On Pearl Harbor Day, Let us remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
For those of you who don’t know about Christmas Honors at Arlington National Cemetery and Wreaths Across America, here are some photos.
http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org
"Rest easy, sleep well my brothers. [b]
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell… "[/b]
Thank you Silver Creek. That’s beautiful. Jim
Great pictures Silver! Yes this is a fine program each year. I have many service friends laid to rest in Arlington.
The Backstory of Arlington that most Americans do not know is that it was once the Estate of Robert E. Lee, who led the Confederate Forces. The Union side decided to use it as a cemetery for union soldiers, making sure that Robert E. Lee could never return to Arlington after the Civil War.
History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian
“To enforce his orders—and to make Arlington uninhabitable for the Lees—Meigs (Brig. General Montgomery C. Meigs was Quartermaster General of the Union Forces) evicted officers from the mansion, installed a military chaplain and a loyal lieutenant to oversee cemetery operations, and proceeded with new burials, encircling Mrs. Lee’s garden with the tombstones of prominent Union officers. The first of these was Capt. Albert H. Packard of the 31st Maine Infantry. Shot in the head during the Battle of the Second Wilderness, Packard had miraculously survived his journey from the Virginia front to Washington’s Columbian College Hospital, only to die there. On May 17, 1864, he was laid to rest where Mary Lee had enjoyed reading in warm weather, surrounded by the scent of honeysuckle and jasmine. By the end of 1864, some 40 officers’ graves had joined his.”
Read the entire article to how Arlington finally became officially US Government property when Robert Todd Lincoln, oldest son of Abraham Lincoln, and Secretary of War took possession of Arlington from Custis Lee, oldest son of Robert E. Lee. after a long drawn out legal battle.
.WOW… how can one not be moved
Mark
The history of Arlington goes back even farther as Lee’s wife was a Custis, descended from Margret Custis (granddaughter I think) who married George Washington after she became a widow. The slaves on this plantation were not included in the emancipation of Washington’s slaves on his death as they were considered a part of Margret’s son’s patrimony and thus not his to manumit.