Hegseth awards medal to soldier who enforced silence at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

independent.co.uk — November 12, 2026 at 08:01 PM UTC

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded a medal to the soldier who reprimanded his group for laughing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day. The ceremony occurred Thursday at the Pentagon. Specialist Thomas Iglesias received the Joint Service Commendation Medal for upholding standards after he called out Hegseth's entourage for breaking silence at the memorial. Hegseth praised the soldier on X, writing "We love soldiers. We love standards." The incident went viral after laughter from Hegseth's group was recorded at Arlington National Cemetery. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by The Old Guard since 1948, requires visitors to maintain silence and respect at all times.

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