Arlington National Cemetery - Part II

The last blog post highlighted the Kennedy grave sites, with the JFK site generally regarded as the most visited grave in the cemetery.  The images posted today are taken throughout the cemetery and show the solemn beauty of Arlington National Cemetery.  The image of the truck placing caskets at the grave sides is a stark reminder that up to thirty burial services take place at the cemetery every day.

Its hard to capture a shot that shows how large the cemetery is, but I've tried to do so with the first two images.

 The entrance to the Naval section of Arlington National Cemetery.

The cross on the right (below) is the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice and honours U.S. citizens who fought and died while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces during the First, Second and Korean Wars.  The Cross of Sacrifice was suggested by Prime Minister Mackenzie King in 1925 and approved by President Calvin Coolidge June 12, 1925. The cross was dedicated in Arlington National Cemetery on Armistice Day 1927 (November 11th).

 

The next post will finish up in Arlington Cemetery with a look at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the changing of the guard ceremony that has carried on uninterrupted 24/7/365 for many years.