Arlington Cemetery
Virginia Burial Ground Final Resting Place for 300,000 War Dead
In 1963 U.S. President John F. Kennedy actually selected the place where he wanted to be buried in Arlington Cemetery. After his death he was placed in Section 45 and his brother Robert now rests not far from him. Civil Rights activist Medgar W. Evers is buried in Section 36 and John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, Commander of the U.S. forces in the First World War, rests in Section 34. Their bodies are gone but their names and contributions are held in the highest esteem in Arlington with its legions of white headstones and memorials.
Former active members of the Armed Forces, prisoners of war, former and current Presidents of the United States, and any soldier who has received one of the following decorations can be buried in Arlington:
- Medal of Honor
- Silver Star
- Purple Heart
- Distinguished Service Medal
- Navy Cross or Air Force Cross
Tomb of the Unknowns
This is the final resting place for unidentified combat soldiers from both World Wars, and the Korean War. When the soldier who died in World War I was brought back from Europe and buried on November 11, 1921 there were so many people in attendance that it was described as "the biggest traffic jam in the history of Washington." There was an unknown soldier from the Vietnam conflict also encased in the ground but he was later identified as 1st Lt. Michael J. Blassie of the U.S. Air Force and his remains were returned to his family. The tomb is always guarded by the U.S. Army.
Arlington Memorial Amphitheater
The U.S. Congress gave the go ahead to build this structure and it was completed in 1921. In 1915 President Woodrow Wilson laid the cornerstone of the building and it contained a copy of the Constitution and a Bible. This is the site where Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies are held.
Memorial Sites
Located in Section 46 is a memorial dedicated to the crew of the Challenger space shuttle which exploded on January 28, 1986. All of the astronauts were killed and two of them are buried in Arlington. The 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon left 184 people dead and this memorial is found in Section 64 near Patton Circle. The Canadian Cross of Sacrifice is dedicated to U.S. military personnel who fought and died with Canadian forces in World Wars I and II and the Korean conflict. It's near the Challenger memorial in Section 46.
Famous Military Figures
- Audie Murphy - A veteran of World War II and a film actor.
- Lee Marvin - He saw action in the Battle of Saipan, and was also a film actor.
- Clark H. Woodward - He served in five wars. They were: the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, the Boxer Rebellion and both World Wars.
- Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV - He was the highest ranking P.O.W in World War II.
- William Henry Christman - He has the distinction of being the very first soldier to be buried in Arlington on May 13, 1864.
Famous explorers have also been given a final resting place in Arlington, notably Robert E. Peary and Matthew Henson.
Source for this article: National Geographic Magazine (June 2007)
