Arlington National Cemetery 83390 226159777 2008-07-17T02:28:27Z A. B. 583020 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/70.232.39.184|70.232.39.184]] ([[User talk:70.232.39.184|talk]]) to last version by Cla68 {{refimprove|date=January 2007}} {{For|Arlington Cemetery in Pennsylvania|Arlington Cemetery Co}} {{Infobox_cemetery |name = Arlington National Cemetery |image = Graves at Arlington on Memorial Day.JPG |imagesize =250px |caption = The gravestones at [[Arlington National Cemetery]] are graced by U.S. flags each [[Memorial Day]]. |established = June 15, 1864 |country = [[United States]] |location = [[Arlington, Virginia]] |coordinates = {{Coord|38.879074|-77.069006|format=dms}} |type = Public |owner = [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs]] |size = {{convert|624|acre|km2|0}}) |graves= 245,000+ |website = [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/index.htm Official Site] |findagrave = [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=49269&CScn=Arlington&CScntry=4&CSst=48& Findagrave] |political = }} [[Image:Tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery, July 2006.jpg|right|thumb|Tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery.]] [[Image:Memorial Drive entering Arlington National Cemetery, from above.jpg|thumb|right|The Memorial Drive leads from the Lincoln Memorial, across the Potomac River, to the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, and the portico of Arlington House is visible at top.]] '''Arlington National Cemetery''', in [[Arlington, Virginia]], is a [[United States National Cemetery|military cemetery]] in the [[United States of America|United States]], established during the [[American Civil War]] on the grounds of [[Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial|Arlington House]], formerly the estate of the family of [[Robert E. Lee]]'s wife [[Mary Anna Custis Lee|Mary Anna (Custis) Lee]], a descendant of [[Martha Washington]]. The cemetery is situated directly across the [[Potomac River]] from [[Washington, D.C.]], near [[The Pentagon]], and is served by the [[Arlington Cemetery (Washington Metro)|Arlington Cemetery]] station on the Blue Line of the [[Washington Metro]] system. More than 290,000 people are buried in an [[area]] of {{convert|624|acre|km2}}. Veterans and military casualties from every one of the nation's wars are interred in the cemetery, from the [[American Revolution]] through the military actions in [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan]] and [[2003 invasion of Iraq|Iraq]]. Pre-Civil War dead were reinterred after 1900. Arlington shares with [[Mill Springs National Cemetery]], the only other open cemetery in the system, the distinction of being the oldest military burial ground in the United States. Arlington National Cemetery and [[United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery]] are administered by the [[United States Department of the Army|Department of the Army]]. The other National Cemeteries are administered by the [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs|Department of Veterans Affairs]] or by the [[National Park Service]]. Arlington House (Custis-Lee Mansion) and its grounds are administered by the National Park Service as a memorial to Lee. ==History== Traditionally, American military cemeteries developed from the duty of commanders on the frontier and in battle to care for their casualties. When Civil War casualties overflowed hospitals and burial grounds near Washington, D.C., Quartermaster General [[Montgomery C. Meigs]] proposed in 1864 that {{convert|200|acre|km2}} of the Robert E. Lee family property at Arlington be taken for a cemetery. "The grounds about the mansion", Meigs wrote, "are admirably adapted to such a use." Burials had in fact begun at Arlington before the ink was even blotted on Meigs's proposal. By war's end, 16,000 graves filled the spaces close to the house. Custis Lee, heir to the property, sued the government claiming ownership of the land. After the Supreme Court ruled in Lee's favor, Congress paid him $150,000 for title to the land. [[Image:Pentagon road network map 1945.jpg|thumb|left|Plan and roadways of Arlington National Cemetery.]] Before the Civil War, Robert E. Lee had been a [[West Point]] graduate and a [[United States Army]] officer. When Fort Sumter was forced to surrender, President [[Abraham Lincoln]] offered Lee the command of the Federal army. Lee demurred, because he wanted to see how Virginia would decide. When Virginia announced its [[secession]], Lee resigned his commission and took command of the armed forces of the state of Virginia, and later became commander of the [[Army of Northern Virginia]].<ref>Warner, Ezra, ''Generals in Gray'', Baton Rouge, 1959, p. 181</ref> He quickly established himself as an able commander, defeating a series of Union generals, until his final defeat and surrender at [[Appomattox Court House]]. Because of this decision and subsequent performance, Lee was regarded as disloyal by most Union officers. The decision was made to appropriate his farm as a graveyard for mostly Union dead.<ref> ''The Civil War: An Illustrated History,'' Geoffrey Ward, with Ken and Rick Burns. 1990. ISBN 06-7974-2778.</ref> In Arlington National Cemetery, [[Memorial Day]] has been celebrated. On May 30, 1968, the first national ceremony for Memorial day took place in Arlington Nation Cemetery by the President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. ==Burial criteria== ===Historical=== {{Expand-section|date=January 2007}} ===Today=== Part 553 of Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations establishes regulations for Arlington National Cemetery, including eligibility for interment (ground burial) and inurnment (columbarium). [http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fd8e84e9d1035691d85de31f6ecae0a&rgn=div5&view=text&node=32:3.1.1.4.20&idno=32 32 C.F.R. 553] Eligibility for burial differs from eligiblity for inurnment in the columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery. Due to limited space, ground burial eligibility criteria are much more restrictive than other National Cemeteries, as well as more restrictive than inurnment in the columbarium. The persons specified below are eligible for ground burial in Arlington National Cemetery, unless otherwise prohibited.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2007-03-27|url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/funeral_information/guide.interment.html |title=Eligibility for Interment (Ground Burial) |work=A Guide to Burial at Arlington National Cemetery |publisher=Arlington National Cemetery}}</ref> The last period of active duty of former members of the Armed Forces must have ended honorably. Interment may be casketed or cremated remains. *Any active-duty member of the Armed Forces (except those members serving on active duty for training only). *Any veteran who is retired from active military service with the Armed Forces. *Any veteran who is retired from the Reserves is eligible upon reaching age 60 and drawing retired pay; and who served a period of active duty (other than for training). *Any former member of the Armed Forces separated honorably prior to [[October 1]], [[1949]] for medical reasons and who was rated at 30% or greater disabled effective on the day of discharge. *Any former member of the Armed Forces who has been awarded one of the following decorations: **[[Medal of Honor]] **[[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]], [[Navy Cross]] or [[Air Force Cross (United States)|Air Force Cross]] **[[Distinguished Service Medal (United States)|Distinguished Service Medal]] **[[Silver Star]] **[[Purple Heart]] *The President of the United States or any former President of the United States. *Any former member of the Armed Forces who served on active duty (other than for training) and who held any of the following positions: **An elective office of the U.S. Government (such as a term in Congress). **Office of the Chief Justice of the United States or of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. **An office listed, at the time the person held the position, in 5 USC 5312 or 5313 (Levels I and II of the Executive Schedule). **The chief of a mission who was at any time during his/her tenure classified in Class I under the provisions of Section 411, Act of [[13 August]], [[1946]], 60 Stat. 1002, as amended (22 USC 866) or as listed in State Department memorandum dated [[March 21]], [[1988]]. *Any former prisoner of war who, while a prisoner of war, served honorably in the active military, naval, or air service, whose last period of military, naval or air service terminated honorably and who died on or after [[November 30]], [[1993]]. *The spouse, widow or widower, minor child, or permanently dependent child, and certain unmarried adult children of any of the above eligible veterans. *The widow or widower of: **a member of the Armed Forces who was lost or buried at sea or officially determined to be missing in action. **a member of the Armed Forces who is interred in a US military cemetery overseas that is maintained by the [[American Battle Monuments Commission]]. **a member of the Armed Forces who is interred in Arlington National Cemetery as part of a group burial. *The surviving spouse, minor child, or permanently dependent child of any person already buried in Arlington National Cemetery. *The parents of a minor child, or permanently dependent child whose remains, based on the eligibility of a parent, are already buried in ANC. A spouse divorced from the primary eligible, or widowed and remarried, is not eligible for interment. *Provided certain conditions are met, a former member of the Armed Forces may be buried in the same grave with a close relative who is already buried and is the primary eligible. ===Prohibitions Against Burial or Inurnment=== Congress has from time to time created prohibited categories of persons that, even if otherwise eligible for burial, lose that eligibility. One such prohibition is against certain persons that are convicted of committing certain state or federal capital crimes, as defined in statute. See [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode38/usc_sec_38_00002411----000-.html 38 U.S. Code § 2411.] Capital crime is a specifically defined term in the statute, and for state offenses can include offenses that are eligible for a life sentence (with or without parole). The reasoning for this provision originally was to prevent [[Timothy McVeigh]] from being eligible at Arlington National Cemetery, but it has since been amended to prevent others. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,165335,00.html] Also prohibited under the same statute are those determined, with clear and convincing evidence, to have avoided such conviction by death or fleeing. See [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/search/display.html?terms=arlington%20national%20cemetery&url=/uscode/html/uscode38/usc_sec_38_00002411----000-.html 38 U.S. Code § 2411.] This provision was meant to deal with situations where eligible persons commit murder and then commit suicide or flee and avoid a conviction for that crime, which would mean they would not lose their eligibility like those that made it to trial and conviction. {{wide image|Arlington Cemetary Panorama.jpg|1500px|Panorama of a small section of Arlington National Cemetery.}} ==Tomb of the Unknowns== {{main|Tomb of the Unknowns}} [[Image:Tomb of the Unknowns.jpg|thumb|right|The Tomb of the Unknowns.]] The Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery is also known as the [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]]. It stands on top of a hill overlooking Washington, D.C. One of the more popular sites at the Cemetery, the tomb is made from Yule marble quarried in Colorado. It consists of seven pieces, with a total weight of 79 [[short ton]]s (72 [[metric ton]]s). The tomb was completed and opened to the public [[April 9]], [[1932]], at a cost of $48,000. It was initially named the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier." Other unknown servicemen were later buried there, and it became known as the "Tomb of the Unknowns", though it has never been officially named. The soldiers buried there are: *Unknown Soldier of [[World War I]], interred [[November 11]], [[1921]]. President [[Warren G. Harding]] presided. *Unknown Soldier of [[World War II]], interred [[May 30]], [[1958]]. President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] presided. *Unknown Soldier of the [[Korean War]], also interred [[May 30]], [[1958]]. President Dwight Eisenhower presided again, Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] acted as next of kin. *Unknown Soldier of the [[Vietnam War]], interred [[May 28]], [[1984]]. President [[Ronald Reagan]] presided. The remains of the Vietnam Unknown were disinterred, under the authority of President [[Bill Clinton]], on [[May 14]], [[1998]], and were identified as those of Air Force 1st Lt. [[Michael Blassie|Michael J. Blassie]], whose family had him reinterred near their home in [[St. Louis, Missouri]]. It has been determined that the crypt at the Tomb of the Unknowns that contained the remains of the Vietnam Unknown will remain empty. The Tomb of the Unknowns is perpetually guarded by the U.S. Army. The [[3rd United States Infantry Regiment (TOG)|3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment]] ("The Old Guard") began guarding the Tomb [[April 6]], [[1948]]. ==Arlington Memorial Amphitheater== [[Image:Arl-mem-amphi.png|right|thumb|Exterior facade of the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater is modeled on Roman amphitheatres. It is built of Vermont Imperial Danby marble in the [[Ionic order]].]] The Tomb of the Unknowns is part of the [[Arlington Memorial Amphitheater]]. The Memorial Amphitheater has hosted state funerals and [[Memorial Day]] and [[Veterans Day]] ceremonies. Ceremonies are also held for [[Easter]]. About 5,000 people attend these holiday ceremonies each year. The structure is mostly built of Imperial Danby marble from [[Vermont]]. The Memorial Display room, between the amphitheater and the Tomb of the Unknowns, uses [[Botticino]] stone, imported from [[Italy]]. The amphitheater was the result of a campaign by [[Ivory Kimball]] to construct a place to honor America's soldiers. Congress authorized the structure [[March 4]], [[1913]]. [[Woodrow Wilson]] laid the cornerstone for the building on [[October 15]], [[1915]]. The cornerstone contained 15 items including a Bible and a copy of the Constitution. [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/visitor_information/amphitheater.html] [[Image:Arlington National Cemetery Amphitheater (1).jpg|left|300px|thumb|Arlington National Cemetery Amphitheater]] Before the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater was completed in 1921, important ceremonies were held at what is now known as the "Old Amphitheater." This structure sits where Robert E. Lee once had his gardens. The amphitheater was built in 1868 under the direction of General [[John A. Logan]]. Gen. [[James Garfield]] was the featured speaker at the [[Memorial Day|Decoration Day]] dedication ceremony, [[May 30]], [[1868]]. The amphitheater has an encircling colonnade with a latticed roof that once supported a web of vines. The amphitheater has a marble [[dais]], known as "the [[rostrum]]", which is inscribed with the U.S. national motto found on the [[Great Seal of the United States]], ''[[E pluribus unum]]'' ("Out of many, one"). The amphitheater seats 1,500 people and has hosted speakers such as [[William Jennings Bryan]]. [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/visitor_information/old_amphitheater.html] ==Other notable sites== Other frequently visited sites in the cemetery are the [[USMC War Memorial]] (commonly known as the "Iwo Jima Memorial") and the [[Netherlands Carillon]] (these sites are actually located adjacent to the cemetery), and the grave of President [[John F. Kennedy]]. Kennedy is buried with [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|his wife]] and two of their children. He was placed here [[March 14]], [[1967]]. His grave is marked with an [[John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame|eternal flame]]. His brother, Senator [[Robert F. Kennedy]], is also buried nearby. The latter's grave is marked by a simple cross. [[Image:JFK grave.jpg|thumb|right|[[Eternal flame]] and marker at the grave of John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the United States.]] The federal government dedicated a model community for freed slaves, Freedman's Village, near the current Memorial Amphitheater, [[December 4]], [[1863]]. More than 1,100 freed slaves were given land by the government, where they farmed and lived during and after the Civil War. They were turned out in 1890 when the estate was repurchased by the government and dedicated as a military installation. In Section 27, there are buried more than 3,800 former slaves, called "Contrabands" during the Civil War. Their [[headstone]]s are designated with the word "Civilian" or "Citizen". [[Image:USS Maine Mast.jpg|thumb|left|Remembering the Maine: The memorial to the ''USS Maine''.]] Also, in the cemetery, there is a Confederate section with graves of soldiers of the [[Confederate States of America]] and a Confederate Memorial.<ref>[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/visitor_information/Confederate_Memorial.html Arlington National Cemetery:: Visitor_Information<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Near the Tomb of the Unknowns stands a memorial to the 266 men who lost their lives aboard the [[USS Maine (ACR-1)|''USS Maine'']]. The memorial is built around a [[mast (sailing)|mast]] salvaged from the Maine's wreckage.<ref>http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ussmaine.htm Arlington Cemetery website, ''USS Maine'' Memorial. Accessed [[November 5]], [[2007]].</ref> (The ''Maine's'' other mast is erected at the [[United States Naval Academy]], making the ''Maine'' the "longest ship in the Navy" in Naval Academy tradition.) The Maine Memorial has served as the temporary resting place for foreign heads of state allied with the United States who died in exile in the United States during [[World War II|the Second World War]], pending the return of their remains to their homeland. These were [[Manuel L. Quezon]] of the [[Philippines]] and [[Ignacy Jan Paderewski]] of [[Poland]]. [[Image:Challenger Memorial.jpg|thumb|right|[[Cenotaph]] memorial honoring the crew of the [[Space Shuttle Challenger|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'']].]] The [[Space Shuttle]] ''[[Space Shuttle Challenger|Challenger]]'' Memorial was dedicated on [[May 20]], [[1986]] in memory of the crew of flight [[STS-51-L]], who [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|died during launch]] on [[January 28]], [[1986]]. Transcribed on the back of the stone is the text of the [[John Gillespie Magee, Jr.]] poem entitled ''[[High Flight]]''. Although many remains were identified and returned to the families for private burial, some were not, and were laid to rest under the marker. Two of the crew members, [[Dick Scobee|Scobee]] and [[Michael J. Smith (astronaut)|Smith]], are buried in Arlington, as well. There is also a similar memorial to those who died when the Shuttle ''[[Space Shuttle Columbia|Columbia]]'' [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|broke apart during reentry]] on [[February 1]], [[2003]], dedicated on the first anniversary of the disaster. [[Astronaut]]s Laurel Clark, David Brown and Michael Anderson are also buried in Arlington. On a knoll just south of Arlington House, with views of the Washington Monument and Capitol, is a memorial to [[Pierre-Charles L'Enfant]], the architect who laid out the city of Washington. His remains lie below a marble memorial incised with his plan for the city. L'Enfant envisioned a grand neoclassical capital city for the young republic that would rival the capitals of European monarchies. There are memorials to those killed in two acts of terrorist violence: *The Pentagon memorial, which takes the shape of the Pentagon, is the memorial to the 184 victims of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|terrorist attack]] on the Pentagon on [[September 11]], [[2001]]. The memorial lists the names of all the victims that were killed. *The [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/cairn.htm cairn, the Lockerbie memorial], which is the memorial to the 270 killed in the bombing of [[Pan Am Flight 103]] over [[Lockerbie]], [[Scotland]]. The memorial is made up of 270 stones, one for each person killed in the disaster (259 on the plane, 11 on the ground). The fact that 189 of the victims were Americans made the bombing the worst act of terrorist violence against Americans prior to [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11]]. The noted composer, arranger, trombonist and Big Band leader Maj. [[Glenn Miller|Alton Glenn Miller]] of the [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Forces]] has been missing in action since [[December 15]], [[1944]]. Miller was eligible for a memorial headstone in Arlington National Cemetery as a service member who died on active duty whose remains were not recoverable. At his daughter's request, a stone was placed in Memorial Section H, Number 464-A on Wilson Drive in Arlington National Cemetery in April 1992. There are only two [[mausoleum]]s located within the confines of the Cemetery. One is for the family of General [[Nelson Appleton Miles]] located in Section 3 and the other one belongs to the family of General [[Thomas Crook Sullivan]] and it is located in Section 1. There is a Canadian [[Cross of Sacrifice]] with the names of all the citizens of the USA who lost their lives fighting in the Canadian forces during the Korean War and the two World Wars. The ''[[Women in Military Service for America Memorial]]'' can be found at the Ceremonial Entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. On [[May 15]], [[1997]], after more than two decades of denying the existence of the [[Laotian Civil War|"Secret War"]] in [[Laos]] during the [[Vietnam War]] conflict, the U.S. government officially acknowledged this once covert war, honoring its U.S. and Laotian [[Hmong people|Hmong]] veterans with the opening of the [[Laos Memorial]] on the Arlington National Cemetery grounds, along a path between the [[John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame]] and the [[Tomb of the Unknowns]]. {|class="wikitable sortable" ! Site ! [[Geographic coordinate system|Coordinates]] |- |[[Tomb of the Unknowns]] ||{{coord|38.87638|-77.07217|type:landmark|name=Tomb of the Unknowns}} |- |[[Arlington Memorial Amphitheater]] ||{{Coord|38.8764|-77.073|type:landmark|name=Arlington Memorial Amphitheater}} |- |[[USMC War Memorial]] ||{{coor dms|38|53|25.7|N|77|04|10.85|W|type:landmark|name=USMC War Memorial}} |- |[[Netherlands Carillon]] ||{{coord|38.8882|-77.0695|type:landmark|name=Netherlands Carillon}} |- |[[John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame]] ||{{coord|38.88153|-77.07150|type:landmark|name=John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame}} |- |[[Robert F. Kennedy]] ||{{coord|38.88118|N|77.07150|W|region:US-DC_type:landmark|name=Robert F. Kennedy}} |-| |USS Maine Memorial ||{{coord|38.8765|-77.0747|type:landmark|name=USS Maine Memorial}} |- |Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial ||{{coord|38.8767|-77.074|type:landmark|name=Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial}} |} ==Burial procedures== [[Image:ArlingtonLeeMansionFlag.JPG|thumb|right|Arlington House flag flying at half-staff. The flag is lowered during interments.]] The flags in Arlington National Cemetery are flown at half-staff from a half hour before the first [[funeral]] until a half hour after the last funeral each day. Funerals are normally conducted five days a week, excluding weekends.<ref>Location of Arlington House flagpole: ( {{coord|38.881187|-77.072128|region:US_type:landmark_scale:2000_source:wikimapia|display=inline}}</ref><ref>[http://wikimapia.org/#y=38881187&x=-77072128&z=17&l=0&m=h&v=2 Hybrid satellite image/street map from WikiMapia]</ref> Funerals, including interments and inurnments, average well over 20 a day. The Cemetery conducts approximately 5,400 burials each year. [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/funeral_information/guide.pih.html] With more than 290,000 people interred there, Arlington National Cemetery has the second-largest number of people buried of any national cemetery in the United States. The largest of the 130 national cemeteries is the [[Calverton National Cemetery]], on [[Long Island, New York|Long Island]], near [[Riverhead, New York]], which conducts more than 7,000 burials each year. In addition to in-ground burial, Arlington National Cemetery also has one of the larger [[columbarium]]s for cremated remains in the country. Four courts are currently in use, each with 5,000 niches. When construction is complete, there will be nine courts with a total of 50,000 niches; capacity for 100,000 remains. Any honorably discharged veteran is eligible for inurnment in the columbarium, if they served on active duty at some point in their career (other than for training). See [http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=35919ac84a6a33f1d98389925c225e8a&rgn=div5&view=text&node=32:3.1.1.4.20&idno=32#32:3.1.1.4.20.0.13.16 32 C.F.R. 553.15a] ==Media access controversy== Until 2005, the cemetery's administration had given free access, with the surviving families permission, to the media to cover funerals at the cemetery. According to the [[Washington Post]], over the past several years the cemetery has gradually imposed increasing restrictions on media coverage of funerals.<ref>Milbank, Dana, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/09/AR2008070902169.html Putting Her Foot Down And Getting The Boot]", ''[[Washington Post]]'', [[July 10]], [[2008]], Pg 3.</ref> After protesting the new restrictions on media representatives, Gina Gray, the cemetery's new public affairs director, was demoted and then fired on [[June 27]], [[2008]] after only three months in the job. Days after Gray began working for the cemetery and soon after she had spoken to the media about the new restrictions, her supervisor, Phyllis White, began requiring Gray to notify White whenever she "left the building." On [[June 9]], White changed Gray's title from Public Affairs Director to "Public Affairs Officer." A few days later, when Gray took sick leave, White disconnected Gray's email [[BlackBerry]]. In the termination memo, White stated that Gray had, "been disrespectful to me as your supervisor and failed to act in an inappropriate manner."<ref>Milbank, Dana, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/09/AR2008070902169.html Putting Her Foot Down And Getting The Boot]", ''[[Washington Post]]'', [[July 10]], [[2008]], Pg 3.</ref> Thurman Higginbotham, deputy director of the cemetery stated that Gray's release from employment, "had nothing -- absolutely nothing to do with -- with media issues."<ref>Blitzer, Wolf and Jamie McIntyre, "Former Official Says She Was Fired For Questioning Media Policy", ''The Situation Room'', [[Cable News Network]], July 11, 2008.</ref> The US Army's Secretary, Pete Geren, has asked his staff to look into Gray's dismissal. Said Gray in response, "I am definitely encouraged by any investigation into the mismanagement at Arlington Cemetery."<ref>Tyson, Ann Scott, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/11/AR2008071102767_pf.html Army Secretary Asks For Probe Of Firing"], ''[[Washington Post]]'', [[July 12]], [[2008]].</ref> The US Army stated that they had not received any complaints about the newer, more restrictive policies concerning media coverage of funerals. But, [[Cable News Network]] reported that some families have complained about not being able to decide for themselves on the level of media access allowed.<ref>Blitzer, Wolf and Jamie McIntyre, "Update On Media Coverage Of Military Funerals", ''The Situation Room'', [[Cable News Network]], July 14, 2008.</ref> ==Notable burials== {{main|List of notable individuals buried at Arlington National Cemetery}} [[Image:Silence and Respect.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Respectful silence is requested at Arlington.]] ====Notable military figures==== *[[Creighton Abrams]] (1914-1974), [[United States Army]] [[General]] who commanded U.S. [[military operations]] in the [[Vietnam War]] from 1968-1972 *[[Henry H. Arnold|"Hap" Arnold]] (1886-1950), first [[General of the Air Force]] *Harry F. Bauer (1904-1942), Skipper of the USS Gregory (APD-3) in 1942. Awarded the Silver Star posthumously for action off Guadalcanal. *[[Gordon Beecher]] (1904-1973), [[United States Navy]] [[Vice Admiral]] and [[composer]] *[[Jeremy Michael Boorda]] (1939-1996), [[US Navy]] [[Admiral]] and [[Chief of Naval Operations]] *[[Pappy Boyington|Gregory "Pappy" Boyington]] (1912-1988), [[World War II]] [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] fighter ace, Medal of Honor recipient, and commander of the [[VMA-214|"Black Sheep Squadron"]] (basis for the 1970s TV series ''[[Baa Baa Black Sheep (TV series)|Baa Baa Black Sheep]]'') *[[Omar N. Bradley]] (1893-1981), commanded the 12th [[Army Group]] in Europe during [[World War II]], first [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] *[[Ruby Bradley|Ruby G. Bradley]] (1907-2002), Colonel and, with 34 medals, one of the most decorated women in U.S. military history *[[Miles Browning]] (1897-1954), [[World War I]] and [[World War II]] Navy officer and hero of the [[Battle of Midway]] *[[Omar Bundy]] 1861-1940), [[World War I]] Major General who commanded the [[2nd Infantry Division (United States)|1st Brigade, 1st Expeditionary Division]] in [[France]], awarded the [[French Legion of Honor]] and the [[Croix de Guerre]]. *[[Roger Chaffee]] (1935-1967) and [[Gus Grissom]] (1926-1967), [[astronaut]]s killed in the [[Apollo 1]] fire ([[Edward Higgins White|Edward White]] was buried at [[United States Military Academy|West Point]]) *[[Claire Lee Chennault]] (1893–1958), was a United States military aviator who commanded the "[[Flying Tigers]]" during World War II. *[[Bertram Tracy Clayton]] (1862-1918), Congressman from New York, killed in action in 1918 *[[Louis Cukela]] (1888-1956), Marine Corps Major, awarded two Medals of Honor for same act in World War I *[[Jane Delano]] (1862-1919), Director, Army Nursing Corps *[[John Dill|Sir John Dill]] (1881-1944) {{UK}}, [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Diplomat]] and [[Field Marshal]] *[[William J. Donovan]] (1883-1959), Major General and Chief of the [[Office of Strategic Services|OSS]] during World War II *[[Abner Doubleday]] (1819-1893), Civil War general erroneously credited with inventing [[baseball]] *[[Rene Gagnon]], [[Ira Hayes]] and [[Michael Strank]]: three of the six servicemen immortalized in [[Joe Rosenthal]]'s iconic photo ''[[Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima]]'' (Strank was killed in action just days after the photo was taken) *[[David H. Hackworth|David Haskell Hackworth]] (1930–2005), Colonel and most decorated American soldier *[[William Halsey|William "Bull" Halsey]] (1882-1959), [[World War II]] Navy five-star [[Fleet Admiral (U.S.)|Fleet Admiral]] *[[Kara Spears Hultgreen]] (1965–1994), the first female naval carrier-based fighter pilot *[[James Jabara]] (1923-1966), the first American jet ace in history. He's credited with shooting down 15 enemy aircraft during aerial combat. *[[Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr.]] (1920-1978), USAF, first [[African American]] four-star General in the U.S. Armed Forces *[[Philip Kearny]] (1815-1862), "fearless" one-armed cavalry general killed at [[Battle of Chantilly|Chantilly]] during the Civil War *[[Wlodzimierz Krzyzanowski|Włodzimierz B. Krzyżanowski]] (1824-1887), Polish military leader and [[American Civil War|Civil War]] Union general *[[Mark Matthews]] (1894-2005), last surviving [[Buffalo Soldier]] *[[Francis Lupo]] (1895-1918), Private killed in France during [[World War I]]; holds the distinction of possibly being the longest U.S. service member [[missing in action]] to be found (1918-2003) *[[David McCampbell]] (1910-1996), Captain, the US Navy's top [[World War II]] Ace with 34 kills *[[Montgomery C. Meigs|Montgomery Cunningham Meigs]] (1816-1892), [[Brigadier General]]. Arlington National Cemetery was established by Brig. Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, who commanded the garrison at Arlington House and appropriated the grounds on [[June 15]], [[1864]] for use as a military cemetery. His intention was to render the house uninhabitable should the Lee family ever attempt to return. A stone and masonry [[burial vault (tomb)|burial vault]] in the rose garden, {{convert|20|ft|m}} wide and {{convert|10|ft|m}} deep, and containing the remains of 2,111 Civil War dead, was among the first monuments to Union dead erected under Meigs' orders. Meigs himself was later buried within {{convert|100|yd|m}} of Arlington House with his wife, father and son. *[[Glenn Miller]] (1904-1944), Major and well known band leader who disappeared over the [[English Channel]] while flying to [[Paris]]. His body was never found, but he has a memorial headstone. *[[Audie Murphy]] (1924-1971), U.S. Army, America's most decorated combat soldier of World War II and popular movie actor *[[George S. Patton IV]] (1923-2004), Major General of the Army and son of famed WWII General, George S. Patton *[[John J. Pershing]] (1860-1948), America's first [[General of the Armies]], commanded American forces in [[World War I]] *[[Francis Gary Powers]] (1929-1977), American U-2 pilot shot down over the [[Soviet Union]] in 1960 *[[John Aaron Rawlins]] (1831-1869), Civil War general, chief of staff and later [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]] to [[Ulysses S. Grant]] *[[Alfred C. Richmond]] (1902-1984), [[Commandant]] of the [[United States Coast Guard]] *[[Hyman G. Rickover]] (1900-1986), father of the [[Nuclear Navy]] *[[Thomas Selfridge]] (1882-1908), [[First Lieutenant]] in the U.S. Army and the first person to die in a crash of a powered airplane *[[Philip Sheridan]] (1831-1888), commanding general, Union Army, Civil War *[[Larry Thorne]] (1919-1965) {{FIN}}, Finnish soldier who served in the US special forces and was a World War II veteran; called "soldier who fought under three flags (Finland, Germany and USA)" *[[Matt Urban]] (1919-1995), Colonel, U.S Army, most highly decorated soldier for valor in the history of the US Military *[[Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV]] (1883-1953), Major General, hero of [[Bataan]] and [[Corregidor]]; highest ranking POW in World War II *[[Robert Webb (USAAF officer)|Robert Webb]] (1922-2002), [[B-17 Flying Fortress]] pilot *[[Joseph Wheeler]] (1836–1906), served as a Major General for two opposing forces: the Confederate Army during the Civil War, and the U.S. Army during the [[Spanish-American War]] and [[Philippine-American War]] *[[Orde Charles Wingate]] (1903–1944) {{UK}}, British major general, creator and commander of the [[Chindits]] *[[Clark H. Woodward]] (1877-1968), Vice Admiral, served in five wars: the [[Spanish-American War]], [[Philippine-American War]], [[Boxer Rebellion]] and both World Wars *[[Charles Young]] (1864-1922), first [[African-American]] [[Lieutenant colonel]] in the US Army As of May 2006, there were 367 [[Medal of Honor]] recipients buried in Arlington National Cemetery,<ref>[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/medalofh.htm Medal of Honor Recipients Buried at Arlington National Cemetery], Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved on [[April 9]], [[2006]].</ref> nine of whom are [[Canada|Canadians]]. ====Wartime service members with other distinguished careers==== *[[Hugo Black]], Justice [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]]. *[[William J. Brennan, Jr.|William Brennan]], Justice U.S. Supreme Court. *[[Ron Brown]], Secretary of Commerce. *[[William Jennings Bryan]], Secretary of State, three time Presidential Candidate and popular orator. *[[William Francis Buckley|Bill Buckley]], CIA Station Chief murdered in [[Beirut]]. *[[Clark Clifford]], Secretary of Defense and advisor to four Presidents. *[[Pete Conrad|Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr.]] was an American astronaut and the third man to walk on the Moon. *[[Dwight F. Davis]], Secretary of War, established the [[Davis Cup]]. *[[John Foster Dulles]], Secretary of State. *[[Medgar Evers]], Civil Rights activist. *[[Dashiell Hammett]], author. *[[Grace Hopper]], Rear Admiral and pioneer computer scientist. *[[Robert G. Ingersoll]], political leader and popular orator, noted for his agnosticism. *[[John F. Kennedy]] (1917-1963), Served U.S. Navy during World War II, Member of Congress (1947-1953), U.S. Senator (1953-1961), President of the United States, (1961-1963). *[[Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis]] 1929-1995 Married to John F. Kennedy *[[Frank Kowalski]], [[United States Representative]] from [[Connecticut]] and World War II Army veteran. *[[Pierre Charles L'Enfant]] {{FRA}}, military engineer, architect and urban planner who designed the city of [[Washington, D.C.]] *[[Robert Todd Lincoln]], Secretary of War. *[[Joe Louis]], world heavyweight boxing champion. *[[Allard Lowenstein]], U.S. Congressman from New York. [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/aklowen.jpg] *[[John R. Lynch|John Roy Lynch]], former Slave, Major US Army and Member of Congress. *[[Mike Mansfield]], longest serving Senate Majority Leader and Ambassador to [[Japan]]. *[[Lee Marvin]], former US Marine and actor. *[[Bill Mauldin]], political cartoonist. *[[John C. Metzler]], Sergeant in World War II and former superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery from 1951-1972. His son, [[John C. Metzler, Jr.]] is the current superintendent (1991-present). *[[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]], U.S. Senator from [[New York]]. *[[Spottswood Poles]], perhaps the greatest outfielder of the [[negro league baseball|Negro Leagues]]. *[[William Rehnquist|William H. Rehnquist]], [[Chief Justice of the United States]]. *[[Earl W. Renfroe]], orthodontist who helped originate the concept of preventive and interceptive orthodontics. *[[Frank Reynolds]], television news anchorman. *[[Johnny Micheal Spann]], CIA officer killed in [[Afghanistan]]. *[[Samuel S. Stratton]], fifteen-term U.S. Representative from New York. *[[William Howard Taft]], [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]], [[President of the United States|President]] and [[Chief Justice of the United States]]. *[[George Westinghouse]], [[American Civil War|Civil War]] veteran and founder of [[Westinghouse Electric Corporation|Westinghouse Electric]]. *[[Harvey W. Wiley]], first Commissioner of the [[Food and Drug Administration]] and "Father" of the [[Pure Food and Drug Act]]. *[[Charles Willeford]], World War II veteran and author. ====Notable civilians==== *Julian Bartley, Sr. (54) and his son Jay Bartley (20), killed together in the [[American diplomatic missions|U.S. Embassy]] at [[Nairobi]] terrorist attack. *[[Harry Blackmun]], [[Thurgood Marshall]], [[William O. Douglas]] and [[Potter Stewart]], four U.S. Supreme Court Justices. *[[Leslie Coffelt]], US Secret Service member killed fighting off would-be-assassins of President [[Harry S. Truman]]. *[[Phyllis Kirk]], famous TV and film actress, alongside her husband. *[[James Parks]], the only person buried at Arlington Cemetery who was born on the grounds. *[[Marie Teresa Rios]], author of ''Fifteenth Pelican'', basis for [[The Flying Nun]] television show. *[[United States Capitol Police]] Officers [[U.S. Capitol shooting incident (1998)|John Gibson and Jacob Chestnut]] were killed in the line of duty and granted burials at the cemetery. *[[List of victims of the Virginia Tech massacre|Leslie Sherman]], Virginia Tech student killed in [[Virginia Tech massacre| mass shooting]], April 16, 2007. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/25/AR2007042502762.html] Whether or not they were wartime service members, [[President of the United States|U.S. Presidents]] are eligible to be buried at Arlington since they oversaw the armed forces. Three [[state funeral]]s have been held at Arlington: those of Presidents William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy, and that of General John J. Pershing. ==See also== {{portalpar|Military of the United States|Naval Jack of the United States.svg|65}} {{Commonscat|Arlington National Cemetery}} *[[Laos Memorial]] *[[Netherlands Carillon]] *[[Pentagon Memorial]] *[[United States Air Force Memorial]] *[[USMC War Memorial]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{kml}} *[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/ Official site] *[http://www.nps.gov/arho/ National Park Service site] *[http://www.interment.net/data/us/va/arlington/arlington/ Interment Information] *[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ ArlingtonCemetery.net] *[http://dcpages.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=Memorial_Day_Ceremony/ Memorial Day Ceremony at Arlington Cemetery] *[http://dcguide.com/attractions/memorials/arlington-cemetery.html Virtual Tour of the Cemetery] **{{Geolinks-US-hoodscale|38.87724|-77.07269}} {{Protected Areas of Virginia}} [[Category:Arlington County, Virginia]] [[Category:Arlington National Cemetery|*]] [[Category:Cemeteries in Virginia]] [[Category:United States military memorials and cemeteries]] [[de:Nationalfriedhof Arlington]] [[es:Cementerio de Arlington]] [[eo:Arlingtona nacia tombejo]] [[fr:Cimetière national d'Arlington]] [[it:Cimitero nazionale di Arlington]] [[he:בית הקברות הלאומי ארלינגטון]] [[lb:Arlington National Cemetery]] [[nl:Arlington National Cemetery]] [[ja:アーリントン国立墓地]] [[no:Æresgravlunden i Arlington]] [[pl:Narodowy Cmentarz w Arlington]] [[pt:Cemitério Nacional de Arlington]] [[ru:Арлингтонское национальное кладбище]] [[sl:Nacionalno pokopališče Arlington]] [[fi:Arlingtonin sotilashautausmaa]] [[sv:Arlingtonkyrkogården]] [[tr:Arlington Ulusal Mezarlığı]] [[uk:Арлінгтонський національний цвинтар]] [[zh:阿灵顿国家公墓]]