Arlington National Cemetery & Luray Caverns

Our time in Virginia began with a flurry of hugs and a reunion with Jason and Marla, fellow ex-expats. Together we had a personalised tour of Arlington National Cemetery, given by their good friend Carl who, now retired, served in the United States Army for 23 years. Established in 1864, the Cemetery encompasses 624 acres and is the resting place of approximately 400,000 soldiers who have died fighting for their country. We spent 2½ hours with Carl and absorbed facts and anecdotes about the history of the Cemetery and the people who work there and are buried there. As we drove and walked through the grounds, Carl shared his extensive knowledge and personal experiences related to how this cemetery has become the hallowed ground it is today. All cemeteries are sacred but from the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the the sea of white headstones that fill the terrain interspersed with more personalised markers, we found ourselves with a very moving perspective of America’s most famous cemetery.

A great many of our experiences on this trip have been made more special by the people who have shared them with us. We cannot thank you enough Carl, for your insight and your time spent giving us this memorable visit to Arlington National Cemetery.

Part of the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, commemorating the 184 lives that were lost at the Pentagon and on board American Airlines Flight 77 at 9.37am, on 11 September 2001 as a result of a terrorist attack

On the left: the headstone of Lee Marvin 1924-1987, World War II veteran and renowned Hollywood actor.
On the right: the headstone of Joe Louis 1914-1981, technical sergeant and world heavyweight champion for 12 consecutive years from 1937 to 1949

Memorial to the seven crew members of the space shuttle Challenger which exploded just 73 seconds after take off, killing everyone on board, on *28 January 1986*

Grave of Audie Murphy. Wanting to serve in the Army during World War II, Murphy, 16 years old, lied about his age to be able to enlist. He went on to become the nation’s most-decorated WW2 soldier, with 28 medals, including three from France and one from Belgium. When victory was declared in Europe, Murphy was still not 21 years old.

The resting place of John F Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy, with the eternal flame that was lit upon JFK’s passing

The view from the Kennedy memorial with Washington Monument in the distance

Memorial Amphitheater. The President of the United States traditionally gives an address during Memorial Day ceremonies here. It is also the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which rests behind it, looking over Washington DC.
Thank you Carl for clearing the Amphitheater so I could get this great photo.

A Tomb Guard walking the mat in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The three marbles slabs lying in front of the tomb commemorate the Unknown Soldier from WW2 and the Korean and Vietnam wars, while the sarcophagus honours the Unknown Soldier from WW1. Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” stand watch over the Tomb.

Also known as Sentinels, the Tomb Guards carry out The Changing of the Guard *every half hour through the summer* months and on the hour through winter. The Sentinels stand watch over the *of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier* 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in any weather, and they have been carrying out this duty since 1948.

Next up we headed to Luray Caverns, the largest caverns in the eastern United States. Dating back four million centuries, the walk through these caverns is spectacular and the photos here do not do any justice to them at all. All formations in the caverns are made of calcite, a crystalline form of limestone, and appear in varying colours from pristine gleaming white to deep amber. The 1.6 mile walk through the caverns took us through chambers, past sparkling lakes and amongst towering columns. It is simply beautiful.

Stalactites hanging over a reflection pool

Buried deep within the cavern, this Great Stalacpipe Organ is the world’s largest musical instrument. It makes 37 stalactites sing by gently tapping them with rubber mallets in order to produce 37 tones throughout three acres of the caverns. Amazing.

This part of our Virginia chapter was made wonderful by Marla and Jason and their gorgeous Bella and Willow. It was so good to catch up with them over wine tasting, playing cards and wings with football and we got in some great pet time. I also made my first pavlova in America and it turned out not too shabby 😊

Thank you Jason, Marla and pups and we look forward to seeing you again soon!

S&P