Arlington National Cemetary

[desertvixen]

 In lieu of a Memorial Day post, I offer pictures from Arlington. (Visit was the week before Memorial Day)

The National Colors over Arlington.



Part of RFK's memorial in Arlington.  A reminder that not all who serve the country do so in the military.

It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and injustice. - Robert F. Kennedy



In my opinion, not enough people were heeding this sign.  While you're touring Arlington, how about refraining from cell phone conversations? 



It's not exactly Flanders Field, but still a sight that should make people stop and think.



The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.

I did not go into the active part of the cemetery, partly because I don't want to think about the possibility that someday I'll be in there, and partly because I was getting very annoyed at all the rude people in the cemetery.  Arlington is NOT a tourist attraction, or it should not be.  It is an active cemetery where American servicemen and servicewomen are being laid to rest on a too-regular basis.  Seriously, too many people on cell phone or otherwise being idiots.

They have a wonderful book in the giftshop there called Where Valor Rests.  It shows a lot of what goes into Arlington, and has photos from recent services over an 18 month period.  They are beautiful and moving. 

DV

Comments

[garpu.livejournal.com]

Buh. I thought you were always supposed to behave in a cemetery like you would in a church. That doesn't say much for the people who were there.

[napoleonofnerds.livejournal.com]

I got yelled at for carrying my rosary there. In front of the Kennedy memorial. It made me laugh, which is probably not what you should do at Arlington.

[garpu.livejournal.com]

Um...why would anyone yell at you for carrying a rosary?

[napoleonofnerds.livejournal.com]

The clicking annoyed some biddy.

[garpu.livejournal.com]

*eye roll* Wonder what they'd think of cell phone usage.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Have you looked at how people are behaving in churches these days?

DV

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

I'm laughing now, for sure.

I'm not saying every moment has to be a somber remembrance of what the place is, but seriously? Chatting on cell phones, running around, trying to kill the people in front of you to get a picture of the changing of the guard at the Unknowns, etc? Not cool.

DV

[garpu.livejournal.com]

THey make me feel old. There was a wedding immediately before Mass last sunday, and you could hear the bridesmaids in the sacristy in the back of the church.

[napoleonofnerds.livejournal.com]

I dressed better to go to Arlington than I did to meet most of my legislative delegation the last time I was in Washington, and I too was disappointed by how some people behaved there.