Arlington National Cemetery

Here are some of those eligible for ground burial in Arlington National Cemetery.

    Any active duty member of the Armed Forces 

    Any veteran who is retired from active military service with the Armed Forces.

    Any former member of the Armed Forces who has been awarded one of the following 

       decorations: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service
       Medal, Silver Star or 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 who held any of
       the following positions: An elective office of the U.S. Government, Office of the
       Chief Justice of the United States or of an Associate Justice of the Supreme
       Court of the United States.

    Any former prisoner of war who, while a prisoner of war, served honorably in the active

       military, naval, or air service 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.

(Not a complete list.)

It used to be that people could buy their own headstone so there are many graves that are different than the standard headstones.  That practice has changed for asthetic and space reasons.

The Arlington National Cemetery has many sections and from what I have googled there are over 300,000 graves of military heros.  Some of the sections at Arlington are:

Unknown Civil War Dead

Spanish-American War Memorial

Spanish-American War Nurses

Rough Riders Memorial

Confederal Monument

U.S.S. Marine Memorial

Tomb of the Unknown

Chaplains Monument

U. S. Coast Guard Memorial

Unknown Dead of 1812

Iran Rescue Mission Memorial

Beirut Barracks

Battle of the Bulge

Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial

The Presidents and Family

Military and Political Figures

The Supreme Court Members

Exploration and Space Members

Medical Figures

Science and Engineering Figures

Sports Figures

There is so much more information and history than I could put here.  It is amazing.  Go to their website to see more - http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/index.htm

This is the Women in Military Service for America Memorial

 This is the Arlington National Cemetery Arboretum. A beautiful structure.

On the hill behind the Arboretum is the Tomb of the Unkown Solider.

 

HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD.

We were in time to see the changing of the guard.  Very moving.

When someone is buried at Artlington with a full military honors they receive a military band, a platoon honor guard with a horse drawn casket.

It was a very hot day when we toured Arlington so we did not get off to see JFK's grave or the Arlington House the original home of the owners whose plantation was bought because property taxes had not been paid) for $92.00.