Honor

A bit of history

Laying our Nation’s veterans and their eligible family members torest with dignity and honor, while treating their loved ones withrespect and compassion, is the cornerstone of Arlington National
Cemetery’s mission.

Arlington National Cemetery is comprised of land that once
belonged to George Washington Parke Custis, grandson ofMartha Washington and step-grandson of George Washington.
In 1857, Custis willed the 1,100-acre property to his daughter
Mary Anna Randolph Custis, who was married to Robert E. Lee.
After the Lee family vacated the estate in 1861 at the onset of theCivil War, federal troops occupied the property as a camp andheadquarters.

As you walk through the cemetery, you may see a horse-drawn
caisson carrying an American flag-draped casket, hear the firing of
three rifle volleys in the distance, or feel a lump in your throat asa lone bugler plays the 24 lingering notes of Taps. These honors
remind us of service, sacrifice and valor – and are examples of the
dignified way we take care of those who have defended and protected
our freedoms.

RememberMonuments, memorials and dedicated trees commemorating
individuals and significant events in our Nation’s history are interspersed
throughout the cemetery among the headstones of service members
for whom Arlington is the final resting place. They honor events andmembers from all branches of the military, and also pay respect toastronauts, nurses, chaplains, war correspondents and unknown, justto name a few. These men and women will never be forgotten – theirlegacies will live on and forever be a part of our national fabric.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, one of Arlington’s most well-knownmemorials, includes the remains of unknown service members fromWorld War I, World War II and the Korean War. Soldiers from the3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) keep a 24-hours-a-day,365-days-a-year vigil at the Tomb, with an elaborate ritual to change theguard every hour (or half-hour from April 1 through September 30).

ExploreArlington National Cemetery encapsulates America’s history – aliving tribute to our Nation’s past and how it continues to thrive
through the service and sacrifice of those willing to dedicate theirlife to its ideals.
We encourage you to use ANC Explorer, a web-based application
to locate gravesites and places of interest, obtain walking directions
and photos, and find events. The app is available on the cemetery’s
website, on-site kiosks or through online app stores.
While here, be sure to explore America’s rich history, witness thetime-honored ceremonies, and take in the scenic grounds andlandscapes. We also hope you make time to visit areas less traveled– wander through the headstones and monuments, reflect on thenames, and ponder the stories each person could tell.

Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia 22211

In 1863, the government established Freedman’s Village on aportion of the estate as a way to assist slaves transitioning tofreedom. The village provided housing, education, training, andmedical care.
As the number of Civil War casualties was outpacing other local
Washington, D.C.-based cemeteries, the property became a buriallocation. The first military burial took place on May 13, 1864,
for Private William Christman. On June 15, the War Department
officially set aside approximately 200 acres of the property touse as a cemetery. By the end of the war, thousands of service
members and former slaves were buried here. Ultimately, the Lee
family was compensated for the property and the land remainedwith the War Department.

Arlington today
Arlington National Cemetery has evolved from a place of necessity
to a national shrine to those who have honorably served our Nation
during times of war – including every military conflict in American
history – and during times of peace. The cemetery is the final
resting place for more than 400,000 active duty service members,veterans and their families. “Service to country” is the common
thread that binds all who are honored and remembered here.
The cemetery remains active with funeral services Monday throughSaturday (except federal holidays), conducting between 27 and 30
services each week day and between 6 and 8 services each Saturday.
Information on burial eligibility and military honors is available on
the cemetery’s website.
More than 3,000 ceremonies and memorial services also take place at
the cemetery each year, including national observances for Memorial
Day and Veterans Day held at the Memorial Amphitheater.

Open 7 days a week, 365 days a yearOctober 1 – March 31
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

April 1 – September 30
8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

1-877-907-8585
www.arlingtoncemetery.mil

Map of Arlington National Cemetery

Places of Interest*

Notable Graves*

Section 1Section 1

 Pan Am Flight 103 Memorial

Section 2

 Chaplains Hill and Monuments
 Gold Star Mothers Memorial Tree

Section 4

 U.S. Coast Guard Memorial

Section 16

 Confederate Memorial

Section 18

 Argonne Cross (WWI)

Section 21

 Abner Doubleday, grave 61
 Anita Newcomb McGee, grave 526-B
 Montgomery C. Meigs, grave 1-EHSection 2

 Claire L. Chennault, grave 873-3-4
 William F. “Bull” Halsey, Jr., grave 1184
 Pierre C. L’Enfant, grave S-3
 Robert S. McNamara, grave 1233-A
 James Tanner, grave 877

Section 3

 Roger B. Chaffee, grave 2502-F
 Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, grave 2503-E
 Walter Reed, grave 1864

 Spanish American War Nurses
 Nurses Memorial Battle of the Bulge Memorial

Section 5

Section 22

Section 6

 Spanish American War Memorial Rough Riders Memorial

Section 24

 USS Maine Memorial

Section 26

 Civil War Unknown Monument

 Thurgood Marshall, grave 40-3
 John A. Lejeune, grave 5682

Section 7

 George C. Marshall, grave 8198

Section 7A

 Joe “Louis” Barrow, grave 177
 James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle, grave 110

Section 28

Section 8

Section 33

Section 12

 Vietnam War Memorial Tree McClellan Gate

Section 34

 Robert Edwin Peary, grave S-15
 John Basilone, grave 384
 Michael Strank, grave 7179

 USS Serpens Monument
 World War I Memorial Tree

Section 13

Section 36

Section 27

Section 35

Section 30

 World War II Memorial Tree Woodhull Memorial Flagstaff

Section 46

 Canadian Cross of Sacrifice Memorial Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial
 Iran Rescue Mission Monument
 Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial

Section 48

 Korean War Contemplative Bench Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Section 59

 Beirut Barracks Memorial Tree

*These listings and areas highlighted
on map are not exhaustive; other placesof interest and historical figures areincluded on the Arlington National
Cemetery website and ANC Explorer.

 George Washington Parke Custis, grave 6513
 William Christman, grave 19
 Omar Nelson Bradley, grave 428-1-2
 President William H. Taft, grave S-14
 Alexander M. Haig, Jr., grave 418-LH

Section 31

 Robert Todd Lincoln, grave S-13

Section 34

 Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, grave 44-A
 Ira H. Hayes, grave 479-A
 John J. Pershing, grave S-19-LH

Section 36

 Medgar W. Evers, grave 1431

Section 45

 President John F. Kennedy and family,
grave S-45

Section 46

 USS Monitor Group Burial Marker,
grave 1145-2
 Audie L. Murphy, grave 366-11

Section 51

 Rene A. Gagnon, grave 543

Section 64

 Pentagon Group Burial Marker