A wreathlaying and remembrance ceremony honoring America’s military veterans take place November 11, 2003, at 11 a.m. in Arlington National Cemetery.
Anthony J. Principi, secretary of Veterans Affairs, is host. The ceremonies are open, space available until filled, but attendees will need to arrive early to observe the events. Those attending the standing-room-only wreathlaying will not be able to secure seating in Memorial Amphitheater for the observance ceremony.
The cemetery gates open at 8 a.m. A free shuttle service will begin transporting people from the Visitors Center to the amphitheater at 8:30 a.m. .
People driving to the cemetery may park their vehicles in the Visitors Center parking garage for free until 1 p.m. In addition, Metrorail will be operating all day, so attendees may ride the “blue line” to the subway station located just outside the cemetery’s main entrance.
Personal belongings, handbags, etc., should be left behind if possible to expedite clearance through security checkpoints.
2003 marks the 50th anniversary of Armistice Day becoming Veterans Day.
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