Arlington National Cemetery ... Over 320,000 servicemen found their final resting place at Arlington. My iconic Arlington memory was from the end of the movie Saving Private Ryan. Today I visited Arlington myself for the first time, and the experience was many things: emotionally moving, mind blowing, fascinating, and, perhaps above all else, pristine. Arlington had a feeling of such peace, such beauty, that it really cannot be described in words. Instead, here are some pictures, with brief descriptions:
- This is a picture of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. Inside there is a display taking you through the history of the Women who have served in the US armed forces.
- Here is a picture focused on General Omar Bradley's grave. Bradley, a Five-Star General who served in World War II, is surrounded by at least three Four-Star Generals who are also seen in this picture.
- The grave of one of my favorite Supreme Court Justices: Chief Justice William "Big Willie" Rehnquist. Rehnquist was a pretty conservative Judge, but he was articulate, well researched, and he wrote a number of good books, which he would research and write during the Supreme Court's recess. My kind of guy.
- Another Supreme Court Justice, although Thurgood Marshall was so much more. Certainly a great American in addition to having served on the High Court.
- The Eternal Flame at JFK's grave ...
- Robert E. Lee's House at Arlington. The flag, which is at half mast because there was a burial taking place, is parallel to the moon, which can be seen just to the right.
- The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. An incredibly moving thing to experience in person.
- The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as the guard walks past. Today the guard was changed every half hour; we witnessed two changes.
- Two more shots of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: the first is a straight on shot from the top of the stairs, the second is a shot at an angle; in the distance you can see the US Capitol and the Jefferson Memorial.
- A shot of the hills full of the graves of those who served in our armed services, who put their lives on the line to maintain the very freedoms that allow me to be sharing this with you.
- A final shot of some of the graves at Arlington; through the trees the Washington Monument can be seen in the distance.
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