Tika & The Civil War

Tika listened intently as I read her the story from our paper:  On March 8th, and more than 150 years after the USS Monitor sank off the coast of North Carolina during the Civil War, two unknown crewmen found in the ironclad's turret when it was raised a decade ago were buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

The newspaper story continued:  Researchers were unable to positively identify the remains, though they tried to reconstructing the sailors' faces from their skulls and comparing DNA from the skeletons with living relatives of the ship's crew and their families. Medical and Navy records narrowed the possibilities to six people. Relatives of some of the men who died attended the ceremony.

A marker with the names of all 16 men who died on board the Monitor will be placed at the gravesite. 

Tika and I agreed that this was a totally warm-fuzzy, heart-warming story. Stories like this are the only reason she and I read the paper every morning. 

Tika & "Scatter" Cemeteries

Tika went with Handy Man and me for a visit to the new Veterans' Cemetery in Spokane County, southwest of the city. Besides all the usual things that could be said and explained about this particular cemetery (which already has expansion plans), we spotted something new: a scatter garden. This was a nicely landscaped area off to the side of the cemetery proper where you can scatter the cremains of your loved ones..... and then a small 8x10 plaque will be placed along the walkway as a permanent memorial to the person.

Speaking with Rob Goff of Greenwood-Riverside cemeteries (Spokane) one day, he explained to me that here in the west cremation is more often the choice than it is back east. Our cemeteries here are not so likely to be considered parks-to-visit-or-jog in as are the ones in the East. That explains, too,  why there is not the interest to have cemetery events and tours as do the old, historic, cemeteries of the east..... Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia; Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio;  Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia; Mt.Auburn Cemetery in Massachusetts, etc. And think of the visiting throngs to Arlington National Cemetery.

Tika had no opinion one way or another; she thought the area was a lovely place to be and stopped there.

Tika & Memorial Day

Tika was not with me when I visited Arlington National Cemetery last month with my son and two grandsons but just as well; dogs are not allowed on the grounds. On this Memorial Day I thought to share this photo with you. The admonition seemed to work; the folks (and the teens!) were mostly quiet and respectful. It is our nation's military shrine after all.

Did you know that Arlington National Cemetery comprises 624 acres right across the Potomac River from downtown Washington DC? And that over 320,000 servicemen and women are sheltered there? Veterans from every war and conflict in our nation's history rest there.

Early burials at Arlington were of necessity. Most of the dead were either unknowns, or loved ones that families simply couldn't afford to send home for interment. Near the Arlington House is the Tomb of the Civil War Unknowns, a mass grave housing the reinterred remains of 2,111 unknown Civil War dead.

The Tomb of the Unknowns (where on TV today I watched President Obama lay a wreath) was established in 1921 when a World War I soldier was laid to rest there. He was joined by comrades from World War II and Korea in 1958.

The gift shop offered over a dozen books on Arlington National Cemetery. I wish I could have hauled home and had time to read every single one. Tika would happily sit beside me in my chair as I read.