On Thursday, Nov. 21, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Guest presented a plaque to a soldier who remarked on their laughter and behavior when he and his friends visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery the day before.
According to the Associated Press news agency, Thomas Iglesias, a soldier in the US Army, after hearing loud laughter while taking pictures of the guest and his friends in front of the grave, asked them to respect the order of this place.
After the video of the incident was released, Guest invited the military unit responsible for protecting the tomb to the Pentagon and presented Iglesias with the Joint Service Appreciation Medal. He posted photos of the medal awarding ceremony on social media and wrote: "We love the soldiers. We like standards. Well done, soldier."
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, also announced that the soldier "correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain the civility and dignity of this place."