For nearly a century, the plaza at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has had one person standing guard.

This member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment takes 21 deliberate steps across the plaza, which is located at the heart of Arlington National Cemetery. The guard pauses for 21 seconds, changes direction and switches their weapon to the opposite shoulder, before pausing for 21 more seconds.  Then the ritual begins anew. Each hour (and even more frequently in the hot summer months), there is an elaborate changing of the guard that draws onlookers. 

But this week, for the first time since the Old Guard took up its post at the tomb, the regiment shared the plaza with members of the public.

Visitors lined up for hours for the opportunity to pay their respects and lay flowers at the white marble tomb, which reads, “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.” A neat pile of roses, lilies, sunflowers, and more lay at the front of the tomb and created a colorful border that snaked around its sides.

As people approached, some took a moment to salute the tomb, make a sign of the cross, or hold their hands over their heart.

“It was just awe-inspiring,” says Linda Yerdon, a Vietnam-era veteran who laid flowers at the tomb on Tuesday. She took the Metro to visit from Carroll County, Maryland. “I was so impressed that so many Americans came to do this, and there were so many veterans and so many young Americans coming out. It gives you hope for our future.”

November 11 will mark 100 years since an unknown soldier who died in World War I was first interred at the tomb. Arlington National Cemetery is commemorating the occasion with a series of events, including a flyover and a procession resembling the one that occured a century prior.

Already, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a big tourist draw and a common stop for foreign dignitaries. Cemetery spokesperson Amber Vincent says that the public’s enthusiasm for approaching the tomb exceeded their expectations, and that “we’re very grateful.”

Ray Longo, a veteran who lives in Ashburn, Virginia, has three relatives buried at Arlington National Cemetery. “I’ve been here several times, but it’s the only opportunity I will have, probably in my lifetime, to approach the tomb itself,” he says. While he hadn’t gotten to the plaza yet, he imagined that a “reverence for the unknowns themselves and for all the veterans” would be on his mind when he did.

Representatives of the Vet Center, a community-based counseling center with 300 locations across the country, sat under tents in the cemetery and at the entrance to tell veterans about the services they provide.

“They’re coming to visit here at Arlington National Cemetery. They’re coming to participate in the ceremony itself. And that can be very moving,” says Wayne Stinchcomb, a veterans outreach program specialist from Silver Spring. “And it can actually cause a lot of struggle within the veteran or family member  – that this brings back memories and trials and maybe even traumas.”

The commemoration of the Tomb continues throughout the week.