Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Arlington National Cemetery





The Arlington National Cemetery located in Washington D.C. is one of the most famous cemeteries in the nation. It is the resting place of many past presidents, war heroes and many other national heroes as well as iconic people. When first arriving you notice that the newer graves are all neatly alligned and all the same size but the further you get in some of the graves are more boisterous and bigger. When the cemetery was first built there was not really a plan the government at the time wanted to take away General Robert E. Lee's home and not give the Confederates a key strategic location overlooking D.C. so they decided to make his back yard a cemetery.
The grave of the unmarked soldier is also here. Every 30 minutes the guard changes in a routine that is very precise and must be done right. Being one of the guards is also a very big honor.

A Civil Rights activist is also burried in the cemetery but not because his work as a civil rights activist rather he served in the military. Medger Evers was murdered in front of his home in Jackson Mississippi because he believed in the rights of African Americans. I read that he knew that he might be killed and that he did not think he would live past 50 but he still did the things he did because he believed in them. His grave is covered with rocks from people showing respect for him.


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