ANC Blog - Jenifer Leigh Van Vleck, Ph.D.

“A Place of Honor to Rededicate Ourselves”: Medal of Honor Day at Arlington National Cemetery

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 20:32:00 GMT

Twenty Medal of Honor recipients visited Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) on March 25, 2026, for the annual Medal of Honor Day ceremony, each with the blue-ribboned Medal of Honor draped around his neck. The Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest military award for valor for an individual serving in the armed services in action against an enemy.

NASA Honors Astronauts Buried at ANC

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 13:59:00 GMT

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We are here to remember so that we never repeat the mistakes of the past,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told a gathering of more than 100 NASA employees, family members and friends at Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 25, 2024, NASA’s annual Day of Remembrance. “Because of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia, we honor 17 souls deep in our hearts.” Traditionally held on the fourth Thursday in January, the NASA Day of Remembrance commemorates the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia—all of whom are honored with monuments at ANC. The timing of the annual remembrance reflects the anniversaries of the three disasters, which happened to occur between the dates of Jan. 27 and Feb. 1.

Ida Lewis, "The Bravest Woman in America"

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:31:00 GMT

Ida Lewis, the namesake of Arlington National Cemetery’s Lewis Drive, was once known as “the bravest woman in America.” Lewis served as an official lighthouse keeper for the U.S. Lighthouse Service (later absorbed into the Coast Guard) from 1879 until her death, at age 69, in 1911.

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 00:59:00 GMT

It is fitting that one of the most important women in American history had a birthday in March, Women’s History Month. Ruth Bader Ginsburg — Supreme Court justice, cultural icon, and indefatigable champion of gender equality — was born on March 15, 1933. She is buried in Section 5 of Arlington National Cemetery, next to her husband, Martin Ginsburg, an attorney and U.S. Army veteran.

A Tragedy After the Unknown’s Funeral: Charles Whittlesey and the Costs of Heroism

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 19:49:00 GMT

On November 24, 1921, two weeks after he and other Medal of Honor recipients participated in the funeral of the Unknown Soldier, Colonel Charles Whittlesey boarded the S.S. Toloa, en route to Havana, Cuba from New York. At the beginning of the voyage, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. On November 26, around 11:30 PM, Whittlesey announced that he was retiring for the night. He was never seen or heard from again.

Teaching and Learning About the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 05:41:00 GMT

As part of Arlington National Cemetery’s new Education Program, an educational module on the history and significance of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is available at https://education.arlingtoncemetery.mil. The module is a resource for teachers, students and adult “lifelong learners.” It includes lesson plans, assignments and primary source readings for elementary, middle and high school students, as well as self-guided walking tours that can be used to explore the cemetery either virtually or in person. Lesson plans align with national and state social studies standards and can be easily adapted for homeschooling or virtual learning.

Zitkala-Sa: Civic Leader, Writer, Advocate for American Indians

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 00:13:00 GMT

During National Native American Heritage Month, we are proud to honor the life and legacy of Zitkála-Ša (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin), who is buried in Section 2, Grave 4703. Zitkála-Ša, whose name means “Red Bird,” was one of the most important American Indian activists and writers of the 20th century.

245th Birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 13:14:00 GMT

On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized two battalions of Marines to be raised. Two weeks later, Samuel Nicholas was commissioned a Captain of Marines by the Continental Congress. He is traditionally regarded as the first Commandant of the Marine Corps. Read our guest blog post from the National Museum of the Marine Corps to learn more about important moments in Marine Corps history.

A Latino Legacy in the Air Force: Hector Santa Anna

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 16:05:00 GMT

To commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, as well as the recent birthday of the United States Air Force (USAF), today we honor the service of one Latino USAF veteran buried at Arlington: Hector Santa Anna, a decorated World War II B-17 bomber pilot, Berlin Airlift pilot and career military leader with a memorable last name. Santa Anna happened to be the great-great nephew of Mexican general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who famously led the siege of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution of 1836. But this Santa Anna fought for the United States—beginning in the Army Air Corps during World War II and continuing with the Air Force after its establishment as an independent service branch in 1947.

Commemorating the United States Air Force Birthday

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 19:10:00 GMT

On July 26, 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, which created the Department of the Air Force as an independent branch of the U.S. armed services. The act went into effect on September 18, 1947, making September 18 the official birthday of the United States Air Force (USAF).

Education Program Highlight: The Spanish-American War

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 22:28:00 GMT

Although the Spanish-American War lasted for only a few months in 1898, the legacy of this brief yet transformative conflict is marked on the landscape of Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington has more Spanish-American War memorials and gravesites than any other single place in the United States. Learn why—and gain insights into the broader history and legacy of the Spanish-American War.

Secretaries of State at ANC: Alexander Haig, Four-Star Diplomat

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 11:29:00 GMT

Eight secretaries of state are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In honor of the State Department’s birthday, today we examine the life and legacy of Alexander Haig (Section 30, Grave 418-LH), a four-star general who served as President Ronald Reagan’s first secretary of state.

Not Forgotten: The 70th Anniversary of the Korean War at ANC

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 18:20:00 GMT

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War (1950-1953)—the United States’ first major military conflict after World War II and, amid the escalating Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the nation’s first major test in its effort to stop the global spread of communism. In American culture, the Korean War has often been called “the forgotten war,” overshadowed both by the victories of World War II and the traumas of Vietnam. Here at Arlington National Cemetery, however, the many gravesites of Americans who served in Korea, as well as several memorials to those who lost their lives in the conflict, ensure that the Korean War will always be remembered.

Fighting on Two Fronts: The 442nd Regimental Combat Team

Mon, 18 May 2020 19:32:00 GMT

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, today we highlight the U.S. Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), which fought in World War II. More than twenty members of the 442nd are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Experience Arlington National Cemetery from Home

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 15:34:00 GMT

While Arlington National Cemetery is closed to visitors, you can still experience its beauty and history from home!