Arlington National Cemetery | John F. Kennedy Resting Place
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia USA
Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for over 400,000 service members, veterans, and their families.
The land once belonged to Martha Washington’s grandson (George Washington Parke Custis), and George Washington’s adopted grandson. During the years, the land was occupied by military forces and in 1863, the Freed’s village was established to assist slaves through the transition to freedom. The Freed’s village provided housing, education, training, medical care and food for the former slaves.
With the increase of war casualties, the property was chosen as a burial site. The first military burial took place 13 May 1864, for Private William Christman.
Today, the cemetery is a national shrine to those who have served their country during times of war and times of peace. Over 3,000 funeral services are conducted each year including observance for Memorial And Veterans Days. More than three million people visit the cemetery annually.
President John F Kennedy
Kennedy was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on 24 November 1963 and his gravesite is one of the most visited plots in the cemetery. He was moved from the original gravesite to another site just a few feet away on 14 March 1967. His ex-wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was laid to rest next to him and their two deceased infants when she died of cancer in 1994.
The Unknown Soldier
There were actually four unknown soldier candidates exhumed from four different WW1 cemeteries in France for the Arlington WW1 crypt.
WW1 Red Cross Poster
He chose the third casket from the left by placing a bunch of white roses on the casket. The chosen soldier was transported to the U.S. on the USS Olympia, and the other three soldiers were reburied at Meuse Argonne American Cemetery in France.
Medal Of Honour
To date, over 3,400 Medals have been awarded with approximately 1,500 being awarded to Civil War service members.
There are over 400 Medal of Honour recipients interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
FACT: Nearly 5,000 unknown soldiers are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
HMAS Perth Memorial
Space Shuttle Challenger
The partial remains of the seven astronauts who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on 28 January 1986, are buried at the cemetery. The seven Columbia astronauts have their own memorial at Arlington, near the one for the Challenger. As a living tribute, there are 36 Memorial Trees for Medal of Honour recipients.
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