Over 4 million visitors, choose to visit Arlington National Cemetery every year. It has over 200 acres and was originally set up to be a military natural burial site in 1864 . It is the second largest national cemetery in the US with over 300,000 people buried there. This famous natural cemetery is situated in Arlington, Virginia and brings visitors here for various reasons. Some simply wish to be able to see a part of American history, some come to pay their respects and honor the nation’s war veterans and others are there for a funeral service and burial of a friend or relative .
For those people that are there to go to a funeral, they are in the company of a lot of others every week at Arlington. The cemetery has average of about 28 funerals everday during the week with no funerals happening on the weekends. Veterans from all of the nation’s the American Revolution all the way to Iraq and Afghanistan. There are specific ceremonies that happen during on the gravesite as well as a 21 gun salute in honor of the soldier. They also follow the funeral with the playing of taps and presenting the flag that was on the coffin to the relatives.
One of the most frequently visited sections of the Arlington national cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknowns. This is a monumental tomb that was created and houses the remains of an unknown soldier from every war. It is meant to symbolize all of the service members that died during war. There was a ceremony when each Unknown Soldier was interred into Arlington by the presiding President of the United States at the time. The only war that is no longer represented is the Vietnam War where the remains were taken out and identified and then the family of that soldier preferred to have him buried near their home. The Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded by the U.S. Army 24 hours a day 365 days a year .
There are important people that are well known in American History that are also honored by being laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. These people did not serve in the military but important to our history. There are several explorers buried including some astronauts too. Also, laid to rest here are famous political figures like the Kennedy brothers. Famous literary and medical figures are burial in Arlington too. There are also 2 Presidents of the United States buried in the cemetery and they are William Howard Taft and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Many visitors like strolling all around and seeing so many famous names buried in one location .
If you would like to travel to the Washington, D.C. area and make a stop at Arlington, Virginia to see this famous cemetery, it may be exciting to go there on a day that has special ceremonies surrounding it . Veteran’s Day typically has the current President speak in honor of all of the Americans that lost their lives for our nation .
Tags: natural burial, natural cemetery
