Arlington Cemetery

Where: Arlington, Virginia

When: May 28, 1997 / May 11, 2014

With: Class field trip / Dave, Nic & David

When I took my 8th grade field trip to DC, there was no way my middle-school-brain could have wrapped itself around the gravity of our nation's military cemetery, Arlington. While I appreciated what it was and that it was sad, the impact of war and death and soldiers only a few years older than me paying the ultimate sacrifice for their country escaped me. The rows and rows of grave markers simply didn't impact me at such a young age. So, if there's one place I'm extremely happy to have visited again as an adult, it is Arlington, which I visited with Nic and David. 

Two visits, two different experiences, same photo. 

The land used for Arlington Cemetery was originally owned by George Washington's step-grandson. He then passed it to his daughter, Mary Anna, who married a military man by the name of Robert E. Lee. Perhaps you've heard of him? When Civil War broke out, Lee renounced his position in the US Army for the Confederacy and soon the property was taken over by his Confederate soldiers. This posed a huge threat to the Union, as their capital was  visible from the high ground that Arlington provided.

Eventually the Union won the land, and when subsequent battles in the Civil War had resulted in local cemeteries to be at capacity, it was determined that Arlington would be the ideal locale for a national military cemetery (they also liked the idea of not giving Robert E. Lee his land back). And so, in 1864, the first military burial occurred. Interestingly, Robert E. Lee's former home continues to stand and look over the cemetery. 

Since that first burial, over 400,000 soldiers have been laid to rest on this land. Their markers are almost all the same color and shape, with their names, ranks, and religious affiliation etched on them. They are lined up in perfect rows, creating eery geometric patterns and making the countless number of graves appear overwhelming. 

Further into the cemetery, we found that some of older graves have some different shapes and sizes. We also found that sadly, this place goes on forever. 

One of the most famous people buried at Arlington is President John F. Kennedy (one of only two US Presidents buried in Arlington). He is buried alongside his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and two of their children who died at birth. Their graves sit at the bottom of the hill from the Lee house and have a view on Washington, DC.  

Just beside their graves sits the Eternal Flame, which was lit when Kennedy was buried, and has (mostly) been burning ever since, though its site has moved a couple times. 

Near his older brother is the simple cross marking the grave of Robert Kennedy, also assassinated. 

The other famous memorial in Arlington is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This memorial is a symbol for all soldiers who died in battle and whose remains could not be identified. 

The large tomb has the following saying inscribed on its side: "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God". In the tomb once laid the body of one soldier from each of our most recent wars: World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. However, given advancements in DNA testing, it is unlikely that anymore soldiers will go unidentified in the future. In fact, the body of the soldier from the Vietnam War was eventually exhumed and identified, and no longer rests in the tomb. 

The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day by members of the US Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as the "Old Guard". Less than 20% of applicants to be a Sentinel of the Tomb are accepted for consideration, and only a few will then pass the rigorous training. It is the second hardest qualification badge in the US military to achieve.  

The soldier on duty walks back and forth along a mat placed in front of the tomb in a very specific routine. He takes exactly 21 steps across, turns to face the tomb and waits 21 seconds, turns again and waits 21 seconds before walking 21 steps back across and repeating at the other end. He will change the shoulder on which his gun rests, always between himself and the visitors to the tomb to display that he will stand between the tomb and any threat.  He does not wear any rank insignia, so as not to outrank the soldiers that lay in the tomb. 

The guard is changed every half an hour in the summer months, every hour in the winter months, and every two hours in the evening. There is a ceremony when the Sentinel is changed in which a ranking officer will oversee the transition of duties. 

Arlington National Cemetery is a beautiful place for our military to be laid to rest. It is wonderful to see them receive the honor they deserve for giving the ultimate sacrifice towards the defense and freedom of our country. I'm so happy I got to see this place again and show it the respect it deserves.