WASHINGTON — For decades, the Department of the Army, which operates Arlington National Cemetery, was working on a way to avoid the day when the cemetery would run out of space.
On Thursday, the cemetery dedicated its so-called Millennium site: a 27-acre expansion that will provide an additional 27,282 spaces for interment.
Also on Thursday, the remains of two soldiers who served in the Civil War were laid to rest in Section 81 of the newly-opened part of the cemetery.
The soldiers’ remains were discovered at Manassas National Battlefield Park as part of an excavation of a battlefield surgeon’s pit there. Researchers said that the remains were from two Union Army soldiers believed to be between 25 to 34 years old.
They died of injuries sustained at the Second Battle of Manassas, also known as the Second Battle of Bull Run, in 1862.
The National Park Service announced the discovery in June and said the two soldiers would be buried in specially-constructed coffins using wood from a downed tree taken from the battlefield. The burial Thursday echoed the cemetery’s origins, since the land was first seized during the Civil War and used to bury Union Army soldiers.
Officials hope the $87 million expansion will extend the life of the cemetery by up to 10 years. Besides land expansion, officials have conducted surveys looking into whether the public would support tighter restrictions on eligibility for burial at Arlington, which could also extend the cemetery’s lifespan.
#HappeningNow: Join us as we officially dedicate our #Millennium site, unveil two new streets and conduct funerals … https://t.co/JHt8pp4q8W
— Arlington National Cemetery (@ArlingtonNatl) September 6, 2018
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
