Wikipedia 23 Jul 2021 Almost one hundred years before the establishment of the United States Secret Service, the American Revolution’s indispensable man, General George Washington, was guarded by an elite unit of trusted soldiers, known as his Life Guard, who protected the commander in chief as well as performed special missions and engaged in battle. At 12:00 sharp on March 12, 1776, a line of soldiers stood ramrod-straight as snow gathered on their coats and cold wind bit their faces, awaiting inspection outside Washington’s headquarters in Cambridge, The Vassall House. Washington walked deliberately through the ranks of men, hand-picked by their commanding officers, four from each regiment, searching for a specific type and look he required for this small specialized unit.