During the Civil War the U.S. Army confiscated Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Arlington House and property initially for the defense of Washington, D.C. The massive casualties from nearby battlefields in Virginia overwhelmed Washington hospitals and cemeteries with dead soldiers.

The Union Army began burying dead soldiers on the grounds and officially designated Arlington a national military cemetery on June 15, 1864.

The original 200-acre cemetery has grown to 657 acres, and the interments of veterans from every American war create a unique and one-of-kind national cemetery. Veterans from the American Revolution, War of 1812, and Mexican-American War were re-interments from other locations.

The cemetery has celebrities buried within the grounds including assassinated President John F. Kennedy's grave, visited by millions and is the final resting place for many of America's distinguished military and political members. Interment in the cemetery has become a highly coveted honor.

Soldiers from the Army's 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment or the "Old Guard" walk a continuous silent post at the tombs of the Unknown Soldiers from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. The guard's presence represents a token of tribute to those military members who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

The cemetery honors America's heroes with a dignified resting place in the shadow of the seat of government. Arlington's dead serve as a reminder to American leaders that the cost of freedom is steep and paid for with the lives of citizens.