#10 Arlington National Cemetery

 May 6, 2023

Arlington National Cemetery is a special, set-aside place, so I felt it deserved its own blog, short though it may be.  It is rolling and spacious, somewhere around 1,000 acres of green grass, stately trees, and white monuments to those buried there.  More than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans, and their families have been laid to rest in this peaceful setting.  And each day brings up to 30 more.

Having been to Arlington before, I knew it was extensive, and a lot of walking.  It was very hot out, and by the time I walked there from the Metro station, my bad hip was, well, being annoying.  So I made the decision to just walk where I could and spend the time in quiet contemplation, instead of needing to go to each section.

Row upon row of white marble, standing at attention like the strong, dedicated men and women they represent.  The service that they collectively gave, whether direct service or family of a service member, to fight for freedoms around the world, is too much to take in. 

In the photo below you can see the Washington Monument in the distance.  If I'd been able, I would have walked back over the memorial bridge to The Mall, as Alyssa and I did on our trip in 2015.

Below you can see the Robert E. Lee Memorial up on the hill.  Lee was an ancestor to Martha Custis Washington, and at some point deeded a portion of the acreage to be used as a cemetery.  It's a complicated bit of history and genealogy that I won't try to explain here.

This older section of the cemetery has a variety of stones.  Allowed in this section, the stones were paid for by family members, not by the government.

I did not walk up to the Tomb of the Unknown this time, but rather just walked along the rows and rows of names, contemplating the lives they lived, and  the service that they gave. 

Finally, shortly before the closing time of 5:00 I made may way down the gentle hill, and out of the hallowed grounds, back to the busyness and noise of the subway and the city.  Short tour though it was, I'm thankful for the peaceful time that I had there.