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Arlington Mansion and 200 acres of ground immediately surrounding it were
designated officially as a military cemetery June 15, 1864, by Secretary
of War Edwin M. Stanton. Veterans from all the nation's wars are buried
in the cemetery, from the American Revolution through the Iraq and Afghanistan.
Pre-Civil War
dead were reinterred after 1900.
Arlington
National Cemetery and Soldiers Home National Cemetery are administered
by the Department of the Army.
With more than 300,000 people buried,
Arlington National Cemetery has the second-largest number of people buried
of any national cemetery in
the United States. The
Tomb of the Unknowns is one of the more-visited sites at Arlington National
Cemetery The Tomb is made from Yule marble quarried in Colorado.
It consists of seven pieces, with a total weight of 79 tons. The Tomb
was completed and opened to the public April 9, 1932. Unknown
Soldier of World War I, was interred Nov. 11, 1921. President Harding
presided.
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7
Shawnee County WW1 Casualties buried at Arlington National Cemetery: |
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All headstone photographs courtesy of Renee Murray |
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Argonne Cross
During the period from April 1920 through July 1921, the remains of many servicemen buried in Europe during World War I were disinterred. These remains were either reinterred in selected cemeteries in Europe or returned to the United States. Of these, the remains of about 2100 were reinterred in Arlington National Cemetery, specifically, in Section 18. Through the efforts of the Argonne Unit American Womens Legion, the Argonne Cross was erected to their memory and in their honor. It is situated in the southwest corner of Section 18 and faces east. A grove of 19 pine trees are on 3 sides of the Cross (North, West and South). These trees are symbolic of the Argonne Forest where many of the men fought. At the juncture of the arm and stem of the cross is carved, in low relief, an eagle and wreath.
The inscription on the east side of the base reads:
IN MEMORY OF OUR MEN IN FRANCE
1917 1918
The inscription on the west side of the base reads:
ERECTED * THROUGH * THE * EFFORTS * OF * THE ARGONNE * UNIT * AMERICAN * WOMENS * LEGION
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Updated: September 4, 2009 |
Topeka Genealogical Society, Inc.
P. O. Box 4048
Topeka, KS
66604-0048 |
Copyright © 2002-2010 Topeka Genealogical Society |
