Arlington National Cemetery; 150 years anniversary
On June 15th, 1864, Congress approved the use of Robert E. Lee’s estate, which overlooked the city of Washington, as a national cemetery. So began 150 of history being buried beneath those grounds. The Stars and Stripes has written a couple of articles about the history of the plantation. For example, they tell about Jim Parks who had been a farm hand in the days before the Civil War, and a historian in his final days;
Parks, who lived until 1929, never left the plantation. First he helped build forts, and when the cemetery opened, he became a grave digger. He retired in 1925, the same year that Congress responded to strong public interest in the historic house and passed legislation for its restoration.
The following year, he showed a local reporter where “coffins had been piled in long rows like cordwood” as the war progressed. He even prepared the grave for Meigs, the man who had ordered the conversion of the estate to a military cemetery.
Parks took researchers on a tour of the grounds surrounding the mansion, pointing out exact locations for forgotten “wells, springs, slave quarters, slave cemetery, dance pavilion, old roads, ice houses and kitchens,” according to the National Park Service.
When Parks died, he was buried in the cemetery where he had worked for more than 60 years. He was given full military honors.
When I took my grand-daughter to Arlington when she was still in grade school, she read that sign above and announced that she wouldn’t be continuing on our trip because she read the line “most sacred shrine” as “most scared shrine” so Grampa had to explain it to her.
In another Stars & Stripes article they tell about the permanent residents of the cemetery who aren’t limited to a single social demographic;
The cemetery serves a resting place for service members from every conflict in U.S. history, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers from the American Revolution were reinterred at Arlington after their gravesites were displaced by a development project in Georgetown.
In addition to U.S. presidents, others buried here include Supreme Court justices, astronauts, war heroes, sports figures and celebrities, including baseball inventor Abner Doubleday, boxer Joe Louis and actor Lee Marvin. All three were veterans.
“There are 400,000 individuals with all these incredible stories,” Carney said. “If you want to play historical sleuth, you can just pick a name on a headstone, and everyone has an incredible story.”
There’s a website for the cemetery with more information about the 150th Anniversary, if you plan on coming.
Category: Arlington National Cemetary
The Ol’ Soldiers’ Home in Washington, D.C. has its own national military cemetery, which is part of, and administered by Arlington National Cemetery.
In past years, on Saint Patrick’s Day, there would be trips to Arlington National Cemetery for planting shamrocks on the grave of one of George Washington’s kinfolk.
It was neat marching across the grounds, through trees, bushes, and graves, accompanied by the traditional skirl of bagpipes.
Here is the URL where you can view my own personal tribute in observance of Memorial Day, which will be Friday 30 May 2014 – – – ;
http://writesong.blogspot.com/2013/05/traditional-memorial-day.html
Jonn thank you for this story. I first saw Arlington National Cemetery when I was about 8 years old. My father took us on a trip to DC to visit a WWII buddy. When we went to Arlington, these two men who had been laughing, telling stories among themselves late at night, hoisting drinks together and being as jovial as I had ever seen my father, suddenly went silent. They spoke to us kids in hushed words of, “I want y’all to be quiet when you talk, stay with me and don’t make any noises.” The most solemn attitude I had ever witnessed from my father. That is when the awe and reverence of this place struck me, even at that young age. I knew from my father’s different demeanor, behavior and words that this was a special place to be. For him, his buddy and us kids as well. Something I will never forget. Each time I have visited since, I remember that day and I remember my father.
Also, a lot of folks don’t know this, but Arlington National Cemetery has a section especially for our honored Confederate dead.
There is an IMPRESSIVE Confederate war memorial, and on Memorial Day, it is the Confederate Battle Flag that is hoisted over the grounds.
By the way, that was NOT a “Civil War”.
A civil war occurs when more than one faction are fighting for control of the same government.
Instead, what took place in 1861 was a parallel repeat of the eerily similar events of 1775.
The war of 1861 – 1865 was between two declared, separate, sovereign nations, each with its own government, constitution, military force, monies, culture, and customs.
In Richmond, Virginia, there is a Jewish military cemetery for Confederate dead, and it is the largest Jewish military cemetery outside of Israel.
Check out their web sites.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/visitorinformation/MonumentMemorials/Confederate.aspx
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/RichmondHebCem.html
The war of 1861 – 1865 was between two declared, separate, sovereign nations, each with its own government, constitution, military force, monies, culture, and customs.
Sorry, but no.
Used to visit family in the neighborhood of DC during summers, and spent a good bit of time at Arlington. Among other things, saw JFK’s place of burial with the original (temporary) eternal flame with it’s gas line running on top of the ground, and as the site evolved into what is seen today. It was eerie that on my first visit to his grave, a horse drawn caisson passed, with the salute following shortly after.
It’s a real shame that the property was taken from Mrs. Lee because she was unable to personally travel to Richmond to pay the taxes, a requirement which was specifically intended to relieve her of her ancestral home.