General Robert E Lee’s house.
Day 27
Arlington National Cemetery is actually in Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from Washington DC, and is the former home of the Confederate General Robert E Lee. When the Civil War broke out he was asked by President Abraham Lincoln to command the Federal Army, however when Virginia succeeded, after much debate decided he could “never bear arms against my native Virginia”, and became the commander of the Confederate Army. Out of revenge the Union Army started to bury dead soldiers on his land, and later confiscated the property to use as a cemetery. They did this quite sneakily; they brought in a law stating the owner had to pay the taxes in person, which of course General Lee couldn’t do, nor could his wife who was riddled with arthritis, so she sent an agent with the money by the due date. Of course, they said, too bad and took possession of the property. The Supreme Court later upheld an appeal by his heir and the Federal Government had to pay a huge sum in compensation, but by this stage Arlington National Cemetery was well established.
This place is hallowed ground for the people of the United States, silence and respect is asked for, but it’s not necessary, when you see white tombstones stretched as far as the eye can see, you can’t help but, maintain a respectful silence. Over 320,000 service men and women are buried here, and more are added every day. On US television they have a dedication at the end of some of the news programs for soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan, and keep a running tally of the dead. Tonight it was 4,146.
The cemetery is so large, that trolley cars are used, to transport the visitors. The first stop is the grave of President John F. Kennedy, framed by the eternal flame behind, and with his wife buried next to him (pictured above). Continuing on we arrive at the Memorial Amphitheater, where on the eastern side is the Tomb of the Unknowns, guarded by a sentinel of the US Third Infantry at all times. In full dress uniform, he passes 21 steps in front of the tomb, pauses 21 seconds, and returns. Every half an hour there is a changing of the guard (pictured below), which is a spectacle of military precision, and a solemn experience. Interestingly, the Honor Guard is carefully selected from servicemen with an exemplary record, and as the guide states, “You don’t ask to join; they ask you.” They will guard the President in life, and bury him in death.
Louise loves military Tattoos, and precision marching, so she loved the changing of the guard - I think it appeals to her need for order and neatness.
Continuing up the hill, we arrive at Arlington House (pictured above), in the tradition of those big mansions you see on Gone with the Wind, with its magnificent views of Washington DC. You realize that it must have been a hard decision for Lee to give all this up, and I wonder if he ever thought the South had any hope of winning given the disparity between the two sides in population and economic resources.
Down on the other side of the hill the slopes are carpeted in white tombstones of the dead from the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The famous Marine Corps War Memorial is based on the photograph of the marines raising the American Flag on Mount Suribachi during the fierce battle of Iwo Jima during Second World War. (Pictured above). It’s very impressive, and well worth the fifteen minute (hot) walk along the bike path from the front gates. We're out here dying in the heat, and we are always passed by joggers, seemingly unaffected by the heat. Maybe, they are all defence force personel, and this heat is nothing compared to Iraq.
The tour bus was just departing when we arrived back at the front gates, and fortunately he stopped for us, because we were literally dying in the heat. We jumped off at Union Station, which has a huge food hall underneath, for a healthy salad, before taking the tour again around Washington. Louise went back to the hotel, while I continued to the next stop, the Lincoln Memorial.
The Lincoln Memorial is an impressive monument, to an impressive President. In a white Parthenon like temple sits a giant statue of Abraham Lincoln gazing out across the Reflecting Pool, past the Washington Monument, to the Capitol Building.
It's as if he is thinking how his presidency helped save the union or as he famously said in the Gettysburg Address, printed on the wall to his right, ensured that “the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Likewise people are crowded onto the steps of the Memorial watching the same view - seeing the Washington Monument mirrored in the pool in front of them, the Capitol Building in the distance, (pictured below), all mired in their own private thoughts.
I too sit on the steps for a moment, admiring the view, and reflect on the great three days we have spent in Washington DC, and the trip ahead. Tomorrow we are off to Orlando, Florida, where the forecast is for scattered thunder storms. Tropical Storm Fay, seems to be heading west, so perhaps we have missed the worst of it, but a "catastrophic emergency' has been declared in the state. There's still a 'travel advisory alert' on the flights, which may mean they may be cancelled. I wouldn't mind staying longer in Washington - there's so much to do.
