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There are several different places to visit in Arlington, Virginia. Some of the most know places are Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon. Arlington, VA is located directly across the Potomac River from Washington DC. Arlington was originally part of the area surveyed for the nation’s capital, the portion on the west bank of the Potomac River was returned to the Commonwealth of Virginia by the U.S. Congress in 1846. Until 1920, this part of Virginia was known as Alexandria City and Alexandria County until it was renamed to Arlington County.
Arlington National Cemetery receives over four million people annually. Many of the Cemetery’s visitors are coming to pay final respects at graveside services, of which nearly one hundred are conducted each week, Monday through Friday. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton designated Arlington Mansion and two hundred acres of ground immediately surrounding it officially as a military cemetery June 15, 1864. To this day over three hundred million service members and civilians are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. A little known fact about Arlington National Cemetery is that in section twenty seven, there are over three thousand-eight hundred slaves buried there. There headstones are marked with the either the words “civilians” or “citizens”. All the flags are flown at half-staff from half hour prior to the start of the first funeral and a half hour after the last funeral takes place. One average, there are twenty-eight funerals conducted on a daily basis. Funerals are conducted five days a week with the exception of weekends.
With more than three hundred thousand people buried, Arlington National Cemetery has the second-largest number of people buried of any national cemetery in the United States. Arlington National Cemetery conducts approximately six thousand four hundred burials each year. The largest of the one hundred and thirty national cemeteries is the Calverton National Cemetery, on...