On June 2, 2025, Tomb Guard Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Jay stood on Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Plaza and held up a white rose. Then, he dropped to one knee and laid it at the base of the Tomb, which is the gravesite for an Unknown Soldier from World War I. Jay then laid a rose at each crypt that honors the other Unknowns: those who had served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Jay had just made his last “walk” as a Tomb Guard. Since 1948, soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 3d Infantry Regiment “The Old Guard” have guarded the Tomb 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In a poignant tradition, departing Tomb Guards lay roses at the Tomb to honor the Unknowns during their final walk.
Jay, the 41st Sergeant of the Guard, spent 29 months leading and teaching a new generation of Tomb Guards, greeting visitors, engaging with the public, and hosting foreign dignitaries and presidents during wreath-laying ceremonies. He will now head to Michigan State University to serve as an ROTC instructor.
During Jay’s last walk, his eight-year-old son, Finn, stood next to Sgt. Kaylee Johnston, who handed Jay his roses on the plaza’s steps. Jay handed a small toy to a smiling Finn. When Jay finished laying the roses, he returned to Finn, took him by the hand and the two walked off the plaza together—Jay for the last time.
At Jay’s departure ceremony, Commander of the Guard Capt. Sean-Paul Stolarski stated that Jay “has the exact personality that you want for this job. He's incredibly outgoing and a pleasure to talk with, which is key to interacting with so many people.” He added, “This job is tough on any family, but his ability to balance this job and family has been tremendous.”
The 3d Infantry’s 4th Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Pete Vangjel called Jay well-loved by his platoon. “He’s got a great attitude,” he said, “and that’s what keeps units together and builds cohesion.”
Several Tomb Guards praised Jay’s leadership. Staff Sgt. Damien Frombach, who served under Jay for over a year, described him as a father figure. Frombach recalled his first day with the Guards when Jay told him, “My office door is always open. My phone's always there to call. If you ever need anything, let me know.” Sgt. Johnston, similarly, called Jay one of the best leaders she ever had, “not only at an Army level but a personal level.” She added, “If I ever called, he was there for me.”
Staff Sgt. Isaiah Jasso-Campagna echoed Johnston’s statement, calling Jay one of the best platoon sergeants he ever worked with. “He made coming to work enjoyable,” he said. “He was my friend as well as my platoon sergeant and I’m going to miss him.”
During the ceremony, Jay thanked the Tomb Guards he led. “Any accolades I’ve gained since being here is because of you,” he said. Then he motioned to Finn, sitting in the front row. “Everything I do is in support of this little guy right here,” he said, beaming with pride. “You’re the reason that I get up every day and can be competent and successful in my job and everything I do.”
As he reflected on his time leading the platoon, Jay said that Tomb Guard training humbled him. “I had to turn into a trainee and then transition back into the man in charge,” he said, “all the while getting critiques from younger soldiers”—and while earning his college degree. The hard work paid off as Jay watched younger Tomb Guards mature under his guidance. “They come in fresh from the outside and then they turn into these men and women who can train for ceremonies and brief generals, ministers of defense and presidents,” he said. “That’s the best part.”
