D.C. '11: Arlington National Cemetery

Another of the Washington, D.C. "essentials" is Arlington National Cemetery.  Not only is it a sobering experience, walking amongst the thousands of graves reserved specifically for those who served as members of our armed forces and their families, but there are other important sights to see, graves and otherwise.

 (taken by Loren).

You can stroll through the grounds yourself, weather permitting, and see all sorts of smaller sights, taking in the tranquility... but unfortunately, during the summer months this is not always possible.  It got so hot and humid that soon walking was impossible, and merely existing was a challenge, it was so oppressive.  Fortunately, the cemetery's visitor center runs a tram to the three biggest points of interest, with announcements of other things as you pass.  On my next trip, I will take a full morning and really explore, but on this day, we were desperate to get out of the heat.

Before the day turned into that humid hellhole, we walked out to the Iwo Jima memorial at the northernmost end of the grounds.  When we got there, a tour bus full of military members of several different nations was there - it was neat to see so many diverse nations on some sort of military retreat together.  Jordan, Saudi Arabia, a few African nations... we weren't sure what it was, but it was cool nonetheless.

 Carillon bell tower given to us by the Netherlands in thanks for our help in WWII (taken by Loren).

 The famous Iwo Jima memorial.

Everyone buried at Arlington gets this exact regulation tombstone, in perfect rows (exceptions mentioned later) (taken by Loren).

On our way back to the visitor's center we stopped at the relatively new Women's Memorial.  It's a big building with many exhibits and tributes to the female members of the armed forces throughout our nation's history.  And it's AIR CONDITIONED.

The outside of the Women's Memorial (taken by Loren).

Memorial to women veterans (taken by Loren).

By the time we got back to the visitor's center it was clear we could not continue our sightseeing on foot.  We purchased tram passes and caught the next one.  The three stops are the Kennedy grave site, the Tomb of the Unknowns, and Arlington House, and the announcer on the tram points out other interesting things as they pass.

Thurgood Marshall's grave, in an older part of the cemetery reserved for important people - judges, 4/5-star generals, etc.

The mast of the U.S.S. Maine, removed from the ship in 1905 shortly before the ship was taken out to sea and sunk with military honors.  The mast was then installed in Arlington National Cemetery in honor of those who lost their lives when the ship sank in Havana, Cuba, in 1898.  This sinking was the event that started off the Spanish-American war.

The first stop on the tram is the Kennedy gravesite and eternal flame.  From the Arlington Cemetery website:

     "The grave area is paved with irregular stones of Cape Cod granite, which were quarried around 1817 near the site of the president's home and selected by members of his family. Clover, and later, sedum were planted in the crevices to give the appearance of stones lying naturally in a Massachusetts field.
     Lighted by Mrs. Kennedy during the funeral, the Eternal Flame burns from the center of a five-foot circular flat-granite stone at the head of the grave. The burner is a specially designed apparatus created by the Institute of Gas Technology of Chicago. A constantly flashing electric spark near the tip of the nozzle relights the gas should the flame be extinguished by rain, wind or accident. The fuel is natural gas and is mixed with a controlled quantity of air to achieve the color and shape of the flame."

The view from the site is also beautiful, as JFK himself had once remarked.  From there you can see out over D.C. and the Mall.

View from the Kennedy grave site.

John F. Kennedy's grave, the eternal flame, and Arlington House.

Jackie is buried next to John (taken by Loren).

The next stop was the Tomb of the Unknowns and the Memorial Amphitheater.  From Arlington Cemetery's website:

     "The Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., is also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and has never been officially named. The Tomb of the Unknowns stands atop a hill overlooking Washington, D.C. On March 4, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unidentified American soldier from World War I in the plaza of the new Memorial Amphitheater.
     The white marble sarcophagus has a flat-faced form and is relieved at the corners and along the sides by neo-classic pilasters, or columns, set into the surface. Sculpted into the east panel which faces Washington, D.C., are three Greek figures representing Peace, Victory, and Valor.
     The Tomb sarcophagus was placed above the grave of the Unknown Soldier of World War I. West of the World War I Unknown are the crypts of unknowns from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Those three graves are marked with white marble slabs flush with the plaza."

Memorial Amphitheater at the Tomb of the Unknowns (taken by Loren).

Memorial Amphitheater at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in any weather, by very elite members of the military who volunteer to do the service.  We were there for the changing of the guard, which is a popular event to witness every half hour during the summer (every hour during the winter and at night).

The photos I will post of the guard on duty and from the ceremony are all Loren's, since he braved the direct sunlight in 100+ degree weather without a break to be up close for the entire ceremony.  These photos were later discovered on his Flickr by Army Specialist Shane Vincent (the guard at the tomb when we got there, who was then relieved in the ceremony), who requested Loren's permission to use them inside the Tomb Quarters and informed him of everyone's name.  It was a very sincere and flattering personal message, so exciting for Loren to have been contacted by him!

Specialist Shane Vincent, performing an about-face during his half-hour sentinel walk guarding the tomb.

Front: Corporal Jason Everill, changing the guard; Center: Specialist Shane Vincent; Back: Specialist Collin Anthony, beginning his half hour on duty guarding the Tomb.

After getting back on the tram, we decided to skip Arlington House, as we did not want to prolong our time in that heat and were starting to get hungry.  Hopefully, sometime in the future I will be able to come back when the weather is more kind, and spend more time enjoying the experience and less time desperately looking for somewhere to escape the heat.