We won’t be bringing you an ASPPA Connect newsletter on Monday due to the observance of Memorial Day, but we would like to share some little-known facts related to the holiday.
Arlington National Cemetery is located in Arlington, VA on the estate that had belonged to Robert E. Lee and his wife, Mary Custis Lee, who had inherited it. The Custis-Lee mansion is high on a hill facing Washington, DC. Immediately after Virginia seceded from the Union and Robert E. Lee resigned his U.S. Army commission and became the commander of the Virginia military forces, federal troops occupied the property.
The federal government acquired the Custis-Lee property in 1864 over the government not receiving taxes due on it. On June 15, 1864, the property and 200 acres of surrounding land were designated as a military cemetery.
The first burial at Arlington National Cemetery was that of Private William Henry Christman of Pennsylvania. Now more than 400,000 service members are interred there.
One of Arlington National Cemetery’s most famous features is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, also known as the Tomb of the Unknowns. It is a large white marble sarcophagus containing the remains of three unidentified service members, one each from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
The Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded continuously by the 3rd U.S. Infantry, the oldest active duty infantry unit in the U.S. Army, also known as The Old Guard. The Old Guard is the Army's official ceremonial unit and escort to U.S. Presidents, and it provides security for Washington in times of national emergency or civil disturbance.
We’ll be back on Wednesday, May 29 with the next ASPPA Connect.
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