In July of 2008, as the historic presidential election was hitting fever pitch, I traveled to Washington DC to visit my son, who was there as a summer intern with the Democratic National Committee. On the Fourth, before heading to the Mall for the spectacular nighttime fireworks display, we crossed the Potomac River into Virginia to spend the afternoon at Arlington National Cemetery. It was the first visit for both of us, and we stopped at the Visitor Center near the entrance to get a map and information on where a family member was buried.

We began our tour by following the crowds flocking to John F. Kennedy’s grave. Then, amidst a smaller group of fellow tourists, we headed up the hill to Arlington House, the beautiful residence with a sweeping panorama of the city that Robert E. Lee abandoned on the eve of the Civil War, never to return to again.

From there, we were on our own. We stopped in the rose garden outside Arlington House to map out the way to our relative’s grave. The path that on paper looked to be the shortest route immediately plunged steeply downhill. Given the amount of terrain we had to cover, it didn’t take long to realize we would be better off conserving our energy and keeping to the heights toward the back of the cemetery. So, we retraced our steps and headed out another way.

No-one was up there save for a few birds hopping from grave stone to grave stone. The road led through an old burial ground from the Civil War. Read more…