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. There is an average of thirty funerals a day, and more than four million people
One of those things is the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A young soldier with a face as solid as steel, hands as strong as iron takes twenty-one steps as he crosses in front of the white tomb. The words etched into the tomb are “Here Rests in Honored Glory An American Soldier But Known To God.” Americans from all walks of life watch, tears clouding the eyes as a young Boy Scout lays a red, white and blue wreath at the foot of the tomb. The soldier stopped and announced that all in attendance were to stand in silence, with their hand laid across their heart. All Veterans or current military personnel were encouraged to salute. I was fascinated by the young family beside me who was visiting from France. As they all placed their hands over their hearts I realized that American soldiers don’t just fight for America, they fight for the world. The patriotism swelled in my already overfilled
But those people have never been to Arlington National Cemetery. It doesn’t matter that our country is faced with humongous issues and that Washington is more divided than ever. What matters is those men and women who gave their life for this country. Every man, woman, child, white, black, straight, gay, Republican, Democrat, rich or poor, should pay their respects to those who rest in eternal peace at Arlington National
A time to remember those who died, those who served, and those who carry on.” ~Unknown. Servicemen make sacrifices daily. During 9/11, the Manhattan firefighters were responding to a gas leak when they heard the explosion from one of the twin towers. Policemen and firefighters from all around New York and surrounding areas came to help rescue the victims. They searched through rubbish and raced with time to check the buildings before and after the buildings collapsed. There were clouds of smoke, dust, and debris flying through the streets; blinding the bystanders. Hundreds of servicemen died that day, including military personnel in the Pentagon who were also hit by the hijackers. I had a cousin named Johnnie Doctor Jr who was in the Navy. He was killed in the Pentagon. I never got to know him, but from what I heard he was a great person to be
On March 4th, 1921, Congress approved the commissioning of a tomb of an unknown soldier of World War 1, this soldier will be buried in the new Memorial Amphitheater (“The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”). On Memorial day 1921, U.S. Army Sgt. Edward
Our veterans helped make our country the best country, which is known for fact.Today, because of our veterans I’m proud to say that every citizen has the right to speak and share their voice no matter what their race is. In some countries, there are still racial conflicts and all races.I am also proud to say that every child in America,no matter what their race is, they can have a free education. Most children in other countries are not allowed to go to school because they can’t afford it instead, they go to work
The memorial grew out of a need to heal the nation's wounds as America struggled to reconcile different moral and political points of view. In fact, the memorial was conceived and designed to make no political statement whatsoever about the war. The Memorial is a place where everyone, regardless of opinion, can come together and remember and honor those who served. By doing so, the memorial has paved the way towards reconciliation and healing, a process that continues today.
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.
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.
The African Burial Ground located in the Lower Manhattan section of New York City is a National Monument dedicated to the thousands of African slaves who were forcibly taken from their native homelands into a life of servitude by Europeans. These slaves were brought to New York before it became the great city that is now today and forced to work to build it into a stable colony without any compensation. Approximately 15,000 are estimated to be buried within the burial ground. The remains of men, women and children of all ages were found at the site and their remains provide further proof of the cruel and violent injustices slaves had to face at the hands of their slavers.
The museum on the property allows visitors to view many achieves, objects, and library collections. The Stones River National Cemetery located on the property is open to the public. There are more than 6,100 Union soldiers that were laid to rest here. Of these, 2,562 graves are of unknown soldiers. There are also 1,000 veterans that have served in the last century, and family members of soldiers buried in the cemetery. Many of these soldiers were reburied here after a year long task of finding fallen Union soldiers, and relocating their remains from the battlefield to the cemetery. This task fell to the African American Union soldiers. The park offers talks, tours, and special events that are open to the public. This includes reenactments of the battle. The park also offers a look into the stories of the Thirteenth United States Colored Infantry. The story of William Holland and his struggle for freedom shed light on one of the most important results of the Civil War. The story allows visitors to follow his story to
I felt this morbid and realistic presence of the soldiers and for a mere second felt the gloom and menace of the war they were in. I walked around the site to gather more information on what the memorial was dedicated to. I walked past the mural wall and as I did, I paid particular attention to the various images of people and equipment on the wall. All of the facial expressions of the people on the wall gave the memorial a very real presence to it. I continued walking down the granite walk
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.
This gathering to honor the American Veteran is a tribute to their glory and their devotion to duty.
Why do sentinels guard the tomb 24/7? Why is the tomb so sacred to America? There is no specific way to answer all these questions that so many American’s ponder, but there are many possibilities to consider. The tomb of the Unknowns has a special place in many American’s hearts. Since the remains in the tomb are unidentified many mothers, fathers, wives, and other family members feel a strong connection with the tomb. The families that lost soldiers that never returned after these wars connected with the tomb because they felt that the tomb may contain their sons, husbands, or brothers. What if you were somehow related to one of the four soldiers in the tomb? John Eisenhower wrote a newspaper article about the significance of the tomb. In his article he states, “Its significance is staggering going to the very core of how democracy defends itself in a perilous world.” This quote reveals that the tomb represents America’s fight for democracy in this dangerous world. After every war America remains a democracy even when the world around may not agree. Eisenhower thought this monument was different from any other because it honors soldiers. Most monuments honor men that are high up in the military, but this one honors those who are simply the soldiers. The soldiers in the tomb signify all the other soldiers that have lost their lives at war. The tomb of the unknown soldier is found in many other countries
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...
For the past two decades, roads became more than a medium of transportation. They turned into places that hold symbolic meaning to certain families in the form of roadside memorials. Roadside memorials are stone markers that serve the purpose of honoring the lives of those killed in automobile accidents. They usually take the shape of a Christian cross, whereby the name of the deceased is carved in the cross’s horizontal line. Normally surrounding the memorial are flowers and other gifts to illustrate grief. This stone is situated at the location of the person’s death. Roadside memorials are put there by the family and relatives of the victim as a method of immortalizing their memory. It reassures them that although the person has died, their memory continues to live. However, roadside memorials create a lot of controversy. Some believe they are a noble act keeping drivers reminded of the dangers of reckless driving. Yet others believe they should be banned for being a source of distraction on the road, as well as a violation to laws, specifically the one stating religious symbols should not be in public grounds. However, with the application of some restrictions, roadside memorials should not be banned because of their benefits.
With a strong 150 year legacy, Crown Hill Cemetery is one of the historical sites in Indiana that reflects upon the heritage of its citizens. This cemetery is the nations third largest non-government cemetery. During the Civil War back in 1863 was the when Crown Hill cemetery was founded. It is a very unique site for its historical context and size. It serves many families in Indiana with funeral homes services and historical backgrounds. If visited you will begin to notice and understand how the cemetery is a great place of reflection and education for thousands of its visitors who attend the cemetery every year. The few words that could describe the atmosphere of Crown Hill would be beautiful, articulate, reverence and peace. No other cite in Indianapolis offers such high level of serenity and great historical architect such as Crown Hill Cemetery.