Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Sign at Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington, D.C. in Virginia on the western bank of the Potomac River.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was established to honor American service members who died in World War I and were unidentified.
The first Unknown Soldier interred was an unidentified American soldier from World War I. The soldier was selected from the American battlefields in Europe by General John J. Pershing and was ceremonially laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on November 11, 1921.
Soldiers were assigned to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beginning 1926, primarily to discourage visitors from climbing or stepping on it. In 1937 guards became a presence at the tomb 24 hours an day, all year long.