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Published on: Friday, August 22, 2025 read more ...

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WWII Veterans Gather to Remember Battle of the Bulge

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/29/2024

On Jan. 25, 2024, about 60 people, including six World War II veterans, gathered at Arlington National Cemetery’s Battle of the Bulge Memorial to lay wreaths and remember the fallen from one of the deadliest campaigns of World War II.

Volunteers Brave Bitter Cold to Remove Wreaths from ANC

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/24/2024

Ankle-deep snow and temperatures hovering below 25 degrees could not keep people from Arlington National Cemetery to honor servicemembers and their families on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. They gathered at the gates for the cemetery’s 8 a.m. opening to pick up the wreaths laid at headstones and niches on Dec. 16, 2023, as part of the annual Wreaths Across America event.

Former Tomb Guard Pins Son with Badge

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/16/2024

When Bryan Campagna pinned the Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification badge onto the chest of his son, Staff Sgt. Isaiah Jasso-Campagna, it symbolized more than a father honoring his son. Campagna had earned his own Tomb badge as a Tomb Guard decades earlier, making the pair only the second father-son badge earners in the history of the Army’s 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard).

Pearl Harbor Medal of Honor Recipient Laid to Rest at Arlington National Cemetery

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/4/2024

When word came to abandon ship, Seaman 1st Class James Richard Ward remained at his post. The USS Oklahoma, docked at Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, had just been blasted by a series of Japanese torpedoes and began to capsize. Instead of charging out of the turret he manned, Ward held a flashlight to guide his fellow seamen out of danger. His selfless sacrifice saved countless lives and earned him the Medal of Honor.

Thousands Lay Wreaths at ANC

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/4/2024

They lined up by thousands to honor the nation’s fallen during the holiday season. When Arlington National Cemetery opened on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, civilians and military personnel alike retrieved wreaths from trucks and headed across the grounds to place them at headstones and columbarium niches. 

Public Lays Wreaths at Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/4/2024

On Dec. 16, 2023, more than 400 people visited the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery in Northwest Washington, D.C., to participate in Wreaths Across America Day.

ANC Employees Lay Wreaths at Headstones

By Kevin M. Hymel on 12/18/2023

On Dec. 15, 2023, the day before the public comes to Arlington National Cemetery to lay wreaths on headstones as part of Wreaths Across America, ANC employees spread out in Section 37 to lay wreaths themselves. This practice is a holiday tradition to give those who work at the cemetery a chance to honor those laid to rest.

Tomb Guards Lay Wreaths at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

By Kevin M. Hymel on 12/18/2023

At exactly 10:15 a.m. on December 16, 2023, four Tomb Guards from the U.S. Army’s 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), each holding a holiday wreath, marched out to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Sunlight gleaned off their visors as a hushed crowd watched. They stopped, faced the tomb, and saluted.

A Fallen Hero from the Korean War, Home at Last

By Kevin M. Hymel on 12/16/2023

U.S. Army Cpl. Gordon D. McCarthy lived a hard life before he was killed in combat on the frozen hills of North Korea on Dec. 2, 1950. According to his niece, Marilyn Stanton, McCarthy’s mother died six months after he was born. His grandparents, uncles and aunts raised him while his father worked. When his father remarried, McCarthy gained three more brothers, but when he was only 15 years old, his father died in a lumber accident

The Meanings of “Wreaths” for One ANC Employee

By Kevin M. Hymel on 12/14/2023

Like many staff members at ANC, Quality Assurance Specialist Patrick McGrady has family members buried or inurned at the cemetery. McGrady, who served for 14 years as an Army mechanic, visits his parents’ niche in Columbarium Court 7 almost every day. McGrady’s father, a major in the Marine Corps, served during the Vietnam War and earned a Bronze Star for his actions.