ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Colonel Tomb

So, let me tell you about something called the "Colonel Tomb". It's actually a nickname for a really important place: the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Have you ever heard of soldiers who fought in wars like World War I or World War II? Well, there are some soldiers who fought in wars but no one knows who they are because they didn't have any identification on them when they died. It's really sad because they gave their lives for their country, but nobody knows who they were or where they came from.

The Colonel Tomb is a special place in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, United States, where one of these unknown soldiers is buried. And it's not just any burial place - it's a really special one because soldiers called "guards" stand watch over the tomb day and night, 365 days a year, no matter what the weather is like. They stand there to show respect for the unknown soldier and all the other soldiers who fought and died in war.

The guards are very serious about their duties and they follow certain rules. For example, they march in a very special way and they change their positions every half hour. They even wear special uniforms that are very important to them. They do all of this because they want to show that they respect and honor the soldiers who fought for their country, including the unknown soldier in the Colonel Tomb.

So, in short, the Colonel Tomb is a very special place where an unknown soldier is buried and guards stand watch over it to show respect and honor for all soldiers who fought and died in war.