The first soldier to be buried in Arlington was Private William Henry Christman of Pennsylvania on May 13, 1864. Although Christman’s grave reads #19, he was the first to have his grave finished on the first day of interment when dozens of soldiers were laid to rest.
The cemetery is administered by the Army. Arlington House (Custis-Lee Mansion) and its grounds are administered by the National Park Service as a memorial to Lee.
When Robert E. Lee turned down command of the Union armies and instead took command of the Confederate forces, many Union soldiers and commanders considered Lee a traitor. His property across the Potomac from Washington, D.C. was prime real estate to capture and was easily taken. In order to spite Lee, Union officials demanded that to keep the property, he would personally need to come to Washington to pay taxes. When, for obvious reasons, he did not, Lee’s property was confiscated permanently. To further spite Lee, the Union turned his land in to a cemetery for the Union dead.
While the cemetery has always been a place of reverence, it’s beginnings are clearly tainted by the veil of revenge that the U.S. government had for Lee. But Arlington’s entire nature has been duplicitous, as it has been home to a segregated African American section; was actually home to thousand of Freedman’s Bureau freed slaves after the war; has Confederate, foreign, and any thousands of nameless soldiers buried in it; and other seemingly incompatible features about it. (see the Arlington National Cemetery website for more information [Click this link])
The list of those who are eligible to be buried in Arlington is extremely long and can be found here at Wikipedia. Interestingly, because of the eligibility of Timothy McVeigh to be buried in Arlington, Congress has since passed laws prohibiting those convicted of both state and federal capital crimes, those serving life sentences, and those who flee their conviction of such crimes.
An interesting note about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. While remains were first interred here in 1921, the Marble tomb we see above ground today was not put in to place until 1932. The Tomb contains remains from WWI, WWII, and Korea, but no longer contains remains from the Vietnam war, as DNA technology allowed for these remains to be identified and no new remains from the Vietnam war have been placed there. The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the oldest active regiment in the U.S. military and known as “The Old Guard” stands watch over the Tomb 24-hours a day, while also conducting funerary services at Arlington. More information on the history of the 3rd Regiment can be found here on Wikipedia as well as here on the Arlington National Cemetery site.
The meaning of Arlington has certainly changed over time and changes to this day with the personal beliefs of the person being asked. Some see it as a solemn remembrance of those who died for their country; others see it as a living example of the hypocritical nature of the American government’s actions throughout the 19th and 20th centuries; still others see Arlington as both a living memorial to fallen heroes, great and small while also being a testament to both current and future citizens to be wary of war. Arlington is one of the few sites in D.C. which can have so much duplicity and an changing nature based solely on one’s own viewpoint as well as evolving its meaning over time based on current and past American actions. Take this phrase in contrast to the Library of Congress, which is and always shall be an institution of learning and knowledge. While Arlington’s purpose has not changed, the light Americans view it in has evolved and will continue to do so. Arlington will mean different things to different generations, these meanings being constantly in flux, as well as opposition to one another.
Online Resources:
Arlington House - http://www.nps.gov/arho/
Arlington National Cemetery, Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_national_cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery Historical Information, U.S. Government site - http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/historical_information/index.html
The Old Guard, Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_United_States_Infantry_Regiment_(TOG)
The Old Guard, U.S. Gov't site - http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/ceremonies/old_guard.html
Arlington tribute site - http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/
(An 'improved" entry in place of the REMOVED, above).
ReplyDeleteThanks Michael - for your kind words about my blog - but Thank You also for your Latest Entry about Arlington (above) - it really is a very emotional thought - when one considers the truly immeasurable, ultimate sacrifice made by so many. With just a FEW exceptions, no political leader in THIS country comes even close in comparison! Most of the truest heroes, the truly great, but unsung heroes for us ordinary citizens are all right here!! The details you present herein really make Arlington come "alive" so to speak, especially in your reminder/mention of the first soldier (Private William Henry Christman) interred, almost a full year before President's Lincoln's untimely death. (I wonder if Mr. Lincoln ever got around to visiting this or any other newly made graves at Arlington??)
As well, the mention of the segregated black heroes is also very moving, and extra-sad in a way. If I consider all of it at great length, it'll be enough to make me cry.
And, your note about the duplicitousness of the place is extremely well put, in my opinion.
Carolyn is posting this comment:
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of questions about the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The highly choreographed routine seemed to be speaking a language I don't understand. We know that the soldiers chosen to perform this duty have undergone a rigorous selection process and training and that it is a very high honor for them to guard the Tomb. However, the highly stylized movements - inspection of the gun, exact pacing, precision gun handling, perfect uniform etc. seem to me an extreme exaggeration of soldierly appearance and behavior. While I can appreciate the demands of the post, I must say I found the ceremony coldly respectful, but not particularly moving. Maybe this is part of the point. Is it meant to be dehumanized and to distance us from feelings of loss as it valorizes sacrifice? What do folks think about this?
The dichotomy of Arlington really became apparent to me while watching the changing of the guards. On one hand, I felt ashamed of my anti-military sentiments especially after seeing how serious this is for so many people in our country. I felt ashamed because these young men believe in our country and are willing to die for it at all cost. However, on the other hand, it is hard for me to change my stance on the military complex especially when our government has put so many people in harms way for political and economic reasons and yet has failed time and time again to live up to our own principles. What the experience at Arlingotn remained me of again was not to judge the person but to evaluate the system.
ReplyDeleteAs to Carolyn's post, as far as I have read/seen in the press, the highly stylized and measured actions during the ceremony are the military's way of showing respect. They literally inspect each part of the weapon and uniform for any imperfection, because in the military's mind, they have to show the utmost respect for these unknowns. Anything less is unacceptable. Sure it seems like pageantry, but as I read it, it is their way of honoring their fallen comrades at the highest level. Certainly to those outside the military, you and I, it seems audacious. I think it is over the top, but thinking from the military perspective, it is their way of honoring the dead. I have found that rituals from the outside are many times obtuse and hard to understand.
ReplyDeleteI really like Cindy's point that we must evaluate the system and not the individual. I feel that this outlook really helps us teach American history through a non-critical lens. We can remain unbiased by telling the student to look at the entire system and not the one person. Thanks Cindy!