Today, five of us took our own self-guided walking tour of
Arlington National Cemetery. It is the country’s largest military cemetery and
serves as the final resting place for more than 400,000 military veterans and
their immediate family from the fronts of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as
World Wars I and II, the Korean conflict, Vietnam, the Cold War and America’s
Civil War.
On average, 25 burials occur each weekday, for a total of
nearly 6,900 each year. Flags at
Arlington National Cemetery are flown at half-staff from 30 minutes prior to
the first funeral until 30 minutes past the last funeral. Arlington National Cemetery burial
eligibility requirements are stricter than all other national cemeteries. Today the cemetery covers over 600 acres and
contains the remains of more than 400,000 veterans in 70 burial sections, and
38,500 remains in the eight crypts. The
pathways of the cemetery conform to the natural topography of the site, and
much of the site is naturally landscaped, although several major pathways,
particularly at the southeast corner of the grounds, are lined with trees. Throughout the cemetery, monuments are placed
atop prominent hills, many providing visual and symbolic links to Washington,
DC, located across the Potomac River.
Our first stop was the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy. At his funeral on Nov. 25, 1963, Jacqueline and Robert Kennedy lit an eternal flame that remains alight today. Two of Kennedy’s children and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis are also buried alongside the president.
Arlington House, the former residence of Robert E. Lee, sits
on a hill overlooking the cemetery. Originally built to be a living memorial to
George Washington. Over the years, the house was also used as a plantation
estate and home to 63 slaves, a military headquarters, a community for
emancipated slaves and a national cemetery. Although Robert E. Lee never owned
the property, he and Mary Anna lived there until 1861 when Virginia seceded
from the Union and Lee took command of the Virginia State Military while Mary
Anna took safety elsewhere. Lee never
returned to Arlington House.
In 1864, the Federal Government repossessed the property
over a failure to pay taxes and put it up for auction where a tax commissioner
purchased the property for government, military, charitable, and educational
purposes.
Lee’s son, Custis Lee, sued
over the confiscation of the property, and in 1882, the Supreme Court ordered
the land returned to the Lee family.
The
following year Congress purchased the property outright.
On June 15, 1864, the Arlington House property and 200 acres
of surrounding land were designated as a military cemetery as Quartermaster
General Montgomery C. Meigs wanted to ensure that Lee could not return to the
site. The first burial at Arlington
National Cemetery was that of Private William Henry Christman, who lies in
Section 27, Lot 19. The grave of the Private, from the 67th Pennsylvania, is
the oldest military grave at Arlington. Christman was laid to rest on May 13,
1864.
In April 2004, "Mean Girls" was playing in
theaters and "Yeah!" by Usher was topping the Billboard music charts.
At the same time, around the mid-Atlantic region, small holes in the ground
were opening up from which billions of bulky, red-eyed, winged insects would
emerge, readying for a bacchanal of singing and mating -- and reminding humans
of a horror movie. As the summer of 2004 waned, so did the lifespan, just a few
weeks long, of those adult cicadas, and the larvae of the next generation
dropped back to the earth where they would spend the next 17 years.
This spring, 17 years later, those cicadas are part of Brood
X (ominous as the "X" sounds, it stands for the Roman numeral ten)
and for all that time they have been underground eating and growing. Researchers
aren't sure exactly how many will surface, except that it will be in the
billions: They estimate the numbers will be at least 1.5 million per acre,
which could mean as many as 30 of the creatures covering your average square
foot. Brood X, sometimes referred to as the Great Eastern Brood, is among the
largest in terms of geographical areas in North America, according to the
University of Connecticut's Cicada Mapping Project.
The billions of bugs will come out, scientists say, when
conditions are just right: when the soil is 64 degrees and on a night that's
humid enough, but free of wind and rain. According to John Cooley, who runs the
Periodical Cicada Mapping Project at the University of Connecticut, they start
very pale and very small, even as small as "a grain of rice." But
once the cicadas are above ground, they grow -- and grow fast. "They're
going to emerge from that hole and go climb up some vegetation and undergo
their final molt to the adult form, and that molting process takes about an
hour and the newly emerged adult will be very pale when it comes out,"
Cooley said. "And over the next couple of hours, it'll finish very quickly
finish expanding its body and then dark enough to have the adult colors."
After that, the cicadas spend about a week maturing. Once
fully grown, their primary objective is -- mating. Their quest to procreate is
precipitated by a loud signature "song." Male cicadas generate sounds
with tymbals, an organ that generates sound when it contracts, the hollow body
amplifies the sound. According to a project to prevent hearing loss in children
sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, cicada choruses can reach 90
decibels and ordinances in the District of Columbia, the epicenter of the
brood, say any sound over 70 decibels is considered a disturbance.
Males sing to entice females, of course, and Jenna Jadin,
who has researched the insects at the University of Maryland (and even wrote a
cicada cookbook "Cicada-Liscious"), likens the sound to human mating
rituals. "It's like a bunch of guys at a frat party, they're all
singing[...]some cheesy party song, and then the college sophomore girl sees
the guy and she winks at him, and so that's the female cicada's click,"
Jadin said.
"And so then he starts going, 'hey, baby, hey, baby, hey,
baby, hey, baby, hey baby,' faster and faster and then they find each
other." After all the singing and clicking, the cicadas mate and the
females lay eggs in trees and other plants. Then, after about 4 to 6 weeks of
life above ground, the party ends with dead adult cicadas and molted
exoskeletons littered literally everywhere and the next generation of cicada
larvae heading back underground.
Although the cicadas invade in great volume -- to overwhelm
the appetites of predators -- they are harmless, don't bite or sting and aren't
toxic. We should appreciate the once-in-a-17-year experience and the cicada
songs that won't be heard again until 2038.
The largest structure within the cemetery is the Memorial
Amphitheater, located near the center of the grounds.
Dedicated on May 15, 1920, the amphitheater
is used for three major ceremonies each year, the services on Easter, Memorial
Day, and Veterans Day.
The amphitheater
is enclosed by a white marble oval colonnade, topped with a frieze inscribed
with the names of 44 battles from the Revolutionary War through the
Spanish-American War.
The names of 14
U.S. Army Generals and 14 U.S. Navy Admirals are inscribed on panels flanking
the stage. Inscribed above the west entrance is a quote from the Roman poet,
Horace, which reads “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori,” meaning, “It is
sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.”
Adjacent to the amphitheater is the Tomb of the Unknowns, a
burial vault containing the remains of three unidentified service members, one
each from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
A white marble sarcophagus sits atop the
vaults facing Washington, and is inscribed with three Greek allegorical figures
representing Peace, Victory, and Valor.
The Unknown Soldier of World War I was interred in the tomb on Armistice
Day in 1921 after lying in state beneath the Capitol dome after the arrival of
his remains from France.
The Unknown
Soldiers of World War II and the Korean War were buried on May 30, 1958, after
lying in state and each receiving the Medal of Honor.
The Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War,
interred and presented with the Medal of Honor in 1984, was subsequently
identified as Air Force 1st Lieutenant Michael J. Blassie.
In 1998, Lieutenant Blassie’s remains were
disinterred from the Tomb of the Unknowns and reinterred near his family’s home
in St. Louis.
Since then the Vietnam
vault has remained vacant.
The tomb is guarded
24 hours a day, 365 days a year by the 3rd U.S. Infantry, the oldest active
duty infantry unit in the Army, also known as "The Old Guard." The
Tomb is guarded, and has been guarded, every minute of every day since 1937. The
Sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are completely dedicated to their
duty of guarding the Tomb. In fact, line eight of our Sentinel's Creed refers to
the "discomfort of the elements". Because of their dedication, the
weather does not bother them. In fact, it is considered an honor to walk the
mat during inclement weather. It gets cold, it gets hot and the mission
continues as it has unbroken since 1937. The Old Guard is the Army's official
ceremonial unit and escort to the president, and it provides security for
Washington in times of national emergency or civil disturbance.
We were so lucky to see the Changing of the Guard ritual—an
elaborate, somber ceremony where a sentinel seamlessly takes over guard duty
for the previous sentinel—happens every hour from October through March and
every half hour from April through September.
The Sentinel takes Twenty-one steps, in front of the tomb.
It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any
military or foreign dignitary. The Sentinel does not execute an about face,
rather they stop on the 21st step, then turn and face the Tomb for 21 seconds.
They then turn to face back down the mat, change the weapon to the outside
shoulder, mentally count off 21 seconds, then step off for another 21 step walk
down the mat. They face the Tomb at each end of the 21 step walk for 21
seconds. The Sentinel then repeats this over and over until the Guard Change
ceremony begins.
The average tour at the Tomb is about an 18 months. However,
there is NO set time for service there. Sentinels live either in a barracks on
Ft. Myer (the Army post located adjacent to the cemetery) or off base if they
like. They do have a living quarters under the steps of the amphitheater where
they stay during their 24 hour shifts.
The Tomb Guard Identification Badge (TGIB) is awarded after
the Sentinel passes a series of tests. The TGIB is permanently awarded after a
Sentinel has served nine months as a Sentinel at the Tomb. Over 600 have been
awarded since its creation in the late 1950's (on average 10 per year). And
while the TGIB can be revoked, the offense must be such that it discredits the
Tomb of the Unknowns. Revocation is at the 3rd Infantry Regimental Commander’s
discretion and can occur while active duty or even when the Sentinel is a
civilian. The TGIB is a full size award, worn on the right pocket of the
uniform jacket, not a lapel pin.
Do you wonder, if any Sentinels have been female? There have
been over 680 tomb guards awarded the badge since 1958 when we started
counting. There are hundreds more from the year 1926 when the Army started
guarding the Tomb. The 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard) is the unit that has
been given the duty of guarding the Tomb. It was given this sacred duty in
1948. The Old Guard was -- and still is -- considered a combat unit. As an
Infantry unit, females were not permitted in the ranks for many years. It
wasn't until 1994 that females were permitted to volunteer to become a Sentinel
when the 289th Military Police Company was attached to the Old Guard. The MP
branch is a combat support unit and includes females. In 1996, SGT Heather
Johnson became the first female to earn the Tomb Guard Identification Badge.
She volunteered for duty in June 1995 and earned her badge in 1996. However,
SGT Johnson was not the only female Sentinel. Since then, there have been a
total of five female Sentinels awarded the Tomb Guard Identification Badge: SGT
Danyell Wilson earned her badge in 1997; SSG Tonya Bell received hers in 1998; SGT
Ruth Hanks earned her badge in June 2015; and SFC Chelsea Porterfield earned
her badge in 2021. Several other units have since been attached to the Old
Guard -- food service, transportation, medics, etc. -- so now females have an
ever greater opportunity to become a Sentinel. Females must meet the same
requirements as the male soldiers to be eligible to volunteer at the Tomb. The
only difference is that females have a minimum height of 5'8" -- which is
the same standard to be a member of the Old Guard.
We quickly learned that the cemetery is built into a hill
and requires extensive walking!
The Marine Corps memorial was under reconstruction, I
captured a picture for Charlie anyway.
We had two graves to find, one for Patti’s friend and one
for a friend of Tim & Doris’s son. We found both grave locations. As we
were walking, we were talking about funerals and I remembered we had a friend
buried here. Patti said “Wouldn’t it be cool if he was in section 55?” That
happened to be the section we were standing in front of. Yes, Roland is laid to
rest in section 55. We found him too!
Section 27 contains the remains of more than 3,800 former
slaves who resided in the Freedman’s Village on the cemetery grounds. Freed slaves were allowed to farm on this
land from 1863 to 1883, and those who died while residing in the village were
buried here.
Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for
more than 360 recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military
decoration, given for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his
life above and beyond the call of duty.”
As burial space becomes more sparse, the Army has proposed
new criteria on which service members can be laid to rest at the sacred
Arlington National Cemetery. Acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy
formally announced the new parameters in 2019, saying the changes will allow
the cemetery to continue functioning as an active burial ground “well into the
future." The biggest change proposed under the new criteria is that
veterans who retired from active duty and were eligible for retirement pay
would no longer be automatically eligible for in-ground burial. They would be
eligible for above-ground "inurnment" of cremated remains. If no
changes are made, the cemetery is on course to run out of space for new
interments by the mid-2050s, including for Medal of Honor recipients. More than
400,000 people are buried in the cemetery, and only 95,000 burial spaces
remain, though a planned expansion will add 37 acres of burial space and more
than 10 years of life to the cemetery under the existing rules.
Even with the expansion, the cemetery faces a severe
capacity problem in the coming decades. Under the current rules, almost all of
the 22 million living armed forces members and veterans are eligible for burial
at Arlington, the Army said. "Arlington National Cemetery is a national
shrine for all Americans, but especially those who have served our great
nation," McCarthy said in a statement. "We must ensure it can honor
those we have lost for many years to come." Those who were killed in
action, received awards such as the Purple Heart or the Silver Star, and were
prisoners of war could still receive an in-ground burial. Service members who
died in combat-related service while conducting uniquely military activities
also qualify for below-ground interment, as well as veterans with combat
service who "also served out of uniform as a government official and made
significant contributions to the nation's security at the highest levels of
public service," according to officials. U.S. presidents and vice
presidents also would retain eligibility.
As we departed Arlington National Cemetery, we spotted the
Women's War Memorial. It is located at the western end of Memorial Avenue at exit
from Arlington National Cemetery.
The Women in Military Service for America Memorial, is a
“hidden gem” within the nation’s capital, a perspective on the memorial that
every female in military service needs to change. The memorial is the first
monument in the Washington area that honors all military women.
The monument, titled The Pledge, will be unveiled during a
ceremony Oct. 17. In bronze, it depicts a service woman outfitted for combat,
kneeling and staring face-to-face with a military working dog. The base of the
monument says it honors “all women of the U.S. military, past present and
future.” It is located in the center of the memorial’s lobby to draw visitors
in to see the rest of the exhibits. The monument was commissioned by the U.S.
War Dogs Association and is meant to honor female veterans and military dogs.
One side of the monument is inscribed with a quote from Anne
Sosh Brehm, a first lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II:
“Let the generations know that women in uniform also guaranteed their freedom.
That our resolve was just as great as the brave men who stand among us. And
with victory, our hearts were just as full and beat just as fast — that the
tears fell just as hard for those we left behind.”
The monument’s unveiling comes at a poignant time for women
in America. The year marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th
Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to vote. It
also comes after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a leading voice for
gender equality and women’s rights. Ginsburg helped secure equal benefits for
female service members and in 1970 pushed the military to drop its policy that
forced pregnant troops to leave the service. She also helped open the Virginia
Military Institute to women in the 1990s. Ginsburg was buried beside her
husband in Arlington National Cemetery in September. That day, the Women in
Military Service for America Memorial was draped in black in her honor.
Much of the museum was closed off to visitors as they hung
new pieces, but we did enjoy the quotes that are located above the displays on
the upper terrace over the skylights into museum.
The Military Women’s Memorial offers a register. It is a
one-of-a-kind interactive database that records and preserves the names,
service information, photographs and memorable experiences of each registered
servicewoman. The Register records and preserves the history of the powerful
women who have defended this country—both past and present. Servicewomen and women veterans
were invited to make their military experiences visible by “registering” their
service. By completing a simple form with their dates of service, branch of
service, awards and decorations, at least one memorable experience, and a
picture in uniform, women took their rightful and visible place in history for all
time. For the first time in American history, there was a place to learn about
the extraordinary servicewomen who defend our country.
Stay tuned as we enjoy more of our #EastCoastPatriotTour
#TwoLaneAdventures
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