ALUMNI PROFILE
Raymond Diaz, Pi ‘66, Served as Sentinel of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers BY FRANK PERCIAVALLE, PSI ’78 Throughout our history, American soldiers, of the Third Relief at the Tomb. Raymond’s sailors, airmen and marines have sacrificed for Badge Number is 85, which represents the our country. In defense of our freedoms, many eighty-fifth sentinel to receive the award for have made the greatest sacrifice; they gave their “walking the mat.” lives. Some have done so in circumstances that Ray graduated in 1968 from West Virginia not only cost them their lives but cost them University after growing up in Hillsdale, N.J.. He their very identity. served as Pi Chapter President for the Fraternity To honor these heroes and to ensure that in 1967/68. Upon graduation, Ray entered law their sacrifices are never forgotten, the Tomb school at the University of Pittsburgh. While at of the Unknown Soldiers and its adjacent Pitt, he received his draft notice and volunteered amphitheater were established among the for service. He served the Tomb from November rolling hills of Arlington Cemetery in 1921. 1969 until September 1970. After his military serSituated on a bluff overlooking the Potomac vice, Ray completed law school at Georgetown River and our nation’s capital, the Tomb is the University and began the practice of law in final resting place of three unidentifiable solNorthern Virginia. During his legal career, Ray diers, one of whom died in combat during each was elected as President of the Virginia State Bar, of World War I, World War II and the Korean an agency of the Virginia Supreme Court to Conflict. The words etched on the face of the which all Virginia lawyers belong. Ray points to Tomb advise the thousands who visit Arlington one legal assignment with particular pride. He Ray on duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers Cemetery to witness the changing of the guard incorporated and obtained Section 501(c) (3) ceremony that they are on sacred ground: status for the Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb “Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known But to God.” of the Unknown Soldiers, an organization of former and current senIn recognition of the debt America owes to those who have served and tinels whose mission is to support those currently serving as sentinels and died in its defense, select members of the U.S. Army maintain a continuto educate the public, especially school children, on the Tomb and the ous vigil over the Unknowns at rest beneath the Tomb. These service mission of the sentinels. members, referred to as “sentinels,” are organized into three “reliefs” of Ray served as general counsel to the Society until his retirement. Ray’s four to five sentinels and a relief commander, none of whom are officers. oldest daughter, Marla, also an attorney, now serves the Society in that Each relief maintains the vigil for 24 hours and is relieved for a subsecapacity. Ray’s youngest daughter, Jocelyn, is an entertainment executive quent 48 hours. who recently moved to Charlottesville, Va., from Los Angeles, Ca. During the summer the guard is changed every half hour by a cereRay and his wife, Elaine, make their home on Callawassie Island, a sea mony conducted by the relief commander and the sentinel coming on island community located in the South Carolina Low Country just above and the sentinel going off watch. Following the changing of the guard the Hilton Head and the Savannah River. Elaine, a playwright, is active in ceremony, the posted sentinel marches along a mat in front of the amateur theatre and Ray continues his commitment to service by volunTomb, taking twenty-one steps from one side of the plaza to the other teering with local charities. Elaine and Ray celebrated their 50th wedand standing for twenty-one seconds at each end, evoking an honorary ding anniversary last December. twenty-one gun salute. Thank you, Ray, and to all of our brothers for their service to our When not on watch, the relief members are housed in the Tomb country. If there are other brothers who wish to share their military serGuard Quarters beneath the amphitheater. When not on watch, a senvice experiences, please let us know so that they can be recognized. tinel’s duty-day is consumed in practicing, training prospective sentinels and in maintaining the sentinel’s uniform and equipment, with only brief opportunities to sleep during nighttime hours. Candidates to become sentinels are identified after rigorous screening from among volunteers serving in the Army’s elite ceremonial unit, the Third Infantry Regiment (the “Old Guard”), which is stationed at Fort Myer, immediately adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery. After selection, each sentinel candidate undergoes lengthy training and testing before a final decision is made as to whether the candidate is qualified to join those who guard the Unknowns. Fewer than 20% of all volunteers are selected for consideration to serve as sentinels and only a fraction of those are selected to serve at the Tomb and go on to earn the Tomb Guard Identification Badge. As of 2019, only 663 Tomb Guard Badges have been awarded. One of those sentinels who has been awarded the Tomb Guard Badge is our fraternity brother. Brother Raymond Diaz, Pi Chapter (West Virginia University), volunteered, was selected and served as a member Ray (2nd from left) and his fellow Sentinel Relief. This page sponsored by David Alcaro, Lambda ’95, University of Pennsylvania.
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KLEOS-The Magazine of Alpha Phi Delta, November 2020
www.APD.org
