Sec.
553.1 Purpose.
553.2 Statutory authority.
553.3 Scope and applicability.
553.4 Responsibilities.
553.5 Federal jurisdiction.
553.6 Donations.
553.7 Design and layout of Army national cemeteries.
553.8 Arlington Memorial Amphitheater.
553.9 Power of arrest.
553.10 Solicitations.
553.11 Procurement.
553.12 Encroachments and revocable licenses.
553.13 Standards of construction, maintenance, and operations.
553.14 Authority for interments.
553.15 Persons eligible for burial in Arlington National Cemetery.
553.15a Persons eligible for inurnment of cremated remains in Columbarium in Arlington National Cemetery.
553.16 Persons eligible for burial in Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery.
553.17 Persons ineligible for burial in an Army national cemetery.
553.18 Assignment of gravesites.
553.19 Disinterments.
553.20 Headstones and markers.
553.21 Monuments and inscriptions at private expense.
553.22 Visitors rules for the Arlington National Cemetery.

Appendix A to Part 553–Specifications For Tributes In Arlington National Cemetery
Authority: 24 U.S.C. Ch. 7. Source: 42 FR 25725, May 19, 1977, unless otherwise noted.

Sec. 553.1 Purpose.

The following specifies the authority and assigns the responsibilities for the development, operation, maintenance, and administration of the Arlington and Soldiers’ Home National Cemeteries, a civil works activity of the Department of the Army.

Sec. 553.2 Statutory authority.

Basic statutory authority pertaining to the Army national cemeteries is in chapter 7, title 24, United States Code, entitled “National Cemeteries.” Many of the provisions of this chapter were repealed by section 7(a) of the National Cemeteries Act of 1973 (Pub. L. 93-43, 18 June 1973, 38 U.S.C. 1000 et seq.); but section 7(b) provides that nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect in any manner the functions, powers, and duties of the Secretary of the Army with respect to Arlington and Soldiers’ Home National Cemeteries.

Sec. 553.3 Scope and applicability.

(a) Scope. The development, operation, maintenance, and administration of Arlington National Cemetery and the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery are governed by this part and TM 10-287. AR 210-190 assigns responsibilities for the operation, maintenance, and administration of Army post cemeteries.

(b) Applicability. The provisions of AR 290-5 are applicable to active and retired members of the Armed Forces, certain disabled veterans, and veterans who were awarded certain military decorations.

Sec. 553.4 Responsibilities.

The Army national cemeteries, consisting of the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, and Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery, Washington, DC, are under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army. The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works is directly responsible to the Secretary of the Army for policy formulation in the administration of these cemeteries. The Adjutant General is responsible for their day-to-day administration, operation, and maintenance. Specific responsibilities for Arlington and Soldiers’ Home National Cemeteries are delegated to the Commander, Military District of Washington in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding.

Sec. 553.5 Federal jurisdiction.

Where the State legislature has given the consent of that State to purchase the land which now comprises an Army national cemetery, the jurisdiction and power of legislation of the United States over Army national cemeteries will, in all courts and places, be held to be the same as is granted by Section 8, Article 1, Constitution of the United States.

Sec. 553.6 Donations.

(a) Policy. Under Department of the Army policy, proffered donations or gifts for beautifying Army national cemeteries may be accepted from legitimate societies and organizations or from reputable individuals, subject to the following provisions:

(1) The society, organization, or individual does not associate the name of the Department of the Army in any way with soliciting for the donation or gift.

(2) Delivery is made to the cemetery or to another point designated by the Department of the Army without expense to the Government.

(3) Installing, constructing, placing, or planting is in keeping with the planned development of the cemetery and the donor agrees to the use of the gift at any designated place within the cemetery.

(4) The donor is not permitted to affix any commemorative tablet or plaque to the items donated or to place one in the cemetery or elsewhere on Department of the Army property.

(b) Processing. All proffers of donations to Army national cemeteries will be referred to The Adjutant General with the recommendation of the cemetery superintendent as to the action to be taken.

(c) Conditional gifts. The Secretary of the Army is authorized, at his discretion, to accept, receive, hold, administer, and expend any gift, devise, or bequest of real or personal property on condition that the item be used for the benefit of, or in connection with, the operation maintenance, or administration of the two national cemeteries under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army. The Adjutant General will take appropriate action on conditional gifts as prescribed in AR 1-100.

(d) Unconditional gifts. All proffers or donations of gifts which are unconditional will be accompanied by a report stating all material facts in connection with the source, nature, and purpose of the gift.

Sec. 553.7 Design and layout of Army national cemeteries.

(a) General cemetery layout plans, landscape planting plans and gravesite layout plans for Army national cemeteries will be maintained by The Adjutant General.

(b) New burial sections will be opened and prepared for burials only with the approval of The Adjutant General and after types and sizes of monuments on permanent sites have been established.

Sec. 553.8 Arlington Memorial Amphitheater.

(a) The Act of 2 September 1960 (74 Stat; 24 U.S.C. 295a) provides that the Secretary of Defense or his designee may send to Congress or his designee may send to Congress in January of each year recommendations on the memorials to be erected and the remains of deceased members of the Armed Forces to be entombed in the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery. The Act further provides that–

(1) No memorial may be erected and no remains may be entombed in the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater unless specifically authorized by Congress;

(2) The character, design, or location of any memorial authorized by Congress is subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense or of his designee.

(b) Under the provisions of the Act of 2 September 1960, the Secretary of the Army has been designated to act in behalf of the Secretary of Defense.

(c) The Department of the Army will seek the advice of the Commission of Fine Arts concerning any requests relative to inscriptions or memorials within the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater.

Sec. 553.9 Power of arrest.

The superintendents of Army national cemeteries are authorized to arrest any person who willfully destroys, cuts, breaks, injures, or removes any tree, shrub, or plant within the limits of the cemetery and to bring that person before any United States magistrate or judge of any district court of the United States within any State or district where the cemeteries are situated, to hold that person to answer for the misdemeanor, and then and there to make a complaint in due form.

Sec. 553.10 Solicitations.

Solicitations to the public of any type of business including the sale of souvenirs and refreshments within the cemetery are prohibited. Violators who do not leave when so ordered or who unlawfully reenter the cemetery after being evicted will be subject to prosecution.

Sec. 553.11 Procurement.

Cemetery supplies and services will be procured in accordance with the provisions of the Armed Services Procurement Regulation (ASPR) and the Army Procurement Procedure (APP).

Sec. 553.12 Encroachments and revocable licenses.

(a) Encroachments. No railroads will be permitted upon the right-of-way acquired by the United States leading to Arlington or Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery or to encroach upon any roads or walks thereon and maintained by the United States.

(b) Revocable licenses. The construction or erection of poles and lines (including underground lines) for transmitting and distributing electric power or for telephone and telegraph purposes, as well as water and sewer pipes, will not be permitted without the authority of the Department of the Army. Requests for revocable licenses to construct water, gas, or sewer lines or other appurtenances on or across the cemetery or an approach road in which the Government has a right-of-way or fee simple title or other interest will be submitted for final action to the cemetery superintendent with a complete description of the privilege desired and a map showing the location of the project on the roadway in question. The superintendent will
forward the application and inclosures with his comments and recommendation to Headquarters, Department of the Army.

Sec. 553.13 Standards of construction, maintenance, and operations.

The following standards of the Department of the Army will be observed in the development, operation, maintenance, administration, and support of Army national cemetries and will be considered in relation to budgetary reviews within the Department of the Army:

(a) As permanent national shrines provided by a grateful nation to the honored dead of the Armed Forces of the United States, the standards for construction, maintenance, and operation of Army national cemeteries will be commensurate with the high purpose to which they are dedicated.

(b) Structures and facilities provided for Army cemetaries will be permanent in nature and of a scope, dignity, and aesthetic design suitable to the purpose for which they are intended.

(c) Cemeteries will be beautified by landscaping and by means of special features based on the historical aspects, location, or other factors of major significance.

(d) Accomodations and services provided to the next of kin of the honored dead and to the general public will be of high order.

Sec. 553.14 Authority for interments.

The Act of 14 May 1948 (62 Stat. 234), as amended by the Act of 14 September 1959 (73 Stat. 547; 24 U.S.C. 281), and other laws specifically cited in this part authorize burial in Arlington and Soldiers’ Home National Cemeteries under such regulations as the Secretary of the Army may, with the approval of the Secretary of Defense, prescribe.

Sec. 553.15 Persons eligible for burial in Arlington National Cemetery.

(a) Any active duty member of the Armed Forces (except those members serving on active duty for training only).

(b) Any retired member of the Armed Forces. A retired member of the Armed Forces, in the context of this paragraph, is a retired member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or a Reserve component who has served on active duty (other than for training), is carried on an official retired list, and is entitled to receive retired pay stemming from service in the Armed Forces. If, at the time of death, a retired member of the Armed Forces is not entitled to receive retired pay stemming from his service in the Armed Forces until some future date, the retired member will not be eligible for burial.

(c) Any former member of the Armed Forces separated for physical disability prior to 1 October 1949 who has served on active duty (other than for training) and who would have been eligible for retirement under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 1201 had that statute been in effect on the date of his separation.

(d) Any former member of the Armed Forces whose last active duty (other than for training) military service terminated honorably and who has been awarded one of the following decorations:

(1) Medal of Honor.
(2) Distinguished Service Cross (Air Force Cross or Navy Cross).
(3) Distinguished Service Medal.
(4) Silver Star.
(5) Purple Heart.

(e) Persons who have held any of the following positions, provided their last period of active duty (other than for training) as a member of the Armed Forces terminated honorably:

(1) An elective office of the United States Government.
(2) Office of the Chief Justice of the United States or of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
(3) An office listed in 5 U.S.C. 5312 or 5 U.S.C. 5313.
(4) The Chief of a mission who was at any time during his tenure classified in class I under the provisions of 411 of the Act of 13 August 1946, 60 Stat. 1002, as amended (22 U.S.C. 866, 1964 ed.).
(f) Any former prisoner of war who, while a prisoner of war, served honorably in the active military, naval, or air service, whose last period of active military, naval, or air service terminated honorably and who died on or after November 30, 1993.

(1) The term “former prisoner of war” means a person who, while serving in the active military, naval, or air service, was forcibly detained or interned in line of duty–

(i) By an enemy government or its agents, or a hostile force, during a period of war; or

(ii) By a foreign government or its agents, or a hostile force, under circumstances which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs finds to have been comparable to the circumstances under which persons have generally been forcibly detained or interned by enemy governments during periods of war.

(2) The term “active military, naval, or air service” includes active duty, any period of active duty for training during which the individual concerned was disabled or died from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty, and any period of inactive duty training during which the individual concerned was disabled or died from an injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty.

(g) The spouse, widow or widower, minor child and, at the discretion of the Secretary of the Army, unmarried adult child of any of the persons listed above.

(1) The term “spouse” refers to a widow or widower of an eligible member, including the widow or widower of a member of the Armed Forces who was lost or buried at sea or officially determined to be permanently absent in a status of missing or missing in action. A surviving spouse who has remarried and whose remarriage is void, terminated by death, or dissolved by annulment or divorce by a court with basic authority to render such decrees regains eligibility for burial in Arlington National Cemetery unless it is determined that the decree of annulment or divorce was secured through fraud or collusion.

(2) An unmarried adult child may be interred in the same grave in which the parent has been or will be interred, provided that child was incapable of self-support up to the time of death because of physical or mental condition. At the time of death of an adult child, a request for interment will be submitted to the Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery. The request must be accompanied by a notarized statement from an individual who has direct knowledge as to the marital status, degree of dependency of the deceased child, the name of that child’s parent, and the military service upon which the burial is being requested. A certificate of a physician who has attended the decedent as to the nature and duration of the physical and/or mental disability must also accompany the request for interment.

(h) Widows or widowers of service members who are interred in Arlington National Cemetery as part of a group burial may be interred in the same cemetery but not in the same grave.

(i) The surviving spouse, minor child, and, at the discretion of the Secretary of the Army, unmarried adult child of any person already buried in Arlington.

(j) The parents of a minor child or unmarried adult child whose remains, based on the eligibility of a parent, are already buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

[42 FR 25725, May 19, 1977, as amended at 59 FR 60559, Nov. 25, 1994]

Sec. 553.15a Persons eligible for inurnment of cremated remains in Columbarium in Arlington National Cemetery.

(a) Any member of the Armed Forces who dies on active duty.

(b) Any former member of the Armed Forces who served on active duty (other than for training) and whose last service terminated honorably.

(c) Any member of a Reserve component of the Armed Forces, and any member of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, whose death occurs under honorable conditions while he is on active duty for training or performing full-time service; performing authorized travel to or from that duty or service; or is on authorized inactive duty training including training performed as a member of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard. Also included are those members whose deaths occur while hospitalized or undergoing treatment at the expense of the United States for injury or disease contracted or incurred under honorable conditions while on that duty or service or performing that travel or inactive duty training.

(d) Any member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps of the Army, Navy, or Air Force whose death occurs under honorable conditions while attending an authorized training camp or on an authorized practice cruise, performing authorized travel to or from that camp or cruise, or hospitalized or undergoing treatment at the expense of the United States for injury or disease contracted or incurred under honorable conditions while attending that camp or cruise, performing that travel, or undergoing that hospitalization or treatment at the expense of the United States.

(e) Any former prisoner of war who, while a prisoner of war, served honorably in the active military, naval, or air service, whose last period of active military, naval, or air service terminated honorably and who died on or after November 30, 1993.

(1) The term “former prisoner of war” means a person who, while serving in the active military, naval, or air service, was forcibly detained or interned in line of duty–

(i) By an enemy government or its agents, or a hostile force, during a period of war; or

(f) Any citizen of the United States who, during any war in which the United States has been or may hereafter be engaged, served in the Armed Forces of any government allied with the United States during that war, whose last active service terminated honorably by death or otherwise, and who was a citizen of the United States at the time of entry on such service and at the time of death.

(g) Commissioned officers, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) who die during or subsequent to the service specified in the following categories and whose last service terminated honorably:

(1) Assignment to areas of immediate military hazard.

(2) Served in the Philippine Islands on December 7, 1941.

(3) Transferred to the Department of the Army or the Department of the Navy under certain statutes.

(h) Any commissioned officer of the United States Public Health Service who served on full-time duty on or after July 29, 1945, if the service falls within the meaning of active duty for training as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(22) or inactive duty training as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(23) and whose death resulted from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty. Also, any commissioned officer of the Regular or Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service who performed active service prior to July 29, 1945 in time of war; on detail for duty with the Armed Forces; or while the service was part of the military forces of the United States pursuant to Executive order of the President.

(i) Spouses, minor children, and dependent adult children of the persons listed above.
(24 U.S.C. 281)
[43 FR 35043, Aug. 8, 1978, as amended at 59 FR 60559, Nov. 25, 1994; 60

FR 8305, Feb. 14, 1995]

Sec. 553.16 Persons eligible for burial in Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery.

The Board of Commissioners of the US Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home will prescribe rules governing burial in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery.

Sec. 553.17 Persons ineligible for burial in an Army national cemetery.

(a) A father, mother, brother, sister, and in-law is not eligible for interment by reason of relationship to an eligible service person even though he/she is dependent upon the service member or support and/or is a member of his/her household.

(b) A person whose last separation from one of the Armed Forces was under other-than-honorable conditions is not eligible for burial even though he may have received veterans benefits, treatment at a Veterans Administration hospital or died in such a hospital.

(d) Nonservice-connected spouses who have been divorced from the service-connected members or who have remarried after the interment of the service-connected spouse and whose remarriage is still valid are not eligible because of the decedent’s service.

(e) Dependents are not eligible for burial in Arlington National Cemetery unless the Service-connected family member has been or will be interred in that cemetery. This does not apply to widows or widowers of members of the Armed Forces lost or buried at sea or officially determined to be permanently absent in a status of missing or missing in action.

Sec. 553.18 Assignment of gravesites.

(a) Under present policy of the Department of the Army, only one gravesite is authorized for the burial of a service member and eligible family members.

(b) Gravesites will not be reserved.

(c) Gravesite reservations made in writing before the one-gravesite- per-family unit policy was established will remain in effect as long as the reservee remains eligible for burial in Arlington.

Sec. 553.19 Disinterments.

(a) Interments in Arlington National Cemetery of eligible decedents are considered permanent and final, and disinterments will be permitted only for cogent reasons. Disinterments and removal of remains will be approved only when all living close relatives of the decedent give their written consent or when a court order directs the disinterment.

(b) All requests for authority to disinter remains will include the following information:

(1) A full statement of reasons for the proposed disinterment.

(2) Notarized statements by all close living relatives of the decedent that they interpose no objection to the proposed disinterment. “Close relatives” are widow or widower, parents, adult brothers and sisters, and adult childern of the decedent and will include the person who directed the initial interment, if living, even though the legal relationship of that person to the decedent may have changed.

(3) A sworn statement by a person who knows that those who supplied affidavits comprise all the living close relatives of the deceased, including the person who directed the initial interment.

(c) In lieu of the documents required, an order of a court of competent jurisdiction will be recognized. The Department of the Army or officials of the cemetery should not be made a party or parties to the court action since this is a matter that concerns the family members involved.

(d) Any disinterment that may be authorized under this paragraph must be accomplished without expense to the Government.

Sec. 553.20 Headstones and markers.

All graves in Army national cemeteries will be appropriately marked in accordance with 24 U.S.C. 279. Government headstones and markers are provided by the Veterans Administration in accordance with the provisions of the National Cemeteries Act of 1973. When requested by the next of kin, an appropriate memorial headstone or marker will be furnished by the Veterans Administration and erected by cemetery personnel in a memorial section of the cemetery which has been set aside for this purpose. Headstones will be of white marble, upright slab design.

Sec. 553.21 Monuments and inscriptions at private expense.

(a) The erection of markers and monuments at private expense to mark graves in lieu of Government headstones and markers is permitted only in sections of Arlington National Cemetery in which private monuments and markers were authorized as of 1 January 1947. These monuments will be of simple design, dignified, and appropriate to a military cemetery. The name of the person(s) or the name of an organization, fraternity, or society responsible for the purchase and erection of the marker will not be permitted on the marker or anywhere else in the cemetery. Approval for the erection of a private monument will be given with the understanding that the purchaser will make provision for its future maintenance in the event repairs are necessary. The Department of the Army will not be liable for maintenance of or damage of the monument.

(b) Where a monument has been erected to an individual interred in Arlington National Cemetery and the next of kin desires to have inscribed on it the name and appropriate data pertaining to a deceased spouse, parent, son, daughter, brother, or sister whose remains have not been recovered and who would have been eligible in their own right for burial in Arlington, such inscriptions may be incised on the monument at no expense to the Government. The words “In Memoriam” or “In Memory Of” are mandatory elements of these inscriptions.

(c) Except as may be authorized for marking group burials, ledger monuments of freestanding cross design, narrow shafts, mausoleums, or overground vaults are prohibited. Underground vaults may be placed at private expense, if desired, at the time of interment.

(d) Specific instructions concerning private monuments and markers are contained in TM 10-287.

Sec. 553.22 Visitors’ rules for the Arlington National Cemetery.

(a) Purpose. The rules of this section define the standards of conduct required of all visitors to the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Applicable Army regulations and directives should be consulted for all other matters not within the scope of these rules.

(b) Scope. Pursuant to title 40 United States Code, sections 318a and 486, and based upon delegations of authority from the Administrator, General Services Administration, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of the Army, this section applies to all Federal property within the charge and control of the Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, and to all persons entering in or on such property. At the discretion of the Secretary of the Army, any person or organization that violates any of the provisions of paragraphs (d), (e), (f), (g), and (h), or (i) of this section may be barred from conducting memorial services and ceremonies within the Cemetery for two years from the date of such violation. Any such person shall also be subject to the penalties set out in title 40, United States Code section 318c.

(1) The term memorial service or ceremony means any formal group activity conducted within the Arlington National Cemetery grounds intended to honor the memory of a person or persons interred in the Cemetery or those dying in the military service of the United States or its allies. “Memorial service or ceremony” includes a “private memorial service,” “public memorial service,” “public wreath laying ceremony” and “official ceremony” as defined in this section.

(2) The term official ceremony means a memorial service or ceremony approved by the Commanding General, Military District of Washington, in which the primary participants are authorized representatives of the United States Government, a state government, a foreign country, or an international organization who are participating in an official capacity.

(3) The term private memorial service means a memorial service or ceremony, other than an official ceremony, conducted at a private gravesite within Arlington National Cemetery by a group of relatives and/or friends of the person interred or to be interred at that gravesite. Private memorial services may be closed to members of the public.

(4) The term public memorial service means a ceremony, other than an official ceremony, conducted by members of the public at the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater, the Confederate Memorial, the Mast of the Maine, the John F. Kennedy Grave or at an historic shrine or at a gravesite within Arlington National Cemetery designated by the Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery. All public memorial services are open to any member of the public to observe.

(5) The term public wreath laying ceremony means a brief ceremony, other than an official ceremony, in which members of the public, assisted by members of the Tomb Guard, present a wreath or similar memento, approved by the Superintendent or Commanding General, at the tomb and plaza area of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (also known as the Tomb of the Unknowns). Participants follow the instructions of the Tomb Guards, Superintendent and Commanding General in carrying out the presentation. The ceremony is open to any member of the public to observe.

(6) The term Superintendent means the Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery or his representative.

(7) The term Commanding General, means the Commanding General, U.S. Army Military District of Washington or his representative.

(d) Visitors hours. Visitors’ hours shall be established by the Superintendent and posted in conspicuous places. Unless otherwise posted or announced by the Superintendent, visitors will be admitted during the following hours:

October through March–8 a.m. through 5 p.m.
April through September–8 a.m. through 7 p.m.

No visitor shall enter or remain in the Cemetery beyond the time established by the applicable visitors’ hours.

(e) Destruction or Removal of Property. No person shall willfully destroy, damage, mutilate or remove any monument, gravestone, structure, tree, shrub, plant or other property located within the Cemetery grounds.

(f) Conduct within the Cemetery. Because Arlington National Cemetery is a shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces of the United States and because certain acts, appropriate elsewhere, are not appropriate in the Cemetery, all visitors, including persons attending or taking part in memorial services and ceremonies, shall observe proper standards of decorum and decency while within the Cemetery grounds. Specifically, no person shall:

(1) Conduct any memorial service or ceremony within the Cemetery, except private memorial services, without the prior approval of the Superintendent or Commanding General. All memorial services and ceremonies shall be conducted in accordance with the rules established in paragraph (h) and, except for official ceremonies, paragraph (i) of this section. Official ceremonies shall be conducted in accordance with guidance and procedures established by the Commanding General;

(2) Engage in any picketing, demonstration or similar conduct within the Cemetery grounds;

(3) Engage in any orations, speeches, or similar conduct to assembled groups of people, unless the oration is part of a memorial service or ceremony authorized by this section;

(4) Display any placards, banners, flags or similar devices within the Cemetery grounds, unless, in the case of a flag, use of the same is approved by the Superintendent or Commanding General and is part of a memorial service or ceremony authorized by this section;

(5) Distribute any handbill, pamphlet, leaflet, or other written or printed matter within the Cemetery grounds except that a program may be distributed if approved by the Superintendent or Commanding General and such distribution is a part of a memorial service or ceremony authorized by this section;

(6) Allow any dog, cat, or other pet to run loose within the Cemetery grounds;

(7) Use the Cemetery grounds for recreational activities such as sports, athletics, or picnics;

(8) Ride a bicycle within Cemetery grounds except on Meigs Drive, Sherman Drive and Schley Drive or as otherwise authorized by the Superintendent under this subparagraph. All other bicycle traffic will be directed to the Visitors’ Center where bicycle racks are provided. Exceptions for bicycle touring groups may be authorized in advance and in writing by the Superintendent. An individual visiting a relative’s gravesite may be issued a temporary pass by he Superintendent to permit him to proceed directly to and from the gravesite by bicycle;

(9) Deposit or throw litter on Cemetery grounds;

(10) Play any radio, tape recorder, or musical instrument, or use any loudspeaker within the Cemetery grounds unless use of the same is approved by the Superintendent or Commanding General and is part of a memorial service or ceremony authorized by this section;

(11) Drive any motor vehicle within Arlington National Cemetery in excess of twenty miles per hour or such lesser speed limit as the Superintendent posts;

(12) Park any motor vehicle in any area on the Cemetery grounds designated by the Superintendent as a no parking area; or leave any vehicle in the Visitors’ Center Parking Lot at the Cemetery beyond two hours;

(13) Engage in any disorderly conduct within the Cemetery grounds. For purposes of this section, a person shall be guilty of disorderly conduct if, with purpose to cause, or with knowledge that he is likely to cause, public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, he:

(i) Engages in, promotes, instigates, encourages, or aids and abets fighting, or threatening, violent or tumultuous behavior;

(ii) Yells, utters loud and boisterous language or makes other unreasonably loud noise;

(iii) Interrupts or disturbs a memorial service or ceremony;

(iv) Utters to any person present abusive, insulting, profane, indecent or otherwise provocative language or gesture that by its very utterance tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;

(v) Obstructs movement on the streets, sidewalks, or pathways of the Cemetery grounds without prior authorization by competent authority;

(vi) Disobeys a proper request or order by the Superintendent, Cemetery special police, park police, or other competent authority to disperse or to leave the Cemetery grounds; or

(vii) Otherwise creates a hazardous or physically offensive condition by any act not authorized by competent authority.

(g) Soliciting and Vending. No person shall display or distribute commercial advertising or solicit business while within the Cemetery grounds.

(h) Requests to Conduct Memorial Services and Ceremonies.

(1) Requests by members of the public to conduct memorial services or ceremonies shall be submitted to the Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia 22211. Such requests shall describe the proposed memorial service or ceremony in detail to include the type of service, its proposed location, the name of the individual or organization sponsoring the service, the names of all key individuals participating in the service, the estimated number of persons expected to attend the service, the expected length of the service, the service’s format and content, whether permission to use loud-speaker systems or musical instruments or flags during the service is requested and, if so, the number, type, and how they are planned to be used, whether permission to distribute printed programs during the service is requested, and, if so, a description of the programs, and whether military support is requested. Individuals and organizations sponsoring memorial services or ceremonies shall provide written assurance that the services or ceremonies are not partisan in nature, as defined in paragraph (i) of this section, and that they and their members will obey all rules set out in this section and act in a dignified and proper manner at all times while in the Cemetery grounds.

(2) Requests to conduct official ceremonies shall be submitted to the Commanding General.

(3) Memorial services or ceremonies other than private memorial services may be conducted only after permission has been received from the Superintendent or Commanding General. Private memorial services may be conducted only at the gravesite of a relative or friend. All other memorial services and ceremonies may be conducted only at the area or areas designated by the Superintendent or Commanding General as follows:

(i) Public memorial services may be authorized to be conducted only at the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater, the Confederate Memorial, the John F. Kennedy Grave, or other sites designated by the Superintendent.

(ii) Public wreath laying ceremonies may be authorized to be conducted at the tomb and plaza area of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (also known as the Tomb of the Unknowns).

(iii) Official ceremonies may be authorized to be conducted at sites designated by the Superintendent or Commanding General.

(i) Conduct of Memorial Services and Ceremonies. All memorial services and ceremonies within Arlington National Cemetery, other than official ceremonies, shall be conducted in accordance with the following rules:

(1) Memorial services and ceremonies shall be purely memorial in purpose and dedicated only to the memory of all those interred in the Cemetery, to all those dying in the military service of the United States, to all those dying in the military service of the United States while serving during a particular conflict or while serving in a particular military unit or units, or to the memory of the individual or individuals interred or to be interred at the particular gravesite at which the service or ceremony is held.

(2) Partisan activities are inappropriate in Arlington National Cemetery, due to its role as a shrine to all the honored dead of the Armed Forces of the United States and out of respect for the men and women buried there and for their families. Services or any activities inside the Cemetery connected therewith shall not be partisan in nature. A service is partisan and therefore inappropriate if it includes commentary in support of, or in opposition to, or attempts to influence, any current policy of the Armed Forces, the Government of the United States or any state of the United States; if it espouses the cause of a political party; or if it has as a primary purpose to gain publicity or engender support for any group or cause. If a service is closely related, both in time and location, to partisan activities or demonstrations being conducted outside the Cemetery, it will be determined to be partisan and therefore inappropriate. If a service is determined to be partisan by the Superintendent or the Commanding General, permission to conduct memorial services or ceremonies at the Cemetery will be denied.

(3) Participants in public wreath laying ceremonies shall remain silent during the ceremony.

(4) Participants in public memorial services at the John F. Kennedy Grave shall remain silent during the service.

(5) Public memorial services and public wreath laying ceremonies shall be open to all members of the public to observe.

(6) Participants in public wreath laying ceremonies shall follow all instructions of the Tomb Guards, Superintendent, and Commanding General relating to their conduct of the ceremony. (40 U.S.C. 318a, 486, and delegations of authority from the Administrator, General Services Administration, Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of the Army).

(j) Tributes in Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate individuals, events, units, groups and/or organizations–

(1) General. Tributes, which include plaques, medals, and statues, will be accepted only from those veterans organizations listed in the Directory of Veterans Organizations and State Department of Veterans Organizations published annually by the Veterans Administration or those substantially similar in nature.

(2) Plaques at trees and other donated items. Plaques may be accepted and placed at trees or other donated items to honor the memory of a person or persons interred in Arlington National Cemetery or those dying in the military service of the United States or its allies. Plaques placed at trees or other donated items must conform to the specifications described in appendix A, Specifications for Tributes in Arlington National Cemetery. A rendering of the proposed plaque shall be sent to the Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia 22211-5003 for approval.

(k) Tributes to the Unknowns (Unknown Soldier).

(1) General. Tributes, normally plaques, to the Unknowns by those organizations described in Sec. 553.22(j) above must conform to specifications and guidelines contained in appendix A, Specifications for Tributes in Arlington National Cemetery. Descriptions of the character, dimensions, inscription, material and workmanship of the tribute must be submitted in writing to Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia 22211-5003 for approval.

(2) Tributes to the Unknowns (Unknown Soldier) Presented by Foreign Dignitaries. Presentation of tributes by Foreign Dignitaries is allowed as part of an official ceremony as defined herein.

(l) Monuments. Monuments (other than private monuments or markers) to commemorate an individual, group or event may be erected following joint or concurrent resolution of the Congress.

Appendix A to Part 553–Specifications for Tributes in Arlington National Cemetery

1. Purpose. The appendix provides specifications and guidelines for obtaining approval for the donation of tributes at Arlington National Cemetery.

2. Approval. The Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia 22211-5003 exercises general supervision over Arlington National Cemetery; and his approval of proposed tributes to be placed in Arlington National Cemetery is required.

3. Who May Offer Tributes.

a. Tributes will be accepted only from those veterans’ organizations listed in the Directory of Veterans Organizations and State Department of Veterans Organizations published annually by the Veterans Administration or those substantially similar in nature. Tributes will not be accepted from individuals or from subdivisions of parent organizations.

b. Only one tribute will be accepted from an organization. However, with prior approval, the inscription of a tribute already presented in Memory of the Unknown Soldier (World War I) may be reworded by the donating organization to commemorate one additional or all the Unknowns, or a new tribute may be substituted for the old one.

4. Design–

a. Character. The design of the tribute shall be artistically proportioned and shall be consistent with the sacred purpose of the shrine, which is to honor heroic military service as distinguished from civilian service however notable or patriotic.

b. Dimensions. The surface area of the tribute, including the mounting, shall not exceed 36 square inches; and the thickness or height hall not exceed two (2) inches when mounted.

c. Inscriptions–

(1). Tributes to the Unknowns. Tributes are accepted only for the purpose of commemorating and paying homage and respect to one or more of the Unknowns. Thus all tributes must include, either in the basic design or on a small plate affixed thereto, a clear indication of such commemoration.

Suggestions follow:

–In Memory Of The American Heroes Known But to God
–The American Unknowns
–The Unknown American Heroes
–The Unknown Soldier
–The Unknown of World War II
–The Unknown of the Korean War
–The Unknown American of World War II
–The Unknown American of the Korean War

The identity of the donor/Date of Presentation.

2. Other Tributes including plaques at trees and other donated Items. Inscriptions on tributes will be in keeping with the dignity of Arlington National Cemetery.

d. Material and Workmanship. The material and workmanship of the tribute, including the mounting, shall be of the highest quality, free of flaws and imperfections.

5. Applications. Requests for authority to present tributes shall be submitted in writing to the Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia 22211-5003.

a. A scale drawing or model, showing the exact inscription and other details of the proposed tribute.

b. A copy of the constitution and bylaws of the organization desiring to make the presentation.

6. Final Approval. Upon fabrication, the completed tribute will be forwarded to the Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia 22211-5003 for visual inspection prior to its presentation.

7. Presentation of Tributes. After authorized acceptance of the tribute the sponsoring organization may arrange appropriate presentation ceremonies with the Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia 22211-5003. If presentation ceremonies are not desired, the Superintendent will acknowledge receipt of the tribute and inform the sponsoring organization of the number of the case in which it reposes in the Memorial Display Room at the Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery.

[45 FR 80524, Dec. 5, 1980, as amended at 51 FR 19708, May 30, 1986; 51
FR 43742, Dec. 4, 1986]

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Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard

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