Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington, Virginia: The 624 acres of Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for over 300,000 men and women of our armed forces serving the United States from the Civil War through today’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The land that is occupied by the cemetery was initially purchased in 1802 for the construction of the Arlington House. The estate was eventually passed down to Robert E. Lee. Lee declined the offer by President Lincoln to lead the Union troops and became the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War. After Lee’s surrender at McLean House, Union officers decided to make Lee’s estate a graveyard for Union soldiers as a penalty for his disloyalty to the Union.

As the United States Soldier’s National Cemetery began to fill up, the need to expand was evident. In 1864, General Montgomery Meigs declared 200 acres of the Lee estate be used as a cemetery.

By the early 1900’s the cemetery continued to grow. In 1913, Congress authorized the construction of a structure to honor the soldiers. President Woodrow Wilson laid the cornerstone of the Memorial Amphitheater on October 15, 1915. The amphitheater is the site of Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day ceremonies as well as state funerals.

Over the years, the cemetery has grown to 624 acres. It is divided into 70 sections. The sections designate different personnel classifications, groups or conflict periods.

The first military burial took place in 1864 for Private William Henry Christman. Since then Arlington National Cemetery has become the final resting place for over 300,000 people including;

• President John F Kennedy
• President William Taft
• Senator Robert Kennedy
• Senator Edward Kennedy
• Colonel Ruby Bradley
• General Abner Doubleday
• Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest III
• Brigadier General Montgomery Cunningham Meigs
• Major Glenn Miller
• General George S Patton IV
• General John J Pershing
• General Philip Sheridan
• Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr
• Washington DC Designer Pierre Charles L’Enfant
• Boxer Joe Louis
• Chief Justice William Rehnquist

One of the most notable gravesites is the Tomb of the Unknowns. Opened in 1932, the tomb contains the remains of three unknown solders. There is a soldier from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. There was also an unknown soldier from the Vietnam War but in 1998 the remains were identified and the soldier was reinterred. However the empty Vietnam War crypt remains. The tomb is guarded by the US Army’s Third Infantry Regiment. The guards have watched over the tomb continuously since 1948.

The cemetery is also home to many monuments and memorials. Some of the more famous include:

• John F Kennedy Eternal Flame
• USS Main Memorial
• Space Shuttle Challenger Monument
• Pan Am Flight 103 Memorial Cairn

Arlington National Cemetery is the second largest cemetery in the county, performing close to 100 graveside services a week. Over four million visitors come to the cemetery each year to pay their respects to the men and women who defend our country.

For more photos, visit my Arlington National Cemetery photo page.