OT - ON THE 4TH FIELDS OF STONE pic heavy

its a beautiful morning here in northern virginia and i decided to go take a little picture taking drive through arlingnton national cementary . . .early in the morning there is no more peaceful (or reflective and solemn) place around . . .kinda place that makes you think, be reflective of everything that a holiday like the 4th of july is really all about (besides good Q and family and fireworks). . .

for those who have never been there, or don't know washington DC very well... .a little history and geography lesson. .. george washington's wife martha custis, had a grand neice, who was married to Robert E. Lee... they inherited a very nice plantation (known as "arlington" that sat on a beatuiful hillside directly across the potomac river from washington DC. . .Robert E. Lee was a very respected general in the Union Army, but at the beginning of the Civil War, he said he couldn't fight against his native Virginia (most loyalties in those days were to the states, not the federal gov't) and so he resigned his commission and as most know led the confederate Army of Virginia throughout the Civil War. .. the Union army took over his plantation and turned it into part of the fortifications surrounding and protecting Washington throughout the Civil War (which at that time was the most heavily defended city the world had ever known up that time) . . .as the war wore on, it was decided that Lee would never be allowed to return to his beloved Arlington and so to keep him from returning, they started burying people there . .. the first actual graves on the property were a pauper's site down at the base of the hill, but then late in the war, the first burial of soldiers was actually a ring of graves right around the mansion itself .. .and the result is history. .. the cemetary is now around 700 acres, and i think around 350,000 are buried there, from privates to generals and presidents. .. .they do about 30 - 35 burials a day there. . .my wife' grandparents are there and some day my mom and dad will rest there too .... its getting near capacity, so only soldiers that had either reached certain ranks, had certain decorations, or were killed in battle (along with spouses) are allowed in anymore. . . so i hope you enjoy these pics. . .

this is the Lee mansion. .. sits at the top of the hill. ..



with commanding views of Washington DC



right in front of the house is buried (he was moved there later) Pierre L'enfant, the original designer of Washington DC



and, as i said, the first soldiers buried there were civil war dead that ringed the house to keep Lee from coming back...



and just below the house is JFK's grave (wife Jackie and their two children that died as babies are buried there as well)



everyone is entitled to simple, gov't paid, white marker. ..bigger markers are allowed, but paid for by families. . .



lots of famous generals ...





but at arlington, the famous and not famous rest together....a little hard to see, but right behind omar bradley lies a non-discript 2nd lieutenant



some other famous generals that i happened upon from WWII fame...





kennedy isn't the only president buried there. ... taft is also there. ..



the most famous grave of all though belongs to one "known but to god" the tomb of the unkown soldier ...there is no more impressive thing to do in this town than see the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier ... there are unknown soldiers buried here from WWI, WWII and Korea. ..they had one from vietnam, but subsequantly were able to identify the remains, so they returned him to his family a couple of years.. . .due to the requirements to prove remains are truly unknown, but also prove they are american, it is doubtful there will ever be an unknown soldier from vietnam again (not a bad thing). ..











but they are by no means the only unknown soldiers buried at arlington. ..there are others from past wars spread throughout the cemetary.. . .



that unkown from the USS Maine was just steps away from the remains of some more famous folks, the shuttle astronauts from the challenger disaster in 86



and columbia. ...



sadly, there is a newer section of the cemetary filled with stones like these, devoted to those that have died over in iraq and afghanistan. . .kind of sobering reminder that young men and women are still serving and dieing on our behalf....





and the stones just go on as far as the eye can see....


hope you all enjoyed this little tour.. . and everyone has a great happy peaceful safe 4th of july