US Defense Secretary Awards Medal to Soldier Who Enforced Silence at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded a Joint Service Achievement Medal on Thursday to the soldier who reprimanded him and his team at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Hegseth praised the soldier's actions in a social media post. The soldier, Specialist Iglesias, shouted at Hegseth, his wife, and staff members for laughing and talking while taking photos after a Veterans Day ceremony on Wednesday. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the soldier "reminded everyone, correctly and respectfully, to maintain decorum." The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of America's most sacred war memorials, guarded 24/7 since 1948 by the "Old Guard" regiment. Sentinels routinely enforce silence and respect, and this is not the first time visitors have been corrected for excessive noise.