Arlington National Cemetery - Memorial Day
Today is a day to honor our Nation’s Veterans who have passed on, and to pay homage to our fallen Military men and women who have paid the ultimate price for insuring our freedom.
Memorial Day has special significance to me because my Dad is among the many men and women who are laid here to rest for all eternity. More than 290,000 people are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This national shrine serves as the final resting place from every one of the nation's wars, from the American Revolution through the military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Every year for the last 40 years just prior to Memorial Day, the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) honors America's fallen heroes by placing American flags before the gravestones and niches of the service members buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The photo was taken today as a reminder of the many who have proudly served our Nation. In the background you can see the United States Air Force Memorial. The United States Air Force Memorial honors the service of the men and women who have served in the United States Air Force and its predecessor organizations. More than 54,000 airmen have given their lives while serving in the Air Force and its preceding arms of the military. The three stainless steel spires represent contrails of the Air Force Thunderbirds as they disperse in a "bomb burst" maneuver. The memorial was dedicated on October 15-16, 2006.
I pray that our Heavenly Father
may assuage the anguish of your bereavement,
and leave you only the cherished memory of the
loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours,
to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.
-- Abraham Lincoln, November 1864
©2015 Michael Setunsky, All Rights Reserved – Arlington National Cemetery – May 25, 2015
Comments(48)