These are Hallowed Grounds
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, is across the Potomac River from Washington DC and is the final resting place to more than 400,000 that have given their lives in the different conflicts that our nation has been involved in.
The cemetery is a massive 624 acres and it will take you more than one day to fully take in and appreciate the whole thing. I spent two days there and I just scratched the surface of this place.
As a combat veteran, as I was walking through the most sacred cemetery in our nation, I felt a calmness come over me. It was a very different feeling than all of the other cemeteries that I have visited over the past few weeks. I didn't feel sadness or anything that I had felt in the previous cemeteries, but I felt a sense of pride and honor, like all the spirits that reside here were honored of the respect and appreciation of everyone that visits the cemetery daily and is keeping their memories alive.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is something that I have wanted to visit for many years. When we were planning this trip and I found out that we were going to be spending time here in the DC area, I knew that I was super excited to get to finally see it.
The Tomb is dedicated to honor all of the service members that have given their lives without their remains being able to be identified. The inscription that is on the front of the tomb reads:
HERE RESTS IN
HONORED GLORY
AN AMERICAN
SOLDIER
KNOWN BUT TO GOD
The first Unknown was buried here on November 11, 1921, and was a Soldier in World War 1.
The next two are Soldiers from World War 2 and the Korean War. They were laid to rest in the tomb on May 30th, 1958.
On May 28th, 1984, an Unknown Soldier from Vietnam was laid to rest in the tomb. In 1998, DNA results positively identified the Unknown from Vietnam as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down near An Lộc, Vietnam, in 1972(source). The Vietnam crypt remains empty and sealed but the slab over it has been replaced to say "Honoring and Keeping Faith with America's Missing Servicemen".
The sentinel that stands guard over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier holds one of the most prestigious honors that an Army soldier can have. Becoming a Tomb Guard is a very selective process. Less than 20% of those that volunteer are accepted for training and only a very small fraction of those that are accepted even make it through the training, making the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Guard Identification Badge the second least award badge in the US military, second to the Astronaut Badge, which should show how rare it is to become a Tomb Guard.
Everything that the Tomb Guards do commands respect. Their routine is flawless.
Here is the routine that the Tomb Guards do 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
Marches 21 steps south down the black mat laid across the Tomb.
Turns and faces east, toward the Tomb, for 21 seconds.
Turns and faces north, changes weapon to outside shoulder, and waits 21 seconds.
Marches 21 steps down the mat.
Turns and faces east for 21 seconds.
Turns and faces south, changes weapon to outside shoulder, and waits 21 seconds.
Repeats the routine until the soldier is relieved of duty at the Changing of the Guard.
The 21 seconds and 21 steps signifies the 21 gun salute, which is the highest military honor.
The Tomb Guard also shoulders the weapon to the other side every time he reaches the other side of the mat and turns so that he can keep his weapon between the visitors and the Tomb to symbolize how he is willing to protect the Tomb from any perceived threat.
Changing of the Tomb Guard and the Wreath Ceremony
When the Cemetery is open to the public, the Tomb Guards are switched out ever 30 minutes. This is a pretty amazing process when it happens.
A sentinel in charge of the Tomb Guards marches out the Guard taking over the post and inspects him prior to relieving the Guard that is at his post. The whole process is timed perfectly between the three of them.
All three of them meet in front of the Tomb and the sentinel in charge relieves the outgoing Guard.
The outgoing Guard then passes his post orders to the incoming Guard and exits his post. Prior to exiting, the sentinel in charge inspects the outgoing Guards weapon and then they exit the Tomb area together.
The wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier happens every hour while the cemetery is open. It really is quite an emotional experience.
The laying of wreaths and flowers are a great sign of respect at funerals and gravestones world wide, and every hour they have a ceremony to honor Unknown Fallen with a new wreath of flowers.
The older wreath that was on display is removed and then placed on the ground in front of the Tomb prior to the ceremony beginning.
The sentinel in charge and a bugler march out in front of the crowd and the sentinel announces that the wreath ceremony will begin and everyone is to remain standing and quiet during the entire ceremony.
After the new wreath is place on the stand, the bugler plays Taps and everyone either renders a salute or places their hands over their hearts. There is something that gets me every time I hear Taps play, but this was so much more of an incredible and emotional experience being a part of the ceremony and hearing Taps play and witnessing this in the rain.
Civil War Unknown
The book I have been traveling and taking pictures for is about the Civil War, so I had to make sure and visit the monument for the Civil War Unknown.
This memorial was dedicated in September of 1866 and it lays atop a vault that contains the remains of 2,111 soldiers gathered from the fields of Bull Run and the route to the Rappahannock.
The inscription on the monument reads:
BENEATH THIS STONE
REPOSE THE BONES OF TWO THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN UNKNOWN SOLDIERS
GATHERED AFTER THE WAR
FROM THE FIELDS OF BULL RUN, AND THE ROUTE TO THE RAPPAHANOCK,
THEIR REMAINS COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED. BUT THEIR NAMES AND DEATHS ARE
RECORDED IN THE ARCHIVES OF THEIR COUNTRY, AND ITS GRATEFUL CITIZENS
HONOR THEM AS OF THEIR NOBLE ARMY OF MARTYRS. MAY THEY REST IN PEACE.
SEPTEMBER. A. D. 1866.
It is pretty sobering to think that there are the remains of 2,111 soldiers in the vault underneath the monument.
Walking around the cemetery
I spent quite some time just walking and thinking about all of the sacrifices that these men and women have made for our country. The sheer number of gravestones is overwhelming and so many people take advantage of the sacrifices that have been made throughout the history of our country.
The more than 400,000 men and women that are buried here at Arlington are just a small percentage of the ones that have given their lives in defense of this country and its values. I have been to numerous graveyards over the past few weeks and learned of the tens of thousands of those that are buried there.
No matter what country you are in, there have been brave men and women give their lives in defense what they believe in. It is up to you to make sure that you honor their sacrifices and make sure that their memories remain.
They may be gone, but they will never be forgotten.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post and learn about my experiences at Arlington National Cemetery. I really appreciate it.
