One of the most sacred places in America is the Arlington National Cemetery. Each year heroes are laid to rest here. Families from across the nation visit Arlington throughout the year to pay respect to their love ones. Many American hero families who visit the Arlington Cemetery may have been mourning at the wrong grave. Arlington was once the home of George Washington’s adopted grandson, George Washington Parke Custis (“Arlington” 4). Custis adored Washington so much that he wanted to make the house a memorial to him. Upon Custis’ death, Arlington was left to his daughter, Mary Ann Custis. Mary Ann was married to Robert E. Lee. They lived in the house until the Civil War began. During the war, the house was used as a Union army camp (Stein 7-10). The Union government declared Arlington a national cemetery on June 15, 1864 (Reef 27). In order to be buried at Arlington, a person has to qualify for burial. Ones who have died on active duty and those who served for twenty or more years are permitted to be buried at Arlington. Others who qualify for burial at Arlington are veterans who suffered 30% or more disability and were honorably discharged from the military before October 1, 1949. Recipients of decorations such as The Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, or the Purple Heart also qualify for burial at Arlington. Burial for members of the president’s cabinet, other nationally elected officials, and Supreme Court Justices who served honorably in the military are also allowed. Burial is permitted for Presidents of the United States, who are also referred to as the Commander and Chief of the military (Reef 64). Not only are military heroes buried at Arlington, but memorials have also been built to honor others who have given their lives for America. The memorials that are located throughout Arlington tell a story about people throughout American history (Reef 43). Each year families walk the endless rows of white head stones at Arlington in order to pay their respects to the ones that have given their lives for America. One of the most visited graves at Arlington is that of President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy traveled the world to promote friendship between the United States and other nations. Americans were shocked when he was shot and killed in Dallas, TX in 1963. His grave is marked with an eternal flame that will burn forever, reminding people of his accomplishments (Reef 44-46).
Ever take a midnight train to Georgia? No, well ever drive through Georgia? When driving through Georgia on State Road 49, there is a little town called Andersonville that is very easy to miss. To many it is just another town. Yet this town has its own trail. The Andersonville Trail is a small brown dirt road that leads visitors to the Andersonville National Historic Site (Roberts xi). This National Historic Site looks like a “well- tended” national cemetery. On closer examination, this cemetery is nothing like Arlington (Roberts xi). “In this national cemetery, the marble headstones are so close together, they almost touch. The markers appear to be one long head...
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has struck my interest for the past few years. I have always been interested in historical events that impacted many lives. The Holocaust, the Berlin Wall, and World War I and II have always been something I take very seriously and I am very interested in learning about America’s history. The backstory behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is fascinating and after researching it more I learned new things that made me more motivated to write this essay in hopes that I get the honor of laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
In the midst of one of the busiest cities in the world, there lies a sanctuary. There lies an area where all men are equal, where poverty is non-existent, where all men are united under two things; the first being death and the second being America. Arlington National Cemetery is a tribute to all of the fallen heroes, the patriots, the soldiers, the pioneers, all who have cried American tears. I have been forever changed since visiting Arlington National Cemetery and it is a visit that every American should make. The statistics are truly mind-numbing, as more than four hundred thousand people have been buried at Arlington National Cemetery since the 1860s.
As the birds are singing their sweet melody, the terrain of Arlington National Cemetery is filled with sadness. Although the brilliant rays of sun are shinning through the thick colossal treetops, there is a chill in the air. While watching the mourners, the feeling of their sorrows is all too real.
America’s veterans should be honored because they have suffered through so many hardships that others could not and have not survived, and they did it for their country that they loved and still love today.
For years the burial ground was a forgotten part of American history until it was rediscovered in 1991. The site was then designated as historical landmark and later a national
...at Arlington National Cemetery be identical to other headstones instead of the gold inlay normally given to Medal of Honor recipients (“Audie Murphy” 1). He has been an inspiration to me as well as many others who served, are serving, and others who admire celebrity.
Throughout the years, there have been thousands of American soldiers killed in battle. Out of these thousands, there are some that are unidentified and unknown. This means that the families of these soldiers are never able to see their son or daughter ever again. To honor these unidentified soldiers, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was created in Arlington National Cemetery in 1921. On top of this hill, this monument contains the remains of unknown soldiers from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The tomb is guarded twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. It has been guarded every minute of every day since 1937. Photographer D. Myles Cullen captured one of these tomb guards in action. This visual depicts this tomb guard in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is significant because it honors the many soldiers that have died in war without being identified.
The widow or widower of A member of the Armed Forced who was lost or buried at sea or officially determined to be missing in action, A member of the Armed Forced who is interred in a US military cemetery overseas that is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission, or A member of the Armed Forced who is interred in Arlington National Cemetery as part of a group burial, could be buried there.You could be the surviving spouse, minor child, or permanently dependent child of any person already buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The parents of a minor child, or permanently dependent child whose remains, based on the eligibility of a parent, are already buried in ANC. A spouse divorced from the primary eligible, or widowed and remarried, is not eligible for interment could be buried at Arlington. The parents of a minor child, or permanently dependent child whose remains, based on the eligibility of a parent, are already buried in ANC. A spouse divorced from the primary eligible, or widowed and remarried, is not eligible for interment, and Additionally a veteran’s cremated remains of an honorably discharged veteran may be placed in the columbarium. There are a lot of qualifications to be buried at Arlington, and it took a long time for people to be buried
Tom Van Putten served nine years in the U.S. Army, two of which were spent in Vietnam. In a phone interview with Tom, I asked him if he had ever visited the monument. In fact, he did and he discussed with me how hard it was to see a dozen names of men he knew that were put on that wall. "It's really an awesome monument; it is hard remembering what it was like coming home. I was definitely changed for life " (Van Putten).
The cemetery my grandfather is buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, one of the largest cemeteries in the New York City area. It’s filled with people of all backgrounds and nationalities that came to the city and surrounding area. It has become home to many people as it was created in 1917 and it’s still active to this day, showing exactly one hundred years of progression. The location of the cemetery’s first plots is important to begin with, because New York City is an urban and central hub for lots of the world, the cemetery being outside the city in Westchester County is done on purpose. A cemetery can be a somewhat depressing sight, so it’s placed away from everyone and where they will only see it if they travel out to. It creates a separation between “us and them” (233). Because of the large number of residents from New York City are buried there, the cemetery’s origins start the progressive story of how it grew. The beginning of the cemetery tells a great deal about who was living there at the time. The original tombstones had all of the last names seemed to be
The first Unknown Soldier’s corpse was from a battlefield in France. His remains were then put into a casket and sent to America. On the day of the tomb’s opening there was a large celebration that many attended to show reverence to the unknown, and to other men that died in battle. In America the soldier’s casket was followed by a large parade of military men to his resting place on top of a hill at the Arlington National Cemetery. In the video, US Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the narrator says, “In the amphitheatre of the Arlington Cemetery President Harding delivered a speech about the tomb. He then placed a congressional medal on the casket.” In this short video you can see the grief on all the civilians’ faces. This ceremony was a special part of America’s history. People were beginning to realize how real war was. People saw first hand that soldiers were putting their lives on the line for the sake of the U.S. citizens’ freedom. There were many soldiers to choose from to put into the tomb from each war. People who were high up in the military
... If the eligible parties wish to be buried in a private cemetery the VA will provide a head stone, marker or medallion at no cost, the only cost the parties may see is from the cemetery for the installation fees if they will accept a government furnished headstone. (VA) As stated previously, the VA operates the nation’s largest healthcare system with more than 1,400 medical sites of care. To be eligible for VA health care you must have served in the active military and been discharged or released on conditions other than dishonorable.
The Civil War was one of the bloodiest and deadliest conflicts in U.S History. In Gettysburg there were three consecutive days in July, were the most soldiers were hurt. There were a total of 51,000 soldiers who were missing, wounded, or dead (Goodheart 1). There was no place to bury all the dead. There were about 7,000 bodies of the soldiers left in the battlefield. Some were buried in shallow graves and had very little identification (Goodheart 1). With the heat and rain the town started to smell like decaying animals mixed with the odor of human bodies (Borrit 5). The governor decided to make a National Cemetery were all of the dead soldiers would have a place to be honored. This is where one of the famous addresses
“ Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known but to God.” The Solemn phrase engraved into what became the tomb of the Unknown Solider offers a sense of dignity and tranquil feeling to those who visits the magnificent marble sarcophagus. The body of an unknown soldier was entombed on November 11, 1921, as a tribute paid by the Americans to those soldiers who perished during World War I. A military honor guard was established at the tomb. The honor guard is made up of select members of the Third U.S. Army Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard. Guarded day and night, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier became a national memorial that will forever symbolize the peace, victory, and valor of those American soldiers died fighting for the freedom of this country.