How Arlington National Cemetery is an Important Part of American History and The People Who Are Buried There
Over 4 million people, choose to visit Arlington National Cemetery each year. It has over 200 acres and was originally made to be a military natural burial site in the mid 1800’s . It is the second largest national cemetery in the US with over 300,000 Americans buried there. This well known natural cemetery is situated in Arlington, Virginia and brings visitors here for many different reasons. Some simply wish to be able to see a part of American history, some come to remember and honor the nation’s war veterans and others are there for the funeral and burial of a friend or relative .
For those people that are there to go to a funeral, they are in the company of a lot of others each week at Arlington. They has average of about 28 funerals everday during the week with no funerals happening on the weekends. Veterans from all of the nation’s the American Revolution all the way to Iraq and Afghanistan. There are certain traditions that happen where] a wreath placed on the gravesite as well as a 21 gun salute funeral with the playing of taps and the presentation of the flag that was on top of the coffin to the relatives.
One of the most visited parts of the Arlington national cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknowns. This is a monumental tomb that was created and holds the remains of an unknown soldier from each war. It is meant to symbolize all of the service members that died during war. There was a ceremony when each Unknown Soldier was interred into the tomb by the presiding President of the United States at the time. The only war that is no longer represented is the Vietnam War where the remains were taken out and identified and then the family of that deceased veteran preferred to have him buried near them. The Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded by the U.S. Army 24 hours a day 365 days a year .
There are important people that are well known in American History that are also honored by being laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. These people were not military figures but important to our history. There are quite a few explorers buried including some astronauts too. Also, buried here are famous political figures like the Kennedy brothers. Famous literary and medical figures are burial here as well. There are also 2 Presidents of the United States buried here and they are William Howard Taft and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Many visitors enjoy walking all around and seeing so many famous names buried in one cemetery .
If you would like to travel to the Washington, D.C. area and take a visit to Arlington, Virginia to see this well known cemetery, it may be exciting to see it on a day that has special ceremonies surrounding it . Veteran’s Day usually has the sitting President speak in honor of those that lost their lives for our nation .

