Arlington National Cemetery, one of our nation’s most important shrines, contains the remains of more than 260,000 brave men and women who have given their lives for their country. They include Presidents and Supreme Court Justices, astronauts and noted historical figures, Medal of Honor recipients and Five Star Officers, along with more than 4,700 unidentified soldiers represented by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Today Arlington is also the resting place for approximately ten percent of the more than 4,000 soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and who are eligible and selected to be buried there.
Section 60, known as the saddest acre in all of America, is where the soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan who are eligible and choose to be buried at Arlington are laid to rest. Some soldiers request an Arlington burial in their wills; in other cases, the families of the deceased make the request on their loved one's behalf. It’s an active area, filled with photos, letters and personal mementos, but not seen by most of Arlington’s millions of tourists.
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