The faint sound of drums and trumpets became louder until he eventually reached the circle, and a choir of decorated officers began to sing France’s national anthem, “La Marseillaise.” The procession continued as Macron approached the Arc de Triomphe and its Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which holds the remains of an unidentified French soldier killed during World War I, and serves as a memorial for all fighters lost in war. Macron stood in front of the tomb and took a deep breath. Before the ceremony began, decorated military officers swept its surface with wooden push brooms.