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 Iwo Jima Memorial, also known as the U. S. Marine Corps War Memorial, honors the Marines who have died defending the United States since 1775. The Iwo Jima Memorial is located near Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC.
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.
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
The Korean War Veterans Memorial is an ominous depiction of an American squad on patrol alongside a 164 foot mural wall, to show that freedom is not free. The memorial is dedicated to those who served in the Korean War but more importantly those of them who were killed in action, are still missing in action, or were held as prisoners of war. The memorial was created by Frank Gaylord and Louis Nelson. The objective of the memorial is to remind the public of the dedication to the United States of the men and women who served in the Korean War. The memorial was designed to show the trials and tribulations that many of the military personnel faced during the war.
At the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. lie the remains of four hundred thousand soldiers, but only four are given the title the unknown soldier. The tomb of the unknown soldier, also known as the Tomb of the Unknowns, is a monument that opened on November eleventh nineteen twenty-one. The tomb contains the remains of four unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The tomb is a reminder of America 's pastime. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a vital part of American history because it represents all the men and women who have selflessly given their lives for American freedom.
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.
Washington, DC is a spectacular place. This being my first time in DC, I was in awe of everything and all the historical places I encountered. The presence of the monuments and history is what made the capitol so magnificent. Having only read about the Lincoln memorial, I never had the chance to experience the sensation of being inside such an honorable place of importance. The imposing white marble walls of the memorial and the many people surrounding it could be seen from afar. Arriving at the location, an unknown feeling came over me. I was experiencing history in a whole different level. When I think about a memorial, the term remembrance comes to mind. Seeing the statue of Abraham Lincoln brought pieces of memories from history class and evoked thoughts of what it might have felt like to be in his shoes. I was astonished by the statue’s enormousness and how grand Abraham Lincoln looked in his chair. The size of the statue compared to pictures from books and elsewhere was surreal. Abraham Lincoln was a very “powerful and prominent individual” in the history of our nation, the statue’s design and size reflected upon that. Looking around me, I wanted to know what the others thoughts were on seeing his statue and how they felt in that building. I finally had the courage to ask one or two people what they thought; they all had the same appreciation as me. Hearing about an important person or learning about them in a history book gives you vast knowledge but it doesn’t evoke the feeling of utter appreciation as the memorial does. When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, many people wanted to build a memorial in honor of him. They wanted to be able to show how important he was to shaping our nation and to “honor his existence”. Ce...
There are a lot of qualifications to be buried at Arlington National cemetery, some things that you have to do or be to be eligible for Arlington are the following. Any active duty member of the Army Forces (except those members serving on active duty for training only) can be buried there. If you are a veteran for is retired from active military service with the Armed Forces. Veterans that are retired from the Reserves is eligible upon reaching ago 60 and drawing retired pay and those who have served a period of time on Active Duty other than training. If you are a former member of the Armed Forces separated honorably prior to October 1, 1949, for medical reasons and those who were rated 30% or greater disabled effective on the day of
... 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.
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 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