Over 4 million visitors, come through Arlington National Cemetery each year. It has over 200 acres and was originally made to be a military natural burial site in 1864 . It is the second largest national cemetery in the US with over 300,000 people buried there. This well known natural cemetery is located in Arlington, Virginia and brings visitors here for various reasons. Some simply wish to be able to see a part of American history, some come to pay their respects and honor the nation’s war heroes and others are there for a funeral service and burial of a friend or family member .

For those people that are there to attend a funeral, they are in the company of a lot of others each week at Arlington. They has average of about 28 funerals each day during the week with no funerals happening on the weekends. Veterans from all of the country’s] wars are buried at this cemetery from the American Revolution through Iraq and Afghanistan. There are where] a wreath in addition to a 21 gun salute honoring the soldier. They also follow the funeral with the playing of taps and presenting the flag that was on top of the coffin to the relatives.

One of the most frequently visited sections of the Arlington national cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknowns. This is a monumental tomb that was built and houses the remains of an unknown soldier from each war. It is meant to symbolize all of the service members that died during war. There was a ceremony when each Unknown Soldier was interred into the tomb by the presiding President of the United States at that moment. The only war that does not have representation is the Vietnam War where the remains were taken out and identified and then the family of that deceased veteran preferred to have him buried near them. The Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded by the U.S. Army every hour of every day of the year .

There are famous people that are well known in American History that are also honored by being laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. These people were not military figures but important to our history. There are quite a few explorers buried as well as some astronauts too. Also, buried here are famous political figures like the Kennedy brothers. Famous literary and medical figures are burial here as well. There are also 2 Presidents of the United States buried in the cemetery and they are William Howard Taft and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Many visitors like strolling all around and seeing so many famous names buried in one location .

If you wish to go to the Washington, D.C. area and make a stop at Arlington, Virginia to see this well known cemetery, it may be exciting to see it on a day that has special ceremonies surrounding it . Veteran’s Day usually has the sitting President speak in honor of all of the Americans that lost their lives for our country .