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Former Tomb Guard Pins Son with Badge

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/16/2024

When Bryan Campagna pinned the Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification badge onto the chest of his son, Staff Sgt. Isaiah Jasso-Campagna, it symbolized more than a father honoring his son. Campagna had earned his own Tomb badge as a Tomb Guard decades earlier, making the pair only the second father-son badge earners in the history of the Army’s 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard).

Pearl Harbor Medal of Honor Recipient Laid to Rest at Arlington National Cemetery

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/4/2024

When word came to abandon ship, Seaman 1st Class James Richard Ward remained at his post. The USS Oklahoma, docked at Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, had just been blasted by a series of Japanese torpedoes and began to capsize. Instead of charging out of the turret he manned, Ward held a flashlight to guide his fellow seamen out of danger. His selfless sacrifice saved countless lives and earned him the Medal of Honor.

Thousands Lay Wreaths at ANC

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/4/2024

They lined up by thousands to honor the nation’s fallen during the holiday season. When Arlington National Cemetery opened on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, civilians and military personnel alike retrieved wreaths from trucks and headed across the grounds to place them at headstones and columbarium niches. 

Public Lays Wreaths at Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/4/2024

On Dec. 16, 2023, more than 400 people visited the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery in Northwest Washington, D.C., to participate in Wreaths Across America Day.

ANC Employees Lay Wreaths at Headstones

By Kevin M. Hymel on 12/18/2023

On Dec. 15, 2023, the day before the public comes to Arlington National Cemetery to lay wreaths on headstones as part of Wreaths Across America, ANC employees spread out in Section 37 to lay wreaths themselves. This practice is a holiday tradition to give those who work at the cemetery a chance to honor those laid to rest.

Tomb Guards Lay Wreaths at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

By Kevin M. Hymel on 12/18/2023

At exactly 10:15 a.m. on December 16, 2023, four Tomb Guards from the U.S. Army’s 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), each holding a holiday wreath, marched out to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Sunlight gleaned off their visors as a hushed crowd watched. They stopped, faced the tomb, and saluted.

A Fallen Hero from the Korean War, Home at Last

By Kevin M. Hymel on 12/16/2023

U.S. Army Cpl. Gordon D. McCarthy lived a hard life before he was killed in combat on the frozen hills of North Korea on Dec. 2, 1950. According to his niece, Marilyn Stanton, McCarthy’s mother died six months after he was born. His grandparents, uncles and aunts raised him while his father worked. When his father remarried, McCarthy gained three more brothers, but when he was only 15 years old, his father died in a lumber accident

The Meanings of “Wreaths” for One ANC Employee

By Kevin M. Hymel on 12/14/2023

Like many staff members at ANC, Quality Assurance Specialist Patrick McGrady has family members buried or inurned at the cemetery. McGrady, who served for 14 years as an Army mechanic, visits his parents’ niche in Columbarium Court 7 almost every day. McGrady’s father, a major in the Marine Corps, served during the Vietnam War and earned a Bronze Star for his actions.

World War II POW—and Bataan Death March Survivor—Buried at ANC

By Kevin M. Hymel on 12/14/2023

When U.S. Army Pvt. David Whipple’s descendants could not attend his funeral service at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 3, 2023, Army soldiers and an Army Arlington Lady made sure he was laid to rest with honor and dignity.

Joint Burial Service for Two WWII Fliers

By Kevin M. Hymel on 12/14/2023

U.S. Army Air Forces navigator 2nd Lt. Porter M. Pile and radio operator Tech Sgt. James M. Triplett went down with their B-24 bomber over Germany on Sept. 27, 1944. For the next 79 years, Pile and Triplett were considered missing in action.