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JENIFER LEIGH VAN VLECK

After 72 Years of Marriage, Sailor and His Wife Inurned Together at ANC

By Kevin M. Hymel, Historian on 8/24/2023

Seventy-two years.

That’s how long Ernest “Ernie” and Norma Faye Barchers, Jr. were married. They married in 1948, a year after they first met in church. The marriage only ended when they passed away in 2020 and 2021, respectively. They were inurned together at Arlington National Cemetery on Aug. 22, 2023.

All-American Paratroopers Lay Wreath at ANC

By Kevin M. Hymel, Historian on 8/14/2023

Under mostly sunny skies and light breezes—perfect jump weather—veterans of the 82nd “All American” Airborne Division gathered at Arlington National Cemetery’s (ANC) Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Aug. 9, 2023, to lay a wreath and remember their fallen comrades in arms.

Wisconsin Veterans Visit ANC Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

By Kevin M. Hymel, Historian on 8/14/2023

Almost 200 veterans from Wisconsin, along with their escorts, came to Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on July 28, 2023. Among the group were two Vietnam-Era U.S. Army veterans who earned the Medal of Honor: Spc. 5 (Ret.) Jim McCloughan and Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) Sammy Davis.

Tomb Guard Braves Storm

By Kevin M. Hymel, Historian on 8/14/2023

Army Pfc. Jessica Kwiatkowski leaned forward as she walked against the wind and rain. As a Tomb Guard with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), she walked her twenty-one steps in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in the middle of a violent rainstorm on the evening of Saturday, July 29, 2023. Amid the storm, she walked her post without the ability to see.

Italian Prime Minister and ANC Curator Discuss History

By Kevin M. Hymel, Historian on 8/1/2023

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni surprised Arlington National Cemetery’s Curator Rod Gainer when she told him about the history of Italy’s Unknown Soldier. As Gainer was concluding a personal tour of ANC’s Display Room, which features a historical exhibit on the American Unknown Soldier, Meloni explained how the Italians chose their unknown soldier from World War I.

ANC Education Program Holds Inaugural Teacher Workshop

By Kevin M. Hymel, Historian on 7/31/2023

Teachers from around the region—and the country—came to Arlington National Cemetery on July 21, 2023 to learn about ANC’s Education Program and using the materials in the classroom. The teacher workshop provided educators with five professional development hours and was led by ANC’s History Office and members of the cemetery’s contract education team.

Marine Major General Reinterred at ANC

By Kevin M. Hymel, Historian on 7/21/2023

Marine Maj. Gen. Harry K. Pickett, a veteran of World War I and World War II, deserved a more honorable funeral than the one he initially received near Darjeeling, India, in 1965. Fifty-eight years later, on July 19, 2023, Pickett received a military funeral honors with funeral escort service at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC).

Family Gathers at ANC for Korean War POW-MIA Memorial Service

By Kevin M. Hymel, Historian on 7/10/2023

Pvt. First Class Alfred C. Bordeau joined the U.S. Army at age 17, spent his 18th birthday in a North Korean prisoner of war camp, and died before he turned 19. He left behind no wife or children, and his body was never returned to the United States. Yet his extended family made sure he would be remembered in a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) on July 7, 2023.

Old Guard Soldiers Place Flags at ANC Headstones

By Kevin M. Hymel, Historian on 5/25/2023

The soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) never rush when they place American flags in front of headstones and niches at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) in preparation for Memorial Day.

ANMC Preservationists Help Rebuild Gates at Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery

By Kevin M. Hymel, Historian on 5/25/2023

Two Army National Military Cemeteries (ANMC) preservationists are leading the effort to restore two historic gates at the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Caitlin Smith, ANMC’s cultural resources program manager, and Daniel Holcombe, the conservation program manager, are overseeing the restoration of the main entrance and lodge gates to their post-Civil War status. Smith and Holcombe provide subject matter expertise to ANMC staff, ensuring that preservation best practices are incorporated into every project.