Spotlight: Washington DC - Arlington National Cemetery

Spotlight: Arlington National Cemetery is a U.S. military cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. It was established during the Civil war on the grounds of the Arlington House, which had been the estate of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna (Custis) Lee. The 624-acre grounds contain casualties from every U.S. conflict since the Civil War, and even some who were re-interred there from prior conflicts. The cemetery, the Arlington House, Memorial Drive, the Hemicycle, and the Arlington Memorial Bridge form the Arlington National Cemetery Historic District.
     George Washington Parke Custis, a grandson of Martha Washington, purchased the land now known as Arlington Cemetery in 1802, and began constructing the Arlington House. The estate passed on to his daughter Mary Anna, who had married Robert E. Lee, one of the most respected officers in the U.S. Army. When war broke out between the North and the South, both sides attempted to recruit General Lee to lead their troops. As a native son of Virginia, he accepted a charge to lead the southern troops.

Arlington House

     In 1862, with the United States Soldiers' Cemetery and the nearby Alexandria Cemetery nearly full, Congress passed legislation authorizing the government to purchase lands for national cemeteries for military dead. After an examination of eligible sites, Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs' staff recommended Arlington as the most suitable location, both for its aesthetically pleasing location and the political advantage of denying the Confederate general the use of his land following the war. The land was purchased at a tax sale in 1864 for the sum of $26,800. Following Mary Anna Lee's death, her heir, Custis Lee, sued the government, claiming ownership of the land. He won in a 5-4 decision in the Supreme Court and was awarded the land, which he promptly sold back to the government for $150,000.

     President Herbert Hoover conducted the first national Memorial Day service at Arlington Cemetery on May 30, 1929. In 1992, Morrill Worcester donated thousands of wreaths to be placed on graves at Arlington during the Christmas season. Since then, his efforts have been expanded through Wreaths Across America, which donate wreaths not only to Arlington Cemetery, but also other military cemeteries across the nation.

Location: Arlington Cemetery is technically located in Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial in the National Mall. However, due to its federal designation as the National Cemetery, it is considered part of Washington DC.

Cost: As with many federal government sites, access to the cemetery is free

Time: The cemetery is open every day from 8 am to 5 pm (October-March), with extended hours (8am - 7 pm) from April-September. You will probably want to plan on staying about 2-4 hours.

Description: The Welcome Center at the entrance of the cemetery has maps, information services (helping you locate specific graves), kiosks for accessing ANC Explorer, a bookstore, restrooms, and water fountains. They also sell bottled water.
     The Arlington House is a Greek revival style mansion that is open to the public. It has been designated as a National Memorial to General Robert E. Lee who lived there prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Work is under way to restore the mansion, buildings and grounds to the way they looked in 1860.
     The Memorial Amphitheater was dedicated in 1920. Services are held here each Easter (6 am), Memorial Day (11 am) and Veterans Day (11 am) to honor all American service members who serve to keep the United States free.

Memorial Amphitheater

     One of the two most famous grave sites at the cemetery is The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. On March 3, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unidentified U.S. Soldier from World War I in the plaza of the new Memorial Amphitheater. On Memorial Day, 1921, four unknowns were exhumed from four WWI American cemeteries in France. U.S. Army Sgt. Edward F. Younger, a highly decorated solder, selected the Unknown Soldier of World War I from four identical caskets. The casket was then transported to the United States aboard the USS Olympia, and the remaining caskets were interred in the Meuse Argonne Cemetery in France. The Unknown Soldier lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda from his arrival until he was buried in his new tomb on Nov. 11, 1921 in a ceremony conducted by Pres. Warren G. Harding. The white marble sarcophagus includes the words: Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God. In 1956, two more unknown soldiers (one from WWII and one from the Korean War) were selected to be buried alongside their WWI comrade. The elaborate Changing of the Guard Ritual (a must see event) occurs every hour on the hour from October 1 - March 31. An additional guard change occurs on the half hour from April to September.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

     The other extremely famous grave site is that of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. He was buried at Arlington Cemetery three days later. During the funeral services, a propane-fed torch was lit, marking the grave with an eternal flame. The original plot was expanded to include the two deceased Kennedy children who were reburied in Arlington. The site was later moved to a location better suited to handle the thousands of people who visit the site every day. The only other U.S. president buried at Arlington Cemetery is William H. Taft.

President Kennedy and Jackie

     Other notable monuments and Memorials in the cemetery include: the 3rd Infantry Division Monument, the Argonne Cross, the Battle of the Bulge, the Beirut Barracks, the Canadian Cross, Chaplains Hill, Civil War Unknowns, the Coast Guard, the Confederate Memorial, the 9/11 Memorial, Iran Rescue Mission, Korean War, McClellan Gate, Memorial Avenue, Memorial Entrance, Nurses Memorial, PanAm Flight 103, Pentagon Group Burial Marker, Robert F. Kennedy grave, the Rough Riders Monument, Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial, Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial, Spanish-American War Monument, USS Maine Mast Memorial, USS Serpens Monument, and Woodhull Memorial Flagstaff.

Civil War Unknowns

Challenger Memorial

Spanish-American War Memorial

Rating: 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - Make sure you carry water with you since drinking fountains are few and far between. However, water is the only food or drink allowed on the grounds.
- The cemetery doesn't provide wheel chairs or strollers.
- The ANC Explorer, Arlington National Cemetery's app, enables families and visitors to locate gravesites, events or other points of interest throughout the cemetery by providing directions. It also provides access to self-guided tours, with easy access to general information.
- Due to its status as an active national cemetery with dozens of funeral services held daily, visitors are required to follow a code of conduct consistent with its nature. Please click here to peruse the list of Visitor rules.

Nearby: The Iwo Jima statue, The Pentagon, National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Lincoln Memorial, National Mall