Judy Goby-Oxenby was the guest speaker at the regular meeting of the John Bartram Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Goby-Oxenby, honorary regent of the Big Cypress Chapter of the DAR, presented a powerful presentation about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
She offered many photos and described how the body of the deceased soldier was chosen and then respectfully transported from France to the United States.
At all times, the casket was guarded and even had to be strapped onto the deck of the USS Olympia during its transit. It encountered two hurricanes prior to arriving in Washington, D.C. Some 90,000 persons filed past the casket as it sat in State in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building. It was then moved into Arlington National Cemetery, where it now resides. The tomb originally laid atop a marble slab. Later it was incased in a raised crypt with wreaths on three sides. The front of the sarcophagus depicts three figures representing Peace, Victory and Valor. More than 700 enlisted men have served as tomb guards. And thousands have visited the tomb over the years.
This concludes the celebration of the the 100th anniversary of the Dedication of the Tomb by members of John Bartram.
