Arlington National Cemetery – Amphitheater
For those of you who have visited this website often, you know the love and admiration I have for Arlington National Cemetery and since June of 2010 with the new management, things have gotten so much better!
Over the last decade plus, the hours which I’ve walked and worked among those acres of heroes at rest are countless, but each time it’s a place that I welcome to visit time and time again.
I spent St. Patrick’s Day 2013 in a very unusual and festive way… It was truly an honor to be selected to photograph the change of responsibility and retirement of an US Army Airborne Ranger … at the Amphitheater of Arlington National Cemetery. When President Woodrow Wilson dedicated it in May of 1920, it became a place where special events happen. These include: Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday, Memorial Day remembrance in May and honoring those who served in November on Veterans’ Day. It would be later that year in 1920 that the first Unknown Soldier would be interred.
But back to the historic event … it was a first … a first time that such an event would happen, where the echoes of great events still resonate within the marble structure. On 17 MAR 2013… new echoes would join them…
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GHTime Code(s): nc nc Posted 2 months, 4 weeks ago at 10:08 am. 1 comment
Friday, 25 MARCH 2011 came and went with little fanfare, it seems the country was focused on basketball, events around the world or didn’t really know that a day was set aside to raise the awareness of the true heroes, most of whom gave the ultimate sacrifice and never saw the medal they were awarded… Continue Reading…
GHTime Code(s): nc nc nc nc nc Posted 2 years, 2 months ago at 11:49 am. Add a comment
A very rare mission… with an even rarer ending…
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Posted 3 years, 3 months ago at 10:45 pm. 9 comments
The Old Guard On Parade
they’re still the best kept secret!
I spent a week on a special mission. I wanted to find out peoples’ awareness in the Washington DC area. I asked about the sports teams, and most people knew without any coaching what teams they had for baseball, football, basketball, hockey and more. I also asked who would defend Washington DC if a disaster struck. I even showed photos of …
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Posted 3 years, 3 months ago at 8:47 pm. Add a comment
PART ONE of this entry touched on the selection and inclusion of the photos from the cover through JUN 2010. PART TWO gets a bit more into history and background rather than the selection of photos as I go through JUL to DEC of 2010.
GHTime Code(s): 609d9 5451e 46672 600a6 Posted 3 years, 5 months ago at 5:50 am. 2 comments
On Saturday 10 OCT, Honor Air Louisiana will be transporting another group of “the Greatest Generation” for a day in Washington DC to see the WW II Memorial among others and pay a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. The group sponsoring this wonderful visit has been in operation for a while and this will be their 19th trip since inception.
Their escort for the day is a Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers…
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GHTime Code(s): f9a6f 3b584 Posted 3 years, 8 months ago at 11:59 pm. Add a comment
The US Army celebrated its
234th birthday on 14 JUN 2009…
One of the most solemn and dignified ceremonies occurred in Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on that morning…
a full honors wreath ceremony
placed by
the Secretary of the Army, Honorable Pete Geren,
Chief of Staff of the Army, General George W. Casey Jr.
and
Sergeant Major of the Army, SMA Kenneth Preston.
Hosted by Commanding General of the Military District of Washington, Major General Richard J. Rowe Jr, the full honors included:
a complement of The US Army’s 3d Infantry -
The Old Guard,
The US Army Band, Pershing’s Own
and
Color Guard.
After the wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, General Casey and Sergeant Major Preston visited each of the 24 former Chiefs of Staff and 2 Sergeants Major of the Army’s final resting places and placed a wreath in honor of their service to the United States of America.
General of the Armies & Former Chief of Staff General John J. Pershing’s gravesite
Posted 4 years ago at 9:59 pm. Add a comment
Over the years, Arlington National Cemetery has become a very special place to me. I have spent countless hours exploring, learning and capturing in photographic memories some of the significance, the solemnity, the beauty of this National Shrine to those who have given so much.
Few days stand out as much as Memorial Day, for it is over that weekend that the US Army’s 3d Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard once again goes above and beyond by placing the US colors one boot length away in front of every grave stone in the cemetery.
Normally on this day, I’ll wait ’til after the formal ceremonies are over and movement around the cemetery is a bit easier as the President has left. This year, I was determined to actively participate and made it into the amphitheater near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. The sun was hot, but hidden by clouds most of the time, that later gave up some of their rain to add a bit of liquid sunshine to the day…
Off in the distance, the Presidential Salute Battery began firing the 21 Gun Salute, announcing the arrival of the President. So many times I’ve watched up close and personal the precise way that they execute their mission I could see in my mind’s eye, the watchman of the Battery calling each gun at precise 3 second intervals as each salute echoed through the hills of the cemetery.
One could then hear the commanders of the multi service honor guard call their troops to attention as the President approached the Tomb of the Unknown
After laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, followed by a moment of silence, The bugler from the US Army’s Band – Pershing’s Own sounded Taps. Those 21 notes echoing among the open air of the moment.
President came into the amphitheater, preceded by the US Army Chaplain, Superintendent of of Arlington National Cemetery, Commanding General of the Military District of Washington and the Head of the Joint Chiefs’ of Staff.
The President addressed the standing room only crowd and shared his thoughts with those assembled.
Afterwards, I went among those assembled and spent some time with those I knew and made some new friends among the slowly vanishing crowd. As the crowd dispersed, I began my exploring to several sections among those that had given so much. I went to Section 13 which has a great number of Unknowns…
It’s hard to describe the feelings that run through when one considers that for each of these stones, marks a contribution that always cannot be measured, or in most cases cannot be repaid.
I’ll let the photos take you there…
“Preserving the memories, so others will remember…” ™
Posted 4 years ago at 9:16 pm. 1 comment
I’ve been reading a book on The Old Guard’s history and reached an essay written by COL Neale Cosby US Army (Ret) and it filled me with emotions. I thought it important enough to transcribe it and share it with the world, since it provides an insight that we all can appreciate…
Why We Guard The Tomb
GHTime Code(s): nc nc Posted 4 years, 4 months ago at 12:49 am. 7 comments
