<P> The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or the Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to U.S. service members who have died without their remains being identified . Having no officially designated name, it is located in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, United States of America . The World War I "Unknown" is a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the Victoria Cross, and several other foreign nations' highest service awards . The U.S. Unknowns who were interred are also recipients of the Medal of Honor, presented by U.S. Presidents who presided over their funerals . </P> <P> On March 4, 1921, the United States Congress approved the burial of an unidentified American serviceman from World War I in the plaza of the new Memorial Amphitheater . On November 11, 1921, the unknown soldier brought back from France was interred below a three - level marble tomb . The bottom two levels are six marble sections each and the top at least nine blocks with a rectangular opening in the center of each level through which the unknown remains were placed through the tomb and into the ground below . A stone, rather than marble, slab covers the rectangular opening . </P> <P> Since 1921 the intent was to place a superstructure on top of the Tomb, but it was not until July 3, 1926, that Congress authorized the completion of the Tomb and the expenditure of $50,000 (with a completed cost of $48,000). A design competition was held and won by architect Lorimer Rich and sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones . An appropriation from Congress for the work was secured and on December 21, 1929, a contract for completion of the Tomb itself was entered into . The Tomb would consist of seven pieces of marble in four levels (cap, die, base and sub-base) of which the die is the largest block with the sculpting on all four sides . </P>

When did the tomb of the unknown soldier start