Parzych - Historical Tours Arlington National Cemetery

Bigler, Philip. In Honored Glory: Arlington National Cemetery, The Final Post. 4th edition, St. Petersburg, Fla.: Vandamere Press, 2005.

Blair, William. Cities of the Dead: Contesting the Memory of the Civil War in the South, 18651914. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 2003.

Decker, K. and Angus McSween. Historic Arlington. Washington, DC: The Decker and McSween Publishing Company, 1892.

Dodge, George and Kim B. Arlington National Cemetery. Dover, N.H.: Arcadia Publishing, 2006.

Gurney, Gene. Arlington National Cemetery. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1965.

Hutchins, Stilson and Joseph West Moore. The National Capital, Past and Present. Washington, DC: The Post Publishing Company, 1885.

Peters, James Edward. Arlington National Cemetery: Shrine to Americas Heroes. Arlington, Va.: Woodbine House, 2008.

Poole, Robert M. On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery. New York: Walker & Company, 2010.

Poole, Robert M. Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery: Where War Comes Home. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2014.

www.arlingtoncemetery.net

www.arlingtoncemetery.org

Its somehow fitting that this beautiful spot on the Virginia bank of the Potomac, across a bridge from the nations capital, has throughout American history been a national symbol. Situated on the old Georgetown and Alexandria pike that was the connecting route between two important colonial towns, the Arlington property rises on a hill above the Potomac with spectacular views of Washington, DC. Originally named Mount Washington to honor President George Washington, it was renamed Arlington by George Washington Parke Custisa relative of the president by marriagefor Custis ancestral properties on the Virginia coast, to avoid the confusion from too many places being named for the first president.

At the start of the Civil War, the Arlington estate became a symbol of the divided nation, as this property belonging to Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his wife, Mary Custis Lee, was confiscated and used by Union Army forces assigned to defend the capital from Southern attack. As a payback for General Lees Southern loyalties during the war, the U.S. Army buried Union as well as Confederate casualties of the conflict in Mrs. Lees garden and along the road that led to General Lees former family home on the Arlington estate, the property which eventually was to become Arlington National Cemetery.

Today this parcel of land is considered one of the countrys most hallowed places, which receives the bodies of those who served their country and lost their lives doing it. It is a place where the military dead can be honored by the nation, no longer divided as it was during the Civil War, and where the American people can have the single focus of remembering the sacrifice these men and women of all beliefs and colors made for the nation.

About 4 million people visit Arlington National Cemetery every year. While tourists are welcome to walk among the graves and monuments of Americas military heroes, there is ever present the sounds and images of the funerals of soldiers and the families and friends who come to bury their dead and pay their respects. About one hundred funerals take place here every week, Monday through Friday. Visitors to Arlington are asked to show respect for these funeral services. It should always be remembered that Arlington National Cemeterys main purpose, under the auspices of the Department of the Army, is to function as a national cemetery and shrine to those serving in the armed forces.

In recognition of the fact that the nations most important military cemetery is also one of the main tourist destinations for visitors who come to Washington, excellent visitor facilities have been put in place here by the government.

I will tell each person what I have told others in the pastthat exactly who the men on the hill are is not as important as the fact that they are there. Being there, they are not only representative of other men who died unknown, but of all men who have fought for America. For that reason, they belong to all of us.

John C. Metzler, Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, comment made prior to burial of Unknown Soldiers of World War II and Korean War, quoted in Cosmopolitan, May 1958

Arlington National Cemetery is a sprawling place with acres of well-tended graves and memorials, so a little planning is recommended before your visit, whether you have just a few hours or a full day to spend. It will help you to get the most from your trip to the national cemetery.

Every trip to Arlington should begin at the visitor center located just through the main gate on Memorial Drive. Visitor parking can be found near this building; check the Web site for parking fees (www.arlingtoncemetery.org). There is also an Arlington National Cemetery Metro stop served by Washingtons subway trains. Arlington Tours, Inc. offers an interpretive bus tour stopping near the Ord & Weitzel gate, President John F. Kennedys grave, the U.S. Coast Guard Memorial, General John Pershings grave, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and Arlington House. Check the link for tours for more information: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Plan-Your-Visit/Tours-and-Groups.

Exhibitions are staged in the visitor center, and information services, including assistance to help find grave locations, is offered by staff members working there. Maps and guidebooks can be purchased in the visitor center bookshop. In the building are public restrooms. The cemetery is open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from October 1 through March 31. From April 1 through September 30, the hours are extended to 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The history of the cemetery begins at Arlington House, the next stop after the visitor center on any visit to Arlington National Cemetery. Its gorgeous position, on Arlingtons highest hill with views of Washington, DC, is reason enough to go there.

The house, which is undergoing restoration, and its immediate grounds are a memorial to General Robert E. Lee and a museum focusing on the life of his family. Lees loyalty to the state of Virginia and its Southern stance during the Civil War is the reason his family home and estate became a national cemetery during the war. The National Park Service offers tours during the hours when the cemetery is open. Check the Web site at www.nps.gov/arho/ for information.

The estate is situated directly opposite Washington, on the Virginia bank of the Potomac, and the Lee mansion, surrounded by luxuriant groves, is on an elevation of two hundred feet, so that it can be plainly seen from many parts of the city. On a bright, clear day the huge portico of the mansion, with its eight classic columns, stands out very distinctly, and one would hardly think there was a mile of water between the mansion and the city. The estate comprises 1160 acres, mostly good arable land...

Hutchins and Moore, The National Capital, Past and Present, 1885