ARLINGTON, VA – Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is honored to announce that its Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Centennial Commemoration has received the 2022 Excellence in New Media Award from the Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG), which will be presented on June 2.
This prestigious award recognizes quality, creativity and innovation in a “digital born or based historical project that contributes to a broader understanding of the federal government.” Established in 1979, SHFG is the leading professional organization for historians working in or for the federal government.
“We are grateful to SHFG for recognizing Tomb100 and our broader mission to honor, remember and explore the diverse history that ANC represents,” said Executive Director of the Office of Army Cemeteries and Army National Military Cemeteries Karen Durham-Aguilera.
In 2021, ANC served as the designated government leader for the Department of Defense’s yearlong Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Centennial Commemoration (“Tomb100”). Based on extensive historical research and featuring innovative digital projects, this commemoration engaged over 12 million people across media platforms. With Tomb100, the ANC History Office—in collaboration with the Public Affairs Office and other ANC directorates, as well as peer institutions— successfully combined digital and hybrid commemorative programming to create a meaningful and memorable program.
Amidst the pandemic, ANC rapidly shifted from in-person to virtual or hybrid programs for the centennial. Throughout 2021 and into 2022, Tomb100 featured extensive social media and website content; an Education Program “module” on the Tomb’s history (including walking tours); a recorded series of lectures by professional historians; video tours of two exhibits on the Tomb’s history; and an illustrated, digital commemorative guide, titled “A Century of Honor: A Commemorative Guide to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” These multimedia projects shared the meanings of the Tomb to a worldwide public, enabling millions to connect with the stories of service and sacrifice that the Tomb embodies.
According to SHFG, “The breadth, complexity, and quality of these materials speaks to the ANC History Office’s mastery of a wide variety of electronic media, its scholarly expertise, and its staff’s sensitivity to the profound and nuanced meanings of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.”
“The ANC History Office’s work on Tomb 100 reflects not only our expertise in military, cultural and social history, but also our commitment to exploring broad historical questions and encouraging our audience to do the same through pioneering virtual and hybrid formats using new media,” said ANC’s Command Historian Stephen Carney.
To learn more, please visit https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/tomb100.