WAA Family Pass Holder Day Update

Thank you to all the family pass holders who joined us for Wreaths Across America Family Pass Holder Day. Unfortunately, due the tremendous turnout, we have no more wreaths to distribute today, and the event is concluding early. We deeply appreciate your participation on this meaningful day and sincerely apologize to those unable to participate.  The cemetery remains open for you to visit your loved ones. We also invite you to join us next Saturday, Dec. 13 for our public Wreaths Across America Day.  

Published on: Sunday, December 7, 2025

AUTHORS

Author: Kevin M. Hymel
151 found

“A Marine’s Marine”: Commandant Gen. Alfred Gray Laid to Rest at ANC

By Kevin M. Hymel on 8/1/2024

The U.S. Marine Corps bade farewell to one of its esteemed leaders when Gen. Alfred Gray, the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on July 29, 2024. Cannons roared, Harrier jump jets flew a missing-man formation and a Marine Corps firing team fired three volleys during the funeral service in Section 35.

Kevin M. Hymel

Standing Tall at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

By Kevin M. Hymel on 7/31/2024

When Spc. Malachi Hamber walks out to relieve the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, he always draws attention. Standing at 6 feet 9 inches tall, Hamber is the tallest current Tomb Guard Sentinel, and possibly the tallest Sentinel in the Guard’s history.

Kevin M. Hymel

Eighteen-Year-Old Sailor Killed at Pearl Harbor Buried at ANC

By Kevin M. Hymel on 7/3/2024

U.S. Navy Seaman Second Class Challis James celebrated his eighteenth birthday three weeks before his death at Pearl Harbor, on Dec. 7, 1941. He was serving aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma when several Japanese torpedoes slammed into its hull, forcing it to capsize. The ship became his grave.

Kevin M. Hymel

Beloved Cavalry Commander Laid to Rest at ANC

By Kevin M. Hymel on 6/28/2024

Almost 100 people came to Section 78 of Arlington National Cemetery on June 25, 2024, to bid farewell to retired U.S. Army Col. James “Glenn” Snodgrass, who fought in Vietnam and served in Germany at the height of the Cold War.

Kevin M. Hymel

After Over 82 Years, a Navy Radioman’s Legacy Lives On

By Kevin M. Hymel on 5/30/2024

U.S. Navy Radioman 3rd Class Starring Winfield had been married for only six weeks when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Winfield perished on the battleship USS Oklahoma. The Navy later raised the ship and removed the remains of its crew. However, Winfield remained unaccounted for, and a military board later classified him as non-recoverable.  

Kevin M. Hymel

A Tomb Guard’s Special Duty: Honoring the Unknowns During Memorial Day Weekend

By Kevin M. Hymel on 5/29/2024

With the slow, measured steps typical of a Tomb Guard, Spc. Jeffrey Potter carried four small American flags to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He wore a raincoat over his ceremonial dress blue uniform to ward off rain from the light showers that had soaked the Tomb plaza.

Kevin M. Hymel

Veterans Help Place Flags at Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery

By Kevin M. Hymel on 5/24/2024

Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) got some extra help placing flags at the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2024, when a handful of veterans from the adjacent Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home showed up to assist.

Kevin M. Hymel

Old Guard Continues Memorial Day Tradition of Placing Flags at Arlington National Cemetery

By Kevin M. Hymel on 5/24/2024

Memorial Day weekend starts early at Arlington National Cemetery. At dawn on the Thursday morning prior to Memorial Day, soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (the Army’s official ceremonial unit, also known as The Old Guard) lead this revered tradition known as “Flags In.”

Kevin M. Hymel

Historians Commemorate ANC's 160th Anniversary with a Special Tour

By Kevin M. Hymel on 5/20/2024

To commemorate the 160th anniversary of the establishment of a military cemetery at Arlington, ANC’s History Office led a public tour in Section 27 on May 13, 2024. Command Historian Dr. Stephen Carney and Senior Historian Dr. Allison Finkelstein described how the Civil War led to the cemetery’s creation and early development. 

Kevin M. Hymel

Sailor Who Dove off the USS Oklahoma Identified Eight Decades Later

By Kevin M. Hymel on 5/20/2024

During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, 20-year-old Seaman First Class Frank “Cremo” Hryniewicz dove off the battleship USS Oklahoma to escape strafing enemy aircraft. He never resurfaced. Although his remains were later recovered from the ship, they could not be identified and were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii.

Kevin M. Hymel