the tomb of the unknown soldier

     The tomb of the unknown soldier is another reality many people insist is pretend--something Hollywood invented to dramatize a war story. The tomb of the unknown soldier is real. The unknown soldier is a soldier who was killed in action in a war, but whose remains cannot be identified. The reality of his death in combat and lack of ID make him a symbol of all of the soldiers who were killed in wartime, particularly those whose remains were never returned or identified. This is not a new idea. The tomb of the unknown soldier of the American Revolution is in Philadelphia, right near Independence Hall. There are other unknown soldiers from other wars, and in other countries.

tomb of the unknown soldier

     The tomb of the unknown soldier is a real American tradition--not pretend. There is a real dead soldier, killed in combat, buried in a tomb, with a memorial. Each of these "unknown soldiers" is someone whose body could not be identified. In this way the one soldier stands for all of the soldiers killed in the war. The unknown soldier of the American Revolution (1775-1783) is buried here in Philadelphia, with a perpetual flame as a memorial.