Arlington National Cemetery

Most people, no matter where they are have heard of Arlington National Cemetery and Josh and I had the honor of going there a few days ago.  The cemetery is located across the Potomac River from Washington, DC and about a 45 minute drive for us.  Arlington is home to thousands of the nations heroes that were killed both in wars and that served in all of the nations conflicts since the Civil War and passed away later on in their lives.  JFK and other members of the Kennedy family are also buried there and it is the home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Along with actual monuments many of the trees are memorials as well.  The cemetery is 624 acres of graves, memorials and Arlington House, the grounds of which were the first part of the cemetery. Arlington House was the home of the Custis family.  General Robert E. Lee was married to Mary Anna Custis who was the great granddaughter of Martha Washington.  

We chose the hottest day of the year so far (it was about 95F) to visit, and we walked the entire grounds.  It was pretty awful, but an amazing and humbling experience.  

The entrance to the Women in Military Service Memorial.

Equestrian Statue of Sir John Dill over his grave.

The Wheeler Monument on top of the hill.

The USS Maine Memorial.

The Civil War Unknowns Monument.

L'Enfant's grave with a gorgeous view of DC.

Gravesite of the first person buried in Arlington.

JFK's grave.

Jackie O's grave.

The John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame.

Robert F. Kennedy's gravesite. 

Arlington House- Robert E. Lee Memorial on the hill. 

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.  We also got to see the changing of the guard.

Some of the items in the Tomb of the Unknowns Museum.

 The Arlington Memorial Amphitheater.

The Canadian Cross of Sacrifice with the Challenger and Columbia Memorials in the foreground.

Tanner Amphitheater.

Inside of Arlington House with items from both the Washington and Custis families.

After Arlington, we took a drive over to Georgetown for lunch.  We looked for parking forever and by the time we found one we just wanted lunch and to go home.  We had a great and very hot day at one of the most hallowed places in the US.