During the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the morning of Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, Spc. Jonathan Radabaugh said something unique to the relief guard: “Spc. Adam Platt, for the last time, post.” Platt spent the next half hour guarding the Tomb until Radabaugh came out again to replace him with another guard, at which point he stated: “Spc. Adam Platt, for the last time, fall out.”
Platt returned and placed a white rose at each of the three Unknown crypts, including the empty crypt representing those missing from the Vietnam War.
After 34 months of guarding the Tomb 663 times, conducting 115 guard changes, and helping to lay 469 public wreath ceremonies, Platt was departing from the Tomb Guards—part of the U.S. Army’s 3d Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard.” Altogether, he had walked 360 miles while guarding the Unknowns.
At Platt’s farewell ceremony, Commander of the Guard Capt. Henry Newstrom thanked Platt’s parents for their support and read quotes about Platt from his fellow guards. He also reminded Platt of his other family. “You will always be a soldier and a Sentinel,” Newstrom told Platt. “Do not forget who you represent and the family you will always be a part of.”
Platt has been a Tomb Guard since January 2022 and passed the rigorous tests to earn his Tomb Badge. “I pushed through, and it all paid off in the end,” he said. He credited his girlfriend for staying up late nights with him while he studied for the initial Tomb Guard training.
Platt will head to Columbus, Ohio, where he hopes to join law enforcement. He mentioned his friends when asked what he would miss the most about being a Tomb Guard. When asked what he would miss the least, he quickly remarked, “The shoe shining.”
Platt’s parents expressed pride in their son’s accomplishments. His father, Brian Platt, visited the cemetery several times to see his son training, earning his Tomb Badge and conducting his first guard change. “It’s sadness and pride all wrapped into one,” he said. “I’m sad to see this chapter end but excited to see the next chapter start.” Although Brian Platt served 11 years as a U.S. Army military policeman, he never told his son to join the military. “He made his own decisions,” he said. “His mom and I just stood behind him the whole way.”
Platt’s mother, Jill Diers, always thought that her son would end up in uniform. “He’s wanted to serve his country since he was three years old,” she said. “There’s no doubt in my mind why he is where he is today.”
