Photo By Rachel Larue | A wreath sits after a ceremony June 16 at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The event...... read more read more
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va. - The official establishment of Arlington as a national cemetery 150 years ago was commemorated June 16 during an Armed Forces Full Honors Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
“Arlington National Cemetery is a place where for 150 years our nation has been coming to remember the service, the sacrifice and especially the ultimate sacrifice the members of our armed services have made,” said Jack E. Lechner Jr., ANC superintendent. “It’s a place where Americans can come and remember and prove we will never forget.”
Arlington National Cemetery was established June 15, 1864, by Brig. Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, who commanded the Union garrison at Arlington House during the Civil War. A series of special events, including the renaming of the Old Amphitheater as the James R. Tanner Memorial Amphitheater, has served to mark ANC’s sesquicentennial.
Lechner was joined in laying the wreath at the Tomb by ANC Command Sgt. Maj. Brenda Curfman and ANC deputy superintendent Renea Yates, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. Yates served with Soldiers in Iraq who are now buried at Arlington.
“I’m still looking out for them,” she said. “The executive director reminds us every headstone is a hero to someone and every headstone has a story. It’s incredible to be a part of history and do my little piece to ensure [ANC] stays the way it is, a national treasure.”
Yates’ husband is also buried at the cemetery.
Maj. Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan, commanding general of Joint Force Headquarters/National Capital Region and the Military District of Washington, served as the ceremony’s host.
| Date Taken: | 06.16.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.20.2014 15:08 |
| Story ID: | 133863 |
| Location: | ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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