The History of Arlington National Cemetery

July 15, 2023 10:24am

On March 22nd, I visited Arlington National Cemetery to record an interview with ANC historian Tim Frank. That interview aired this morning on The Mike Bates Show.

From how Robert E. Lee's land was illegally taken for creation of the cemetery, to well-known Americans who are buried there, to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, to the meaningful choreography of the Changing of the Guard ceremony, we covered it all.

Upon conclusion of our production, I put my recording gear back in the rental car, and then walked through the cemetery for a few hours. I've been to Arlington more than a dozen times, but I still feel the importance, serenity, and reverence of those hallowed grounds each time I visit.

The Changing of the Guard ceremony I attended was followed by a changing of the wreath ceremony at the Tomb that was just as stirring as the Changing of the Guard - perhaps more so because the wreath ceremony included a lone bugler playing Taps. When I was on the west side of the cemetery, horses pulling an artillery caisson with a casket rolled by. I did not follow it all the way to the grave site so as not to intrude on the grieving family.

The interview is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230715