An American soldier reprimanded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a group of his advisers for laughing and talking in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. CNN was the first to report the incident.
The incident occurred after a ceremony marking Veterans Day. Hegseth, his wife Jennifer and several of his aides had stopped in front of the memorial for photographs. Among them were Chief of Staff Ricky Buria, Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tammy Radabaugh.
When the group began to move away, laughter and conversation could be heard coming from it. The servicemember patrolling in front of the tomb halted, turned toward the visitors and called out: „All visitors must maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.“
The video shows the moment when the soldier reprimanded the group. It has not been established exactly who laughed, or whether Hegseth himself made any noise. CNN and other media outlets do not present this as a proven personal act by the secretary, but as a disruption of the silence by one or more people in his group.
Pentagon defended the soldier’s reaction
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said that the servicemember had acted correctly. „The secretary and the entire department have always honored and will always honor the sacrifices of the American servicemembers who protect the country. During this solemn observance, the soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain the required decorum,“ Parnell said.
The tomb is one of the most revered war memorials in the United States. It is dedicated to servicemembers who died in World War I and subsequent conflicts, whose remains were not identified. The memorial is guarded around the clock by a servicemember from the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the „Old Guard.“
The ceremony at Arlington
Hegseth and his team were at the cemetery for the Veterans Day ceremony. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other senior representatives of the US administration and military attended it.
The reprimand directed at the group was not accompanied by any information about disciplinary measures against Hegseth or his aides. The Pentagon presented the incident as a respectful reminder of the memorial’s rules.
Sources: apnews.com, cbsnews.com, kvia.com