Service Complex Gate Closed

The Service Complex Gate is currently CLOSED to family pass holders and visitors, due to necessary construction on the Southern Expansion project.

Published on: Thursday, April 30, 2026 read more ...

AUTHORS

Author: Army National Military Cemeteries Public Affairs Office
60 found

Arlington National Cemetery Commemorates “America 250” with History Hike

How does Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) connect to the American Revolution, which began 88 years before ANC became a national cemetery in 1864? This question was answered during a special “America 250” public walking tour on April 10, which helped kick off Army National Military Cemeteries’ (ANMC) commemoration of the nation’s 250th birthday — marked by the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  

King Charles III and Queen Camilla Honor a Shared History of Service and Sacrifice

On April 30, 2026, cannons fired a 21-gun salute as King Charles III and Queen Camilla entered Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) for an Armed Forces Full Honors Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The ceremony took place on the final day of the royal couple’s state visit to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence. 

Last Surviving World War II Triple Ace Laid to Rest

On March 30, 2026, more than 100 people gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to honor and remember aviation legend Col. (Ret.) Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson, the last surviving World War II triple ace and one of the most distinguished fighter pilots in American history. (Shooting down five enemy aircraft qualifies a pilot as an ace.) Anderson, who passed away at age 102, was laid to rest in Section 38, joining his beloved wife of nearly 70 years, Eleanor “Ellie” Cosby, who was buried in 2015.  

Five Years as a POW: U.S. Navy Capt. Edward Dale Estes and the Family That Waited for Him

On Jan. 3, 1968, a surface-to-air missile shot down U.S. Navy Capt. Edward Dale Estes’ A-4 Skyhawk aircraft over North Vietnam. Estes ejected from his damaged aircraft and landed safely, only to spend 1,898 days—more than five years—as a prisoner of war. For the first two years of his imprisonment, his wife and two young sons did not even know his fate. 

From Vietnam to U.S. Marshalls: Lifetime Public Servant Honored at ANC

Arlington National Cemetery held a special place in the heart of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. (Ret.) William “Bill” Casteel Jr. When Casteel was stationed at nearby Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, he met his wife, Catherine Boatright Casteel. "He always wanted to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery due to its history of honor, tradition and legacy. He enjoyed the sense of pride and peacefulness he felt when he visited the cemetery, and wanted to ensure his service and sacrifice would not be forgotten after he was gone," said Hillary Hillmann, his step-granddaughter.

Friends and family gathered at ANC on Sept. 4, 2025, to honor Casteel’s life and legacy. Born in southwest Virginia as one of eight children, Casteel demonstrated a lifelong commitment to service, family and community.

Strength in Fellowship: Arlington National Cemetery Reflects on 9/11

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, team members working at Arlington National Cemetery were preparing for a day conducting funerals for America’s military service members and their families. For many, their workday had just begun when, at 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 soared past the cemetery’s serene landscape and crashed into the Pentagon. Plumes of dark smoke coming from the building contrasted with the meticulously uniformed white grave markers in the background. As the dust finally settled during the following days, Americans heard a call for national unity. As the years passed, many who gave their lives in the subsequent war would be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.  

A Marine’s Witness to the Space Race

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Thomas Grubaugh watched as Sigma 7, the Project Mercury space capsule piloted by astronaut Wally Schirra, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Oct. 3, 1962. At the time, Schirra was only the third American to orbit the Earth. Grubaugh snapped photographs of the historic moment from the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge. “The ship had to slow down,” he later wrote, “or we would have hit the capsule.”   

“Love Always”: A 70-Year Marriage and a Family’s Enduring Bond

When retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. George Kesnig passed away on March 13, 2024, his wife of 70 years, Clair, followed him 21 hours later. Their marriage was tried by war yet blessed with family. 

Faith and Duty: The Story of Chaplain Joseph Mulqueen

U.S. Navy Chaplain (Cmdr.) Joseph Mulqueen served his country for 22 years, including time in Vietnam and at Arlington National Cemetery. On Aug. 14, 2025, his family and friends gathered at the cemetery to say farewell to the chaplain, whom they remembered as a humble man. 

With the Tuskegee Airmen: The Story of Edna Webster Watson

During World War II, Edna Webster served in the communications office for the U.S. Army Air Forces’ 99th Fighter Squadron— the original unit of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. Her connection to the unit began a year earlier, when she met her future husband, Spann Watson, just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.