Joe Pitts: “as he stood on the beaches of Normandy, taking stock of what it cost to invade Europe, then-General Eisenhower asked…”

“as he stood on the beaches of Normandy, taking stock of what it cost to invade Europe, then-General Eisenhower asked, ``Where do we get such men?'' I think he would have asked a similar question last week. As Hurricane Isabel bore down on the east coast, Washington did what it often does: It panicked. We closed up the government and shut down the schools. But a different story was unfolding at Arlington National Cemetery. That solemn ground is the resting place for 260,000 soldiers. It is a site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, built to honor those who died for our country, but whose remains were never identified. Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment stand guard at the Tomb 24 hours a day. They are known as ``The Old Guard.'' When Hurricane Isabel hit the Washington, D.C., area, it packed winds up to 75 miles per hour and torrential rains. Cemetery officials relieved The Old Guard of their duty until the storm passed, but The Old Guard refused to leave. Staff Sergeant Alfred Lanier said the Tomb is something ``we cherish.'' Sergeant Christopher Holmes said leaving the Tomb is ``never an option for us,'' saying he was prepared to die while guarding it. We can only join with President Eisenhower in asking, ``Where do we get such men?''”