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Published on: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 read more ...

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Arlington National Cemetery Kicks Off Army 250th with Historical Walking Tour

As part of Flowers of Remembrance Day on May 25, 2025, more than 80 visitors to Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) enjoyed learning about history on a walking tour called, “Memorializing Honor and Sacrifice: The Legacy of the American Revolution to American Expansion.” The tour kicked off ANC’s celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States Army; more events will take place throughout the summer.   

ANC historians Stephen Carney and Allison Finkelstein commenced the tour in the Memorial Amphitheater.They explained the cemetery’s connections to America’s wars in the 18th and 19th centuries, from the Revolution to international conflicts in the late nineteenth century, which led to the United States' continental and global expansion. Finkelstein pointed out the USS Maine Memorial, with the ship's mast framed perfectly by Memorial Amphitheater’s entrance. She explained how the ship exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba, on February 15, 1898, leading to the Spanish-American War

Carney and Finkelstein led the group to the Spanish-American War Memorial in Section 21, where Executive Director of the Office of Army Cemeteries and Army National Military Cemeteries, Karen Durham-Aguilera, encouraged tour attendees to walk throughout the cemetery. “If you’re walking on the grass,” she said, “you’re visiting the graves of those who came before you.”  

Carney discussed the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), which originated from and immediately followed the Spanish-American War. The group then visited several sites related to the two wars, including the grave of Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, who commanded the 1st Voluntary Cavalry, the famed “Rough Riders,” in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, and later became the governor general of the U.S.-occupied Philippines. 

The tour also visited sites associated with the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the Civil War (1861-1865) and the War of 1812. It concluded at the grave of Pierre Charles L’Enfant, a French-born engineer who served on George Washington’s staff during the Revolutionary War and later designed the city plan for the new capital in Washington, D.C.

Tour attendees, enjoyed learning history outdoors. Navy veteran Charles Cassidy said, “As a Navy guy, it’s nice to learn about Army history and it’s a great day to be out here.” 

Sgt. Maj. Lutricia Fields, of the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, brought her 12-year-old twins on the tour, as she had done the year before. “This sets the tone for this Memorial Day weekend,” she said, “and it's a fantastic tour.” Thirteen-year Army veteran Jay Raquidan, who served three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, added, “It's definitely good to learn about the history of the Army.”  

Keegan Ashbee, who visited from Auburn, Alabama, enjoyed the in-depth stories. “This is an opportunity to see the history of those who fought and served and gave their lives,” he said. Stephanie Schmidt, a local tour guide for the Honor Flight Network, noted that ANC’s history tours “allow me to learn more about the cemetery, which I can share with veterans when we bring them here for their day of honor.” 


Learn More

►  Explore our Education Program materials, including units on the Spanish-American War and Civil War.

►  Read our blog article on the Spanish-American War and its legacy at Arlington National Cemetery.

Take our self-guided Army walking tour, in person or virtually, to learn more about the history of the United States Army.