ARLINGTON, Va. -- A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., commanded a Marine Corps honor guard detail during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Aug. 13.
Capt. Greg Frankenfield, Company A second platoon commander, led his platoon in the ceremony honoring Gen. Harald Sunde, Norway’s chief of defense. Foreign dignitaries typically pay their respects at the symbolic tomb for unidentified fallen service members when visiting the Capitol area, just as American heads of state often do at similar sites in foreign nations.
The ceremony featured an honor guard from each branch of service, a joint service color guard and a performance by the Army’s Old Guard and Army Band.
“It’s an honor to be standing next to the tomb while the country and foreign dignitaries pay respect,” said the 2001 graduate of Scottsdale Horizon High School. “It’s a very important piece for Americans to see that other countries honor the tomb, something we hold sacred.”
Frankenfield, 29, is responsible for approximately 35 Marines’ professional development and wellbeing, as well as the operational success of the platoon.
As a platoon commander at Marine Barracks Washington, Frankenfield marches with his platoon during every Friday Evening and Tuesday Sunset Parade at the Barracks from late April to late August. The Barracks conducts its prestigious Evening and Sunset Parades for thousands, including such notables as President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Maj. Gen. Buster Howes, the British Royal Marine commandant, and other top leaders from all branches of military service, both foreign and domestic.
Frankenfield’s awards include two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, two Afghanistan Campaign Medals, and three Iraq Campaign Medals.