War fighting heroes have been buried at Arlington national cemetery for 150 years, the land itself having huge historical significance and being passed down through many figures before becoming the national cemetery. Although the cemetery could run out of space for fallen service members within the near future, soldiers are still buried regularly at around 30 people being laid to rest a day.
Arlington cemetery has a fruitful history and is a powerful place to visit to witness the cost of freedom and the sacrifices people have made in keeping American values, culture and sovereignty alive. The cemetery was originally owned by a descendant of George Washington who then by marital status transferred the land to General Lee. At the beginning stages of the Civil war when Robert E Lee resigned from the U.S army, Union forces captured the Lee family house which was a memorial to his family’s legacy and can still be visited today in the cemetery.
With around 30 burials a day and only around 95,000 more spaces left the cemetery could be at max capacity within the next twenty to forty years. While forty years might seem like a long time, the armed forces are still making preparations to expand the site in a southern expansion project using eminent domain to seize certain roads and land for the expansion project expected to expand burial space and improve infrastructure and transportation while also providing over 2,000 high salary jobs. To increase the longevity of Arlington they will mainly be focusing on soldiers killed in action, they also are prioritising members who earned a silver star or higher or purple heart.
