Saturday, May 25, 2013
Event and parking are free. Officials: Get there early, stay hydrated.
Arlington National Cemetery will host the annual National Memorial Day Observance on Monday to honor this country's fallen military men and women. President Barack Obama will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at 11 a.m. and then deliver remarks at the cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater, according to the White House. "Observing Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery is like no other place in the country," cemetery spokeswoman Jennifer Lynch told Patch. "And I highly recommend that people come and experience it first-hand." However, attendees will have to choose which event to watch. The Tomb of the Unknowns ceremony is standing-room only; the amphitheater holds 5,000 people and is expected to reach capacity. "If history is any …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Memorial Day weekend celebrations Friday through Monday in DC and Northern Virginia.
Memorial Day 2013—the unofficial kick-off for summer—is Monday, May 27, but concerts, fireworks and other events last all of Memorial Day weekend throughout DC and Northern Virginia. Here’s a round-up of what’s happening locally. Wreath-Laying Ceremony, Concert at Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery plans a wreath-laying ceremony and concert at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at 11 a.m. Monday, May 27. A public observance gathering will follow. The entire cemetery will be decorated with flags throughout Memorial Day Weekend. More information on Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Day events is here. Additional Wreath-Laying Ceremonies National Memorial Day Concert in DC The evening of Sunday, May 26, head out to the …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Arlington National Cemetery on Prince Harry's itinerary during his six-day tour of the United States.
Prince Harry will be in Arlington on Friday as part of a six-day tour of the United States. Prince Harry’s Friday itinerary includes laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. He will also visit Section 60 at the cemetery, which is where military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried, according to NBC news. Thursday, he’ll be on Capitol Hill and at the British Embassy. Friday he will visit Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. His itinerary also includes attending the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado. He will not be in Las Vegas as he was last time he was in the United States, when scandalous photos appeared from a hotel party he attended.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Temporary measure will be in place while Eternal Flame is modernized.
Arlington National Cemetery has installed a temporary flame at the President John F. Kennedy gravesite so the Eternal Flame can be modernized. The Eternal Flame was installed in 1967. It's getting several upgrades, according to a news release, including: Cemetery officials fenced off the Eternal Flame and moved the temporary burner to one side of it on Monday. Workers lit a torch from the Eternal Flame, and used that to light the temporary burner. The only other time a temporary flame was used at the site was on Nov. 25, 1963, when Kennedy was buried. The markers for the president and his family will be visible during the work, which is expected to take three weeks. The changes should not affect the Eternal Flame's appearance.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
National Arbor Day is Friday.
Arlington National Cemetery will host a guided walking tour of its horticulture program Friday morning, followed by a tree planting shortly after noon in recognition of National Arbor Day. The tour is free, though registration is required. It lasts from 9 to 11:45 a.m. Friday. Steve Van Hoven, the cemetery's urban forester and horticulture division chief, will provide on-site discussions that showcase Arlington's turf and grounds maintenance, landscaping techniques and urban forestry program, according to a news release. The tour will also highlight the site's three state champion trees. The cemetery is inviting tour participants to stay for the planting if they wish. The tree will be planted in Section 60 of the cemetery, off of Marshall …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The cemetery is hosting the free service at 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
Easter service at Arlington National Cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater will take place at 6:30 a.m. Sunday. The service includes a performance by the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” and will be led by Brig. Gen. Charles Ray Bailey, U.S. Army deputy chief of chaplain. The service is nondenominational, free and open to the public. Gates open at 5:15 a.m., according to the cemetery. Parking is available at the cemetery’s visitor’s hall and at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall parking lot. More: 2012 Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington National Cemetery [Photos]
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The prince will tour the U.S. in May, including a stop in Arlington.
Prince Harry will pay a visit to Arlington National Cemetery during his trip to the U.S. this month, The Washingtonian reports. The 28-year-old prince will be touring the United States from May 9 through May 15. He will also visit Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Capitol Hill while he is in the region, the magazine reports. The prince will skip Las Vegas this time, after nude pictures of him surfaced last year paryting in a Vegas hotel room. What bar or club in Arlington do you think that the prince is most likely to visit during his time in the DC area? Tell us in the comments!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
134 Virginians and 4,802 Americans and allies have been lost in the war.
The 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began 10 years ago this week — on March 19, 2003 — and although officially over, fighting continues with discouraging persistence. By one count, the war is directly responsible for 189,000 deaths, not including those who died from hardship caused by the fighting. CNN has a stunning map of all casualties in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. In all, 4,802 Americans and allies have died in the war, according to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, including 134 Virginians. Arlington National Cemetery is the resting place for more than 400,000 service members, veterans and their families, according to the cemetery's website.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Furloughs would have caused the cemetery to perform about 160 fewer burials each month.
Arlington National Cemetery employees will be exempt from furloughs, though what many consider to be this country's most hallowed ground will still be subject to other cuts thanks to sequestration. The cemetery has about 150 employees. It reported earlier this year that if furloughs were enacted, about 160 fewer burials would occur each month. President Barack Obama's proposed budget included $173.8 million for Arlington National Cemetery for the current fiscal year. If Congress continues to operate under a continuing resolution, the cemetery's budget would lose $103 million for expansion projects and another $25 million for critical infrastructure restoration, according to a news release. Arlington National Cemetery's budget is being …
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Cemetery will be closed to vehicle traffic until 1 p.m. Saturday.
Not long before Christmas, volunteers with Wreaths Across America placed wreaths at about 112,000 gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery. Saturday, the cemetery needs volunteers to help clean them up. The cemetery's welcome center will open at 7 a.m. for volunteers; they will be briefed on the cleanup plan shortly before 9 a.m. at the Memorial Amphitheater. The cleanup should last until about 1 p.m. The cemetery will be closed to vehicles, including those with permanent passes, during that time. Due to limited parking, the cemetery encourages volunteers to use Metro. The cleanup will take place regardless of weather, according to an Arlington National Cemetery news release. Volunteers are encouraged to wear gloves, comfortable shoes and…
Kathalene Blair
6:24 am on Friday, May 24, 2013
I have visited the cemetery several times. Each time is so humbling. Being a vetran myself, I am so appreciative and grateful for what it represents and the history it holds. Thank you to all those who keep this hallowed place so beautiful. Kathy B Utah. more ›