Day 18 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

On day 18 of our 2025 summer adventure we took the Fallen Heroes Bus Tour from Cherry Hill Park. Our first stop was to drop some riders off at the National Archives, then we headed for Arlington National Cemetery. I was able to capture another picture of the Washington Monument with the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the foreground. 

Arlington National Cemetery was originally called Arlington Estate.  It was established by George Washington's step-grandson, George Washington Parke Custis. He built it as a living memorial to the first president. Custis's daughter, Mary, married US Army 1st Lt Robert E Lee in the house. When Custis died, he left the estate to his daughter Mary Custis Lee and upon her death, her eldest son would inherit the property. Robert E. Lee served as the executor of his father-in-law's will and never owned the property. 

After the Lees abandoned the property at the start of the Civil War, the US Army seized it to defend Washington, DC. From the property's heights, rifled artillery could range every federal building in the nation's capital. The estate was seized for its strategic value. Three forts were built on the property during the Civil War: Fort Cass/Rosslyn, Fort Whipple/Fort Myer and Fort McPherson (currently part of the cemetery). 

Burials on the Arlington property predated the establishment of a military cemetery. The first recorded person buried on the grounds that became Arlington National Cemetery was Mary Randolph (1762-1828), the cousin of George Washington Parke Custis. 

In May of 1864, the first military burial was conducted for Private William Christman. Brigadier General Meigs ordered Arlington Estate used for a cemetery. The existing DC area national cemeteries (Soldiers’ Home and Alexandria National Cemeteries) were running out of space — both closed on the day that burials began at Arlington. Arlington officially became a national cemetery on June 15, 1864, by order of the Secretary of War. 

The original cemetery was 200 acres, and has since grown to 639 acres (with a final expansion in the works now). Arlington became a segregated cemetery, just like all national cemeteries at the time, and remained segregated by race and rank until 1948, when President Harry S. Truman desegregated the military. 

Initially, being buried at a national cemetery was not considered an honor, but it ensured that service members whose families could not afford to bring them home for a funeral were given a proper burial. Beginning in the late 1870s, high-ranking veterans began requesting burial in the Officers' Sections.

In 1899, the US government began repatriating service members who died overseas in the Spanish-American War. Arlington National Cemetery consequently expanded. In 1900, Congress authorized a designated section for Confederate soldiers, at a time when the nation was trying to reconcile after the Civil War. 

John F. Kennedy made his first formal visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, November 11, 1961, to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. At the conclusion of the ceremony, President Kennedy spoke to more than 5,000 people gathered in the Memorial Amphitheater. Eleven days prior to Kennedy's assassination, he returned to Arlington for the 1963 Veterans Day services. This time, he did not address the crowd in the amphitheater. On November 22, 1963, while on a campaign trip to Dallas, President Kennedy was shot and killed.

Kennedy is one of only two presidents buried at Arlington. The other is William Howard Taft, who died in 1930. At the time of Kennedy's death, many believed that he would be buried in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he was born and raised. However, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy wanted her husband's gravesite to be widely accessible to the American public. The original gravesite was located on a sloping hillside along an axis line between Arlington House and the Lincoln Memorial. The symbolism of the eternal flame was created on a brisk November day in 1963. Jacqueline Kennedy stood before the coffin of her late husband, lighting a torch at the head of the grave with the intention of the flame being an eternal symbol of John F. Kennedy's spirit. Today, that flame still burns today.

The first official “Decoration Day,” later renamed Memorial Day, was held at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868. This tradition continues today, and is one reason why Arlington transformed from being one of many national cemeteries into the premier national military cemetery. The event was so popular that in 1873, an amphitheater was constructed to hold the official ceremonies.

Arlington National Cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater was dedicated on May 15, 1920. While Memorial Day ceremonies are held throughout the United States, many consider the services at Memorial Amphitheater to be the nation's official ceremony honoring American service members. The president of the US traditionally gives an address during Memorial Day ceremonies at the amphitheater. 

By the early 1900s, Arlington National Cemetery's original amphitheater — now called the James R. Tanner Amphitheater — could no longer accommodate the crowds that flocked to ceremonies held there. Efforts to construct a new amphitheater were led by Judge Ivory G. Kimball, an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic. For years, Kimball and the GAR lobbied Congress to authorize construction of a place for the public to honor American service members. Finally, in 1913, Congress passed legislation authorizing the construction of Memorial Amphitheater. President William Howard Taft signed that legislation into law in 1913. Judge Kimball participated in the groundbreaking ceremony in March of 1915, but did not live to see his dream completed.

Some 5,000 visitors attend each of the three major annual memorial services in the Amphitheater, which take place on Easter, Memorial Day and Veterans Day and are sponsored by the US Army Military District of Washington. Many military organizations also conduct annual memorial services at the amphitheater.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier changing of the Guatd was to be the highlight of our tour. The "Tomb Guards" are members of 3rd US Infantry Regiment, the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army, serving the United States since 1784. Known as "The Old Guard," they are the Army's official ceremonial unit and escort to the president. Their primary responsibilities include conducting ceremonies and special events in the DC area, including at Arlington National Cemetery, and serving as a quick reaction force for the metropolitan area. 

Army Pfc. Jessica Kwiatkowski made history on Sept. 18, 2023, when she became the first woman infantry soldier to earn the Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge. Other women have earned the badge, but they have come from other career fields. Tomb Guards who earn the badge also earn the distinction of being referred to as Sentinels.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dedicated on November 11, 1921, with interment of the Unknown from World War I. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier currently holds three unidentified service members. This is a symbolic grave for war dead whose remains have not been found or identified. While a total of four bodies were initially interred in the tomb, representing World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, one body was later identified and removed. 

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guarded in 24/7, as a symbol of respect for every soldier that has fallen in service. If someone were to deface it, it would be an insult to everyone that died in service and sacrifice of others. They didn't quit, they gave their lives. That level of commitment is what justifies the resources going into the tomb.

Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stand duty for 30 minutes during the summer (April 1 to September 30) and 1 hour during the winter (October 1 to March 31), according to the Society of the Honor Guard. During the hours the cemetery is closed, the guard is changed every 2 hours. The Tomb is guarded continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

The Tomb Guard marches exactly 21 steps down the black mat behind the Tomb, turns, faces east for 21 seconds, turns and faces north for 21 seconds, then takes 21 steps down the mat and repeats the process. (The number 21 symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed, the 21-gun salute.)

Some of the other Memorials in Arlington include the Space Shuttle Challenger memorial. On January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after takeoff, killing all seven crew members — including high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who had been selected from among more than 11,000 applicants to become the first teacher in space. It took nearly two months to recover the remains from the ocean floor, about 18 miles off the shore of Cape Canaveral, Florida. On May 20, 1986, the comingled cremated remains of the seven Challenger astronauts were buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Section 46, Grave 1129. Two also have individual gravesites: U.S. Air Force Maj. Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, retired with honorary promotion to Lt. Col. (Section 46, to the left of the memorial) and U.S. Navy Capt. Michael J. Smith, Challenger's pilot (Section 7A, Grave 208). 

Family members and NASA worked together to erect the memorial, near Memorial Amphitheater. Approximately 400 people attended the dedication ceremony on the morning of March 21, 1987, including Vice President and Mrs. George Bush. The astronauts' faces and names are carved into the memorial marker: Michael J. Smith, pilot; Francis R. 'Dick' Scobee, commander; Ronald E. McNair, mission specialist; Ellison Onizuka, mission specialist; S. Christa McAuliffe, payload specialist; Gregory B. Jarvis, payload specialist; Judith A. Resnik, mission specialist. The back of the marker features the famous aeronautical poem "High Flight," written by Royal Canadian Air Force pilot John Gillespie Magee, Jr. in 1941.

Space Shuttle Columbia in in the same area. On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia was headed home after a 16-day scientific mission, its 28th venture into space. As Columbia re-entered Earth's atmosphere, it suddenly burst into flames, killing all seven crew members: Richard "Rick" Husband, commander; William C. McCool, pilot; Michael P. Anderson, payload commander; David M. Brown, mission specialist; Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; Laurel Blair Salton Clark, mission specialist; and Ilan Ramon, mission specialist. 

In April 2003, Congress approved and President George W. Bush signed into law the Columbia Memorial Act, authorizing the secretary of the Army, in consultation with NASA, to place a memorial to the Columbia crew in Arlington National Cemetery. NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe, accompanied by more than 400 family members, former astronauts and friends, dedicated the memorial on February 2, 2004. Standing just a few feet away from the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial, the marker features a silhouette of the space shuttle imprinted with the names of the astronauts and surrounded by seven stars. 

In addition to the memorial, three Columbia astronauts whose remains could be identified individually have individual gravesites nearby: 

Captain David Brown, U.S. Navy: Section 46, Grave 1180-3

Captain Laurel Blair Salton Clark, M.D., U.S. Navy: Section 46, Grave 1180-2

Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson, U.S. Air Force: Section 46, Grave 1180-1

Close to the Amphitheatre is the "Canadian Cross" memorial. The border between the United States and Canada remains the longest unguarded international boundary on earth, and the two neighbors have shared triumphs and tragedies throughout their history. In this spirit, in 1925 Canadian Prime Minister MacKenzie King proposed a memorial to the U.S. citizens who volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force and lost their lives in World War I. More than 40,000 residents of the United States (including at least 35,000 U.S. citizens) enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces prior to US entry into the war in April 1917. 

President Calvin Coolidge approved Prime Minister King's proposal for the memorial in June 1925, and on Armistice Day (November 11) 1927, the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice was dedicated. The memorial's original inscription reads: "Erected by the government of Canada in honor of the citizens of the United States who served in the Canadian Army and gave their lives in the Great War, 1914-1918."  Following World War II and the Korean War, similar inscriptions on other faces of the monument were added to honor Americans who served in the Canadian armed forces during those conflicts. 

The USS Maine Memorial overlooks the remains of 230 service members who died when the battleship exploded off the coast of Havana, Cuba on February 15, 1898. As Cubans were fighting for independence from Spanish colonial rule, President William McKinley ordered the Maine to Cuba to protect U.S. political and economic interests on the nearby island. On the night of February 15, an explosion in Havana Harbor tore through the ship's hull, killing more than 260 sailors on board. One hundred and two members of the crew survived.

We left Arlington and headed to the Pentagon to see the first national memorial dedicated to the lives lost on September 11, 2001. The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is a national memorial dedicated to the tragic events that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. All 184 lives lost in the attack on the Pentagon are represented by “Memorial Unit” benches. Surrounding the benches are 85 Crape Myrtles (trees that will grow up to 30 feet tall) and the Age Wall, which grows one inch in height per year relative to the ages of the victims.

The memorial is located just outside the Pentagon. The memorial is free and is usually open to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Pentagon Memorial has an emotive power that few other memorials have, due to both the recency of the tragedy it pays homage to and its comprehensive listing of victims.

When first approaching the expansive Memorial Gateway, visitors will spot a black granite stone stating the date and time of the tragic plane crash: Sept. 11, 2001 at 9:47 a.m. Words describe its purpose: “We claim this ground in remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001, to honor the 184 people whose lives were lost, their families, and all who sacrifice that we may live in freedom. We will never forget.”

Each of the aforementioned Memorial Units (or benches) has a victim’s age and location at the time of the attack inscribed on it. The benches are arranged along an age line, according to the year each victim was born. They are positioned to differentiate those who were on board American Airlines Flight 77 and those who were in the Pentagon, and each contains a pool of water that reflects light in the evenings.

The units honoring victims on board Flight 77 face the direction of the plane’s approach to the Pentagon, while those reading the names of Pentagon victims face the plane’s point of impact on the Pentagon’s south facade.

The United States Air Force Memorial honors the service and heritage of the men and women of the United States Air Force and its heritage organizations. The Memorial is located in Arlington, Virginia, on federal property adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery, overlooking the Pentagon.

Three stainless steel spires soar into the sky from the promontory reaching a heights of 402 feet above sea-level. Granite walls contain inscriptions describing valor and values of aviation pioneers supporting the Air Force and its predecessor military organizations. The Air Force Memorial is the last military service monument to be erected in the National Capital Region and is the last design project of American architect James Ingo Freed. The Air Force Memorial uses architectural design, inscriptions and sculpture to represent the Air Force heritage including those intrepid pioneers in early flight balloon reconnaissance and the advent of manned flight in air and space.

"In honor and in memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775."

The United States Marine Corps War Memorial represents this nation's gratitude to Marines and those who have fought beside them. While the statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of World War II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775.

The tiny island of Iwo Jima lies 660 miles south of Tokyo. Mount Suribachi, an extinct volcano that forms the narrow southern tip of the island, rises 550 feet to dominate the ocean around it. US troops had recaptured most of the other islands in the Pacific Ocean that the Japanese had taken in 1941 and 1942. In 1945 Iwo Jima became a primary objective in American plans to bring the Pacific campaign to a successful conclusion.

On the morning of February 19, 1945, the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions invaded Iwo Jima after an ineffective 72-hour bombardment. The 28th Regiment of the 5th Division, was ordered to capture Mount Suribachi. They reached the base of the mountain on the afternoon of February 21 and, by nightfall the next day, had almost completely surrounded it. On the morning of February 23, Marines of Company E, 2nd Battalion, started the tortuous climb up the rough terrain to the top. At about 10:30 am men all over the island were thrilled by the sight of a small American flag flying from atop Mount Suribachi. That afternoon, when the slopes were clear of enemy resistance, a second, larger flag was raised in the same location.

Next to the Marine Corps Memorial, we found the Netherlands Carillon. "From the People of the Netherlands to the People of the United States." This simple dedication on the Netherlands Carillon expresses the gratitude of the Dutch people for American aid received during and after World War II. The carillon itself symbolizes a friendship between the people of two countries, a friendship so rooted in a common allegiance to the principles of freedom, justice, and democracy that it can weather any temporary differences of opinion.

G. L. Verheul first advocated for a gift to symbolize Dutch-American friendship. The concept took shape, and a fundraising campaign to cast the bells met with a generous response in the Netherlands. Queen Juliana endorsed the project, and on April 4, 1952, she visited the United States to present a small silver bell to President Truman as a token of the carillon to come. 

In ceremonies at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC, the queen spoke of the importance of the small bells of the carillon: "To achieve real harmony, justice should be done also to the small and tiny voices, which are not supported by the might of their weight. Mankind could learn from this. So many voices in our troubled world are still unheard. Let that be an incentive for all of us when we hear the bells ringing." Two years later 49 bells arrived and were installed in a temporary tower in West Potomac Park, where they were formally accepted by the United States. A permanent tower was built near the United States Marine Corps War Memorial, the bells were installed, and an official dedication was held on May 5, 1960—the 15th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands from the Nazis.

The most interesting thing about our tour today was, we had Josh as our tour guide. He mentioned his father was a tour guide, that is how he got the desire to become one. We did not think much about that statement, but talking to him as the day progressed, we discovered his dad was Larry. The tour guide we had for our night tour and the same guide we had 4 years ago! What a small world! Josh was a chi off the block, he was just as good as his dad!

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!