Risk Services Of Arkansas - May 2021

Risk Services Of Arkansas - May 2021

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A TOUR THROUGH SACRED GROUND

What It’s Like to Visit Arlington National Cemetery

W ith Memorial Day coming up at the end of this month, I can’t help but think of one of the most incredible places I’ve ever visited: Arlington National Cemetery. If you’re not familiar with Arlington National Cemetery — or maybe you’ve just heard of it in passing — it’s the most prominent military cemetery in the U.S., as well as one of this nation’s oldest national cemeteries. It sits right across the Potomac River fromWashington, D.C., in Arlington, Virginia, and in my opinion, it’s an indispensable part of anyone’s tour of our nation’s capital city. I first visited Arlington National Cemetery as a 15-year-old on a trip to the capital with my family. It was awe-inspiring even then, but after having served in the Army myself, and having returned there to visit multiple times, the picture-perfect rolling hills with all those thousands of perfectly in-line headstones still leaves me humbled, speechless, and on the verge of tears during each visit. I recommend that anyone who takes our country’s unique freedoms and history for granted go spend a few hours among the tombstones of these heroes. If the result is not a profound and reverent sense of gratitude, then my guess is that gratitude is just not possible.

President Kennedy’s brothers Robert and Ted are also buried right there with him.

While I have spent many hours just walking around the cemetery, looking at different tombstones — many of which belong to medal of honor recipients, presidents, former POW’s, astronauts, and more — there are a few must- see monuments. The first is the Arlington House, the home of Mary Anna Custis (the granddaughter of George and Martha Washington) and her husband, Robert E. Lee. After Virginia seceded from the Union, and Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia, the estate was taken over by the Union Army and Lee never again returned to the property. The house itself is a mansion, even by today’s standards. While the history there is fascinating, the one thing I can never get out of my head about the Arlington House is the view from the porch. It’s situated on a hill overlooking Washington, D.C. If memory serves me right, you can see the Potomac River, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the White House from there, and also, just a few hundred yards down the hill, the “eternal flame” identifying President John F. Kennedy’s burial site. The John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame is also worth a visit. It’s a memorial to Kennedy who is buried there and was requested by his wife Jackie, following her husband’s assassination.

Finally, the last place you have to visit in Arlington National Cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Tomb represents and symbolizes all “unknown” (unidentifiable) service members who gave their lives in combat dating back to the Civil War. The Tomb is guarded by the “Old Guard” — the special U.S. Army unit that stands guard at the tomb 24/7/365, whether in a blizzard, a rainstorm, or unbearable heat. If you can, you should try to witness the changing of the guard, which happens exactly every hour on the hour. Every little detail of the changing of the guard has some significance, and it’s always done with military precision, which displays the utmost honor and respect for all the “unknowns.” I have spent an entire day just walking around Arlington National Cemetery. It’s all sacred ground, and as I said before, it never fails to impress me. I encourage all Americans to visit if they have a chance. It’s a place where fallen heroes are honored on Memorial Day. And best of all, every other day of the year as well.

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Connecting Your Employees to Your Mission

Not too long ago, the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers released their Commercial Property/Casualty Market Report for the fourth quarter of 2020. The report was extensive, but there were a few key takeaways that I thought were important to share here. Although these takeaways are based on >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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