7. There may never be another addition to the Tomb of the Unknown. There are 5,000 unknown, unidentified remains including from World War I, World War II and the Korean War.
A Vietnam unknown interred in 1984 had his remains exhumed in 1998 and was positively identified as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie who was then reinterred at a military cemetery in Missouri.
Advantages and improvements on DNA study have made identification much easier.
8. Soldiers have planted flags in front of every tombstone on Memorial Day weekend ever since 1948. Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, the Army's official ceremonial unit known as the "Old Guard" do it with the help of military volunteers. In 2012, 1700 soldiers participated in the even, referred to as "Flags-In."
Flags are placed precisely one foot and centered in front of the tombstones. They planted approximately 220,000 flags on Thursday and removed them on Sunday.
So, Now You Know.
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