Arlington National Cemetery

No tour of Arlington would be complete without a visit to President Kennedys Grave.

On August 2, 1943, Kennedy's boat, the PT-109, along with the PT-162 and the PT-169, was performing nighttime patrols near New Georgia in the Solomon Islands, when PT-109 was rammed by the Japanese Destroyer Amagiri Kennedy gathered his surviving crew members together in the water around the wreckage, to vote on whether to "fight or surrender". Kennedy stated, "There's nothing in the book about a situation like this. A lot of you men have families and some of you have children. What do you want to do? I have nothing to lose." Shunning surrender, the men swam towards a small island.
Kennedy, despite re-injury to his back in the collision, towed a badly burned crewman through the water with a life jacket strap clenched between his teeth. He towed the wounded man to the island, and later to a second island, from where his crew was subsequently rescued. For these actions, Kennedy received the Navy & Marine Corps Medal with the following citation:
For extremely heroic conduct as Commanding Officer of Motor Torpedo Boat 109 following the collision and sinking of that vessel in the Pacific War Theater on August 1–2, 1943. Unmindful of personal danger, Lieutenant Kennedy unhesitatingly braved the difficulties and hazards of darkness to direct rescue operations, swimming many hours to secure aid and food after he had succeeded in getting his crew ashore. His outstanding courage, endurance and leadership contributed to the saving of several lives and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

 

Here are some of the other Memorials to be found in the Cemetery.

 

The Cooler King,

Thanks for you excellent photos and coverage.

I found the changing of the guard a great experience to see.

I had to laugh when my friend and guide, a retired Master Sergeant from the 82nd Airborne, said that they were not real soldiers

Regards
Tom

 

Thanks Smudger................... I think that we both know mate that those Honor Guards are the best of the best.... and in themselves the most honoured of the military to be selected.

The changing of the guard is something to see...... even in 90% heat when I was there everything was pin point perfect and immaculate.

 

Canadian Cross of Sacrifice (WW I/WW II/Korea)

"Few countries enjoy the bonds of goodwill and friendship that the United States and Canada share. Our common border remains the longest unguarded frontier on earth, and our nations have shared triumphs and tragedies throughout history. It was in this spirit of friendship that in 1925 Canadian Prime Minister MacKenzie King first proposed a memorial to the large number of United States citizens who enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces, and lost their lives during World War I. Because the Canadians entered the war long before the United States, many Americans enlisted in Canada to join the fighting in Europe.
On June 12, 1925, President Calvin Coolidge approved the request, and on Armistice Day 1927 the monument near the Memorial Amphitheater was dedicated. Designed by Canadian architect Sir Reginald Bloomfield, the monument consists of a bronze sword adorning a 24-foot gray granite cross.
The inscription on the cross reaffirms the sentiment expressed by Prime Minister King regarding Americans who served in the Canadian Armed Forces. Following World War II and the Korean War, similar inscriptions on other faces of the monument were dedicated to the Americans who served in those conflicts".
Peters, James Edward. Arlington National Cemetery: Shrine to America's Heroes. Woodbine House, 2000.

 

There are three of the most visited memorials in Arlington.

 

I will finish off with a few shots that I took which demonstrate the size of the Cemetery.

 

Prompted By Margaret & Hutt.............. here are some other washington Memorials that I visited and photographed!.

Firstly the very impressive Korean War Memorial.

 

The WW2 Memorial at Night, Vietnam Memorial, and of course the Iwo Jima Memorial.

 

The closer one gets to Robert E Lee's house in the cemetery the graves from the American civil war have no names and are like a fields of white stones, its history is interesting.

Thank you for sharing your photo's and visit with the forum members