Dear Editor:
For the first time ever in the history of Arlington National Cemetery, any person can walk to the base of The Tomb of the Unknowns and place a flower or flowers to honor the memory of those American service personnel who have given their lives in defense of freedom. Arlington National Cemetery is live streaming this event.
Many of your readers may not be aware that there is only one Unknown Soldier at The Tomb of the Unknown. That Soldier, selected from Army Cemeteries in Europe in 1921, in an elaborate and dignified process, was interred on November 11, 1921. His large white marble tomb reads, “Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God.”
The flat stones in front of The Tomb contain the remains of Unknown Servicemen from World War II and the Korean Conflict. That internment took place in 1953. The flat stone honoring the dead from the Vietnam War is empty because advances in DNA testing have identified all 58,479 war dead.
As an aside, the main Tomb developed two cracks in 1940 and plans have been in the works to replace the original 38-ton Colorado marble stone. When the stone is replaced, the original will be crushed for landscaping purposes. No headstones are ever discarded.
John E. Howard
Great Falls, MT
