Why Over 4 Million Visitors Go To See Arlington National Cemetery Every Year
Over 4 million visitors, 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 It has over 200 acres and was originally made to be a military natural burial site in 1864 . It is the second largest national cemetery in the United States with over 300,000 people buried there. This famous natural cemetery is situated in Arlington, Virginia and brings visitors here for many different reasons. Some simply wish to be able to see a piece of American history, some come to pay their respects and honor the nation’s war heroes and others are there for the funeral and burial of a friend or relative .
For those people that are there to attend a funeral, they are in the company of many others each week at Arlington. They has average of about 28 funerals everday during the week with no funeral services occuring on the weekends. Veterans from all of the country’s] wars are buried at this cemetery all the way to Iraq and Afghanistan. There are certain traditions that happen during on the gravesite in addition to a 21 gun salute in honor of the soldier. They also follow the funeral with the playing of taps and the presentation of the flag that was on the coffin to the family.
One of the most visited parts of the Arlington national cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknowns. This is a tomb that was created and houses the remains of an unknown soldier from each war. the purpose of it is to symbolize all of the service members that lost their lives 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 does not have representation 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 famous people that are well thought of in American History that are also honored by being laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. These people were not military figures but mad an impact in our history. There are quite a few explorers buried as well as some astronauts here. Also, buried here are famous political figures like the Kennedy brothers. Famous literary and medical Americans are burial here as well. There are also 2 Presidents of the United States buried in the cemetery 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 location .
If you wish to go to the Washington, D.C. area and take a visit to Arlington, Virginia to see this famous cemetery, it may be exciting to see it on a day that has special ceremonies surrounding it . Veteran’s Day typically has the current President speak in honor of all of the Americans that lost their lives for our nation .
