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Why Millions of People Go To See Arlington National Cemetery Each Year
by admin ·
Over 4 million visitors, choose to visit Arlington National Cemetery each year. It has over 200 acres and was originally set up 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 famous natural cemetery is located in Arlington, Virginia and brings visitors here for various reasons. Some simply wish to be able to see a piece of American history, some come to remember and honor the nation's war veterans 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 many others each week at Arlington. They has average of about 28 funerals everday during the week with no funerals happening on the weekends. Veterans from all of the {nation's|country's] wars are buried at this cemetery starting with the American Revolution all the way to Iraq and Afghanistan. There are certain traditions that happen {during|at] a funeral here. They have a wreath laying ceremony {to have|where] a wreath is put on the gravesite as well as a 21 gun salute in honor of the soldier. They also follow the burial with the playing of taps and the presentation of the flag that was on top of the coffin to the relatives.
One of the most visited parts of the Arlington national cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknowns. This is a tomb that was created 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 Arlington 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 soldier preferred to have him buried near their home. The Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded by the U.S. Army 24 hours a day 365 days a year .
There are important people that are well thought of in American History that are also honored by being laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. These people were not military figures but mad an impact in our history. There are quite a few explorers buried including some astronauts here. Also, buried here are famous political people such as the Kennedy brothers. Famous literary and medical figures are burial in Arlington too. There are also 2 Presidents of the United States buried here and they are William Howard Taft and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Many visitors enjoy walking all around and seeing all of the famous names buried in one cemetery .
If you wish to go to the Washington, D.C. area and take a visit to Arlington, Virginia to see this famous cemetery, it may be exciting to see it on a day that has special ceremonies surrounding it . Veteran's Day typically has the current President speak in honor of those that lost their lives for our country .
