Our Day at Arlington National Cemetery

A hush of reverence overcame us. 

We were called to pay homage and show respect as we walked 
through the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.
It was an honor to visit this great place that is dedicated

to those American men and women who served our country.

Some facts:

Arlington National Cemetery was officially made a

national burial place by the War Department in 1864.

The cemetery is 624 acres in size.

Over 400,000 active duty servicemen, veterans 

and their families have been buried here.

Each weekday, 27-30 funerals are held, with 6-8 on Saturdays.

Prominent figures among those buried here:

President William Howard Taft

President John F. Kennedy

Senator Robert F. Kennedy

Senator Ted Kennedy

Medgar Evers

General John J. Pershing

General Omar N. Bradley

General George C. Marshall

Oliver Wendell Holmes

William Jennings Bryan

Audie Murphy

Abner Doubleday

We took the official narrated tour, hopping off the tram at each stop.

My photos represent only a handful of the numerous 

memorials and monuments throughout the cemetery. 

A very popular place in the cemetery are the grave sites of assassinated

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and his wife Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.

The eternal flame.

Burial sites of explorers Robert Peary and Matthew Henson,
who, in 1909, discovered the North Pole.
The National Air Force Memorial is seen in the background on the left.

Part of the USS Maine Memorial is the actual main mast of the battleship. 

It commemorates the lives that were lost in the explosion 

of this ship in Havana Harbor, Cuba in 1898.

"Remember the Maine" became a rallying cry in the Spanish-American War.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is especially moving to witness. 

(You can read my post on this ceremony here.)

The Nurses Memorial is a serene marble sculpture that 

looks over the graves of hundreds of military nurses.

It "commemorates the devoted service to country and 

humanity by Army, Navy and Air Force nurses."

Arlington House was built by George Washington Parke Custis

as a living memorial to his grandfather, George Washington.

Custis' daughter Mary became the wife of Robert E. Lee.

The history of how the surrounding land came to be a

national cemetery is intriguing, and one worthy of researching.

The Civil War Unknowns Memorial - In 1866, the remains of 2,111 soldiers,

both Union and Confederate, were gathered and buried at this spot.

The US Coast Guard Memorial features the motto Semper Paratus (Always Ready),

and a bronze seagull with uplifted wings to symbolize the tireless vigil of the Guard.

Memorializing the crews of the Space Shuttles

Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003).

With sincere appreciation for your service to our country,

rest in peace, American heroes, one and all.

For more information, see the Arlington National Cemetery website.

You may be interested in these posts I've written as well:
A Solemn Visit the the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial
The US Air Force Memorial: Honoring Airmen with Reverent Patriotism

Montpelier: James & Dolley Madison’s Virginia Home

Montpelier. 

Virginia home of our nation's 4th president and "Father of the Constitution,"

James Madison and his famously hospitable wife Dolley.

Montpelier is located only 18 miles from Monticello,
home of Thomas Jefferson; the friends visited often.
These men were 2 of the 8 Virginians who became United States Presidents.

Sharing photos with you from our afternoon at Montpelier
as we traveled through the historic state of Virginia.

A bust of Mr. Madison is in the Visitor's Center.

To my dismay, no photos could be taken inside the mansion,

which is very often the case with historical buildings.

Perfectly understandable. (I guess.)

The Madisons' beautiful view. 
The Blue Ridge Mountains were hazy that day, but still visible in the far distance.

On either side of the main house, basement-level rooms 

served as the kitchen and work areas for the slaves.

A photo of the kitchen, with its half-circle window.

(Yes, photos permitted here.)

James Madison's "temple", used in the logo to represent Montpelier, as shown above,

sits just to the north of the mansion. It was under restoration during our visit.

Built on top of a 24 foot deep ice well, it was used as a place for repose and reflection. 

The Madison Family Cemetery

A tall obelisk marks the final resting place of President Madison,

with a much smaller one for his wife Dolley, directly behind.

An engraving on another family member's obelisk that warmed my heart~

You can find great information about James Madison
and Montpelier at the Montpelier website.

Check back for my upcoming post on Monticello!

Christ Church Burial Ground - Philadelphia

I recently shared a post with you on Christ Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

which was attended during the Revolutionary era of these United States of America.

There are some graves on the grounds of the church, but in 1719.

As the congregation grew, a 2 acre burial ground was purchased
 "on the outskirts of town" - only 3 of today's city blocks away.

In addition to many important men, among them signers of 
the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, 
the most popular person buried here is Benjamin Franklin.

To the right of the entrance is this plaque: 

 Here's the grave of Franklin and his wife Deborah, as seen from the sidewalk looking in.

 So, let's pass through the gate and take a look inside Christ Church Burial Ground.

 I had hoped to be able to read the epitaphs, 
but the years had worn away almost all traces.

 Flat table-tombs are especially susceptible to erosion.

 I found 2 gravestones that were still legible:

Here lyeth the Body of

Eleanor Dupuy

who died 21st Jan. 1753.
Aged 2 years.

Daughter of Daniel

& Eleanor Dupuy.

In Memory of

Alexander Conynch

Late of Letterkenny in

IRELAND

who departed this life

October the 15th 1748.

Aged 31 years.

Back to the grave of Ben Franklin.

 As a young man, Franklin came up with his own epitaph, 

but later in life, he left instructions that only a simple inscription was to be used.

Benjamin and Deborah Franklin  1790

A plaque next to his grave shows that epitaph.

Christ Church Burial Ground is located on Arch Street 
between 4th & 5th Streets in Philadelphia.

Learn more at their website.