On Sunday, visitors to Arlington National Cemetery will have the chance to pay their respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in a unique way — laying a flower at the tomb.
“Until we had our centennial, the 100 years of the Tomb of the Unknown, which happened in 2021, the public had not been allowed to get that close in over 90 years,” said Army National Military Cemeteries and Office of Army Cemeteries Executive Director Karen Durham-Aguilera.
Durham-Aguilera said the reaction to the 2021 Flowers of Remembrance Day led to the decision to make it an annual way for people to honor the fallen.
“I just saw people just being so emotionally touched, and I said, ‘We can’t wait to do this every 90 to 100 years,’” Durham-Aguilera said.
According to the cemetery, the day pays homage to the first official national Decoration Day, which is now known as Memorial Day. The first ceremony happened May 30, 1868, to honor U.S. service members who died in the Civil War.
The day will also include historians telling the story of Memorial Day at the Memorial Amphitheater at 10 a.m. That presentation will be followed by a walking tour to the James Tanner Amphitheater, the Tomb of the Civil War Unknowns and other locations at the cemetery.
The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation will provide flowers for the remembrance, so visitors will not need to bring their own.
On Memorial Day, the Arlington National Cemetery will hold the national observance of Memorial Day, which historically includes the president laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. For now, the cemetery is only saying the wreath will be laid by a “senior government official” at 10:15 a.m. While that ceremony will be limited to official participants, an official observance at 11 a.m. is open to the public.
Durham-Aguilera said the weekend is about taking time to reflect, appreciate and remember those who fell defending the country.
“Memorial Day is about sacrifice, those who gave the ultimate measure of devotion. In other words, they gave their lives for us,” she said.
If you would like to participate and lay a flower, contact the Memorial Day Flowers Foundation.
For more information on Memorial Day events, visit the Arlington National Cemetery website.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
