Arlington Cemetery

On a simmering afternoon after visiting the Holocaust Museum, my roommate and I decided to venture out to Arlington National Cemetery in Fort Myer, Virginia. SinceI have family members buried in the cemetery, I had been there before. This time was different, though; I was planning something more tourist-focused. Upon arriving at the cemetery I used one of the grave site finders in the welcoming center to find the plot where my grandmother, grandfather, and uncle are buried. The plan was to visit their plot first, then visit the tourist attractions, such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, presidential graves, and various memorials.

Since the cemetery is so vast, they offer passes to ride their bus system to various tourist hotspots in all corners of the cemetery. On our way out of the welcoming center we came across the counter where they sell the bus tickets. Unfortunately, there had been a relatively disastrous storm the night before, which resulted in a wide range of power outages throughout the Mid Atlantic. The Cemetery happened to be one of the places that lost power. They were only selling tickets via cash payment. Since I use US Bank, I had no cash on me because there are no US Banks in DC (take note US Bank customers). My roommate had some cash, but not enough for two tickets.

We were left to our own mode of transportation, our own two feet (something we’ve become very used to in DC). Since my family is buried in Section 52, tucked away next the welcoming center, but a little ways from the tourist attractions, we decided to go there first.

On our way there we, luckily, stumbled upon the The Women In Military Service For America Memorial. Coming from a family where both of my parents served in the military, and as a woman, it was personally meaningful for me to see this memorial. The memorial consists of a giant pond and water fountain surrounded by a semi-circular castle-like structure that almost looks like the inside of a rotunda in the center. After observing the water and structure, we rounded the monument and climbed the steps to the top. We were welcomed by an awing view of the cemetery. As we walked around the top of the structure we also observed the historical facts about women in the military that were on display, as well as numerous quotes engraved in the glass panels.

After soaking in the view and full experience we made our way down to Section 52 where I searched for my family’s plot. One thing I recommend to visitors is to visit a section similar to Section 52. It is not a hot tourist spot. There are no presidents buried there, no decorated tombs, no giant memorials, and no freshly dug graves. These sorts of sections represent classic, old time, American heroes who died during long ago wars or died years after their retirement. Walking through, it felt like a part of the cemetery that is overlooked and sees few visitors. I was glad that we got the opportunity to walk through and pay our respects. What was even more rewarding was finding Plot 469, Section 52 and seeing the final resting place of my family members for the first time in nine years. It was a very personally emotional experience.

After visiting my family we decided it was way too hot to walk any further around the cemetery, so we decided to leave and come back in the future, either on a cooler day or when we could utilize the bus system. From there we decided to use my Military ID to enter Fort Myer Army Base where we enjoyed dinner and discovered that all of their commissaries were closed due to the power outages (which was a shame because shopping is a lot cheaper on bases). Overall, though, it was an educational and humbling day. 

- Jenn Meyer