Arlington National Cemetery
- 09
- Aug
There have been very few things that I wanted to do around the city but this was one of them. I finally made the first of many trips to Arlington National Cemetery and besides the want to pass out from all the walking in the heat, I was very impressed. There are many parts of the cemetery that I wanted to see and made it to most of them. Lesson number one is to shell out the cash for the tram to get around the grounds.
I am a man of symmetry and the headstones at the cemetery proved to be an interesting subject to photograph. The row upon row of graves seems to have had a calming effect on my mind. I am not saying it was soothing, but I think it helped put life into perspective among the american heroes that lay around me as I walked around the grounds.
The main thing that I went to the cemetery was to see the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldiers. I feel like I was watching something straight out of a movie. Just the guard was impressive and I have never seen someone who took their job so serious. While the changing of the guard is something of reverence and every movement is precise I couldn’t help but wonder how they do it day in and day out. I know that it is a highly regarded position and I assume that those who want the position see it as the highest of honors.