be authorized and happened in 1998 and finally it did happen. But as far as myself asking for DNA testing on the unknown, it won't happen. I don't believe it would happen. Okay, here, interesting question. Is the tomb ever opened? And does anyone ever go in to the tomb itself? No, ma'am, what you see on that plaza, the sarcophagus figure wasn't a thing until 1932 and it is 79 tons of marble on top of the Vietnam or World War I unknown. The tombs are not opened or the burial caskets themselves. In case around the World War I or World War II, Vietnam and Korea, crips, the white slabs that are flat on the ground around their ledger stones are quite a bit of concrete marble. They're not opened, they have been refurbished and they've been conserved throughout the years, especially this year, last year, the conservation team through Arlington National Cemetery has done a very good job of preserving its pristine white color and making sure that everything is prepared for tomorrow. But as far as them being opened, no. Okay, and then just, and you certainly alluded to this, but how difficult would you say is it for you to do the work of being a tomb guard? So it's only as difficult as you make it. Training, that goes for any job. Being a tomb guard is rigorous, it is demanding, but being a part of a team, a small group of individuals, 696 of them over the course of time and the current platoon just being able to work with those other tomb guards that have the same profound dignity and perseverance to execute that mission, it's not difficult. It's the tomb guards that make the mission that much more important. Okay, lots of great questions and I don't know if you can answer this one, but the Vietnam soldier, either one of you who was identified, do either of you know anything about that soldier? His name or where he was from or I guess it could have been a woman too. It was, do you want me to answer, Jeff? Yeah, go right ahead. Okay, once he was identified after DNA testing, he was identified as first lieutenant, Michael J. Bellassi of the United States Air Force. And at the request of his family, he was reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. That crypt is still empty and it was replaced with a crypt cover that states honoring, keeping faith in America's mission servicemen with the period dates for Vietnam. Okay, and now we have some questions. Tell us a little bit more about the badge that you're wearing. You talked about that earlier, but maybe a little greater in-depth answer for us. So in order to finish your training as a tomb guard to get your guard to move the unknown soldier identification badge, it is a five test system and the testing system are, it's your test set on a three, the same three pillars, they just become increasingly more difficult as you go through testing. It could take up to nine to 12 months to complete testing and be awarded your guard to the unknown soldier identification badge at that point. The first test is an initial test and you get tested on knowledge, uniform outside performance. And the first set of knowledge is seven pages or a lever-batom. Uniform inspection is a possible 200 deficiencies and you are allowed to have 22 deficiencies and outside sequence, you're taught a sequence in 10 days and you can have one minor deficiency. If you pass that test, then you will move on to the first test and that first test afterwards, you're assigned to a relief. One of the three shifts that work during your assignment at the relief between the first test and the next one could take up to two months, three months. It's really how quickly you wanna push through testing. And it's the same graded standards, uniform outside of knowledge. The knowledge you're now given 11 pages and you'll write it verbatim as printed on blank pieces of paper. And then you have a uniform inspection and you have up to seven to nine deficiencies out of 200 deficiencies. Everything is measured with one and 64th of an inch deficiency. Outside ceremonial requirements, you can have one minor deficiency and no major deficiency. Going into test two, that one is your trainer will develop you into test two. Test two is 22 pages written from front as printed, words, presenting, sentence per paragraph, paragraph per page, lines, and et cetera. And you're allowed, you can have five deficiencies on 22 pages. Uniform deficiencies, you can have five deficiencies out of 200 deficiencies and outside ceremonial expectations or requirements you can have no deficiencies. Going into what we would call full rotation. Full rotation is a little bit different. Full rotation is a brief to a choosing group, a group of my old position, Sergeant of the Guards position. And all of that knowledge that you are required to memorize and retain, now you form it into a brief to public. Uniform standards and testing is the same, but now you're down to just two deficiencies out of potential 2200 and outside ceremonial requirements, no deficiencies. And then the last test is batch test. Batch test is a brief, same, no deficiencies and a deficiency would annotate false information given out, missing important information. And then a uniform deficiencies, so you can have no deficiencies and no deficiencies outside. So meeting line six, my standard row and main perfection. As that's over, we will have a guard or a ceremony awarding the chamber identification patch. That is impressive. So very, very impressed with all that you and all the tomb guards have gone through. And I understand why there are so few because that is very difficult. Well, if we are really out of time, it is past, I wanna keep this to 45 minutes, but I do have, if you could just answer, so tomorrow is Veterans Day. And what do you recommend that people do, students, adults alike, we'll start with you, Mr. Geisfeld and then get back to you. Great, I've been speaking in schools, a great deal about this book, sometimes in person, even now, this is what I recommend to students. At some time tomorrow, stop what you're doing, stand still, close your eyes, count 21 seconds slowly, one 1,000, two 1,000, three 1,000. And during those 21 seconds, as you are counting slowly, think about the tomb, think about Arlington, think about our Veterans, think about the selfless service of those Veterans past and present. And if you do, you will be a better person, you'll be a better community member and you will be a better America. Well, thank you. And Sergeant Porterfield, what is your suggestion, recommendation for honoring Veterans tomorrow? 100 years ago, tomorrow, there was a nationwide two minutes of silence and it was honored by the President at the time. So I think tomorrow would be really profound as if we as wherever you're at, have two minutes of silence on the 11th hour of Veterans Day, where we all started our very, very deep sense of criticism. Well, thank you. I mean, there's wonderful advice and I hope those who are listening will remember that. If we could all try to do that tomorrow at 11 o'clock and remember our Veterans, that would be fantastic. Thank you both so very much. My apologies that we did not get to all the questions. Wonderful questions. Thank you to our audience. And again, thank you so much, Mr. Goddisfeld and thank you so much, Sergeant Porterfield for joining us today. And you have enriched our nation. Thank you and have a wonderful Veterans Day tomorrow. Wish you both the best. Thank you.