Introduction

I am going to tell you about the Arlington National Cemetery. The Arlington National Cemetery is located in Washington D.C., the United States capital. The Cemetery is 624 acres and with more then 300,000 people buried in the Cemetery. First, I will start of by telling you facts about the Arlington National Cemetery. Then, I will tell you about the Arlington House, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Changing of the Guard.

Facts

The Arlington National Cemetery was officially built to be a military cemetery only on June 15, 1864. The Cemetery consists of military veterans from all the U.S. wars. They have people from the American Revolution to the Persian Gulf War, Somalia, and also the pre-civial war they where added after 1990. There are several different sections to the Cemetery but in section 27 there is more them 3,800 former slaves there where known as the "Contrabands". There headstones are designted with two different words on them some have the word "Civilian" on them. The other ones have the word "Citizen" in graved in there headstones.



There are a lot of interesting facts about the Arlington National Cemetery but the one that i thought was the most interesting facts was that, at the Cemetery the flags are flown at half staff from the first hour before the first funeral until a half hour after the last funeral. They normally have funerals five times a week but not on weekends. The Arlington Cemetery still averages twenty funerals per day. The Cemetery also have around 6,400 burials every year. The Arlington National Cemetery is the second largest cemetery in the United States Of America.



The Arlington National Cemetery Has one of the larger areas where people have there cremated remains in the United States. There is Four Courts in use each one of them has 5,000 niches. When the constuction at the Cemetery is complete there will be nine courts with a total of 50,000 niches. The courts then will have the impresive capacity for 100,000 remains.

Arlington House

The Arlington House is located on a Verginia hillside rising above the Potomac River and it is also over looking the great capital of are country Washington D.C. The house was started to be built in 1802 at that time they didn't think that it was going to be a National Cemetery. The house is a memorial to George Washington.

Tomb of the Unkown Soldier

I thought the Tomb of the Unknowns was Interesting. The Tomb has seven pieces to it that has a total weight of a impressive 79 tons. The Tomb at the Cemetery was finished and opened to the public on April 9, 1932. The final cost of the Tomb when they where done was around $48,000. There is only two people buried in the tomb there was three but they did DNA testing and found out who one of them where in 1998. The person was actually in the United States Air Force. Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie was his name and his remains were returned to his family on Friday July 10, 1998, and were buried in his hometown of St. Louis Missouri, on Saturday July 11, 1998. The soldier Michael Blassie fought in the Vietnam war.
The tomb of the unknown is located in the middle of the cemetery and it is also one of the most visited places in the cemetery. The tomb has people that fought in the World War, Korean Conflict, and also the Vietnam War. The Tomb is guarded by the U.S. Army 24 hours a day and year (365 days). The Tomb started to be guarded on April 6, 1948.

Changing of the Guard

Picture of the changing of the guards.

Here is some of the things that the guards have to do when they are on duty:
When they are walking back and forth they have to take 21 steps each way and when they stop to turn around again they have to wait 21 seconds. Why do you think that is? Because it follows the 21 gun salute. The 21 gun salute is the highest honor given to any military person. Most people that visit the tomb and watch the guards they wonder why there gloves are wet. The reason why they are wet is because the moist gloves help prevent losing your grip on the rifle. If you haven't noticed the guards do not hold there rifle on the same shoulder the hole time. The guard changes the rifle from one shoulder to the other every time he turns around to start walking the other way. The gun is always facing to the solders outside shoulder. the solders shoes are specially made with thick soles to keep the heat and the cold from there feet. The shoes also have have metal plates that go to the top of the shoe, that is what makes the shoes able to make the loud click.

The guards have a really strict rules that they have to follow also when they are on and off duty also:
One of the rules is that they have to commit two years of life to guard the tomb. The solders must also live in the barracks under the tomb. They cannot drink alcohol on or off duty for the rest of there lives (so never again). They cannot swear in public for the rest of there life's. The guards disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way. The guard spends the first six months studying the 175 people that laid to rest in peace in Arlington National Cemetery. The guards must also memorize who they are and where the people are buried .

Here is a interesting story about the guards and what they have done for the tomb:
In 2003 as hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington DC. The US Senate house took two days off with anticipation of the storm. The ABC evening news reported that because of the Hurricane the solders that guarded the Tomb of the Unknown Solder got permission to suspend the assignment. The guards respectfully said "No way, Sir!" The guards where soaked from head to toe still marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm. The solders said that guarding the Tomb is not just a assignment it is the highest honor that a service person could have. Because the solders said no they will not stop guarding the tomb it has been guarded continuously since 1930.

Works Cited

25, Nov. "History of Arlington Cemetery - Search." Google. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

"Arlington National Cemetery History, Arlington Cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery Facts." Online Travel Guides of Travel Destinations - Las Vegas, Caribbean, Hawaii and Machu Picchu. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

"Historical_Information." Arlington National Cemetery. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

"Historical_Information." Arlington National Cemetery. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

"History of Arlington National Cemetery." Home Of Heroes Home Page. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

"Visitor_Information." Arlington National Cemetery. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

"Visitor_Information." Arlington National Cemetery. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .