Tuesday afternoon we visited Arlington National Cemetery, site of over 300,000 graves of soldiers and their families. The beauty and peace of the cemetery washed over me as I thought about the courage and the honor of these men who had dedicated their lives to their country. After we walked around visiting the graves of men like John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert, Audie Murphy (the most decorated veteran of WWII), we went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the 8th graders participated in a wreath-laying ceremony.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has the unidentified bodies of soldiers from WWI, the Korean War, and WWII. The body from the Vietnam War had recently been identified using DNA analysis and re-interred in his hometown. Because of DNA analysis, there will never again be a soldier only "known unto God," as the inscription on the Tomb says. The tomb is guarded day and night by an honor guard from the Army's 3rd Infantry. Watching the precision and perfection of these guards inspires a sense of awe and timelessness. The soldiers always take exactly 21 steps and pause for exactly 21 seconds during their turn at guard.
1 comment:
Truly is a site to see.
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