Today — November 11, 2021 — marks some very special moments in military history at one very special place: the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, just across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. in Arlington, Virginia.
After being closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will reopen to commemorate Veterans Day on this, the Tomb’s 100th anniversary.
Of course, Veterans Day is also the anniversary of the November 11, 1918 armistice that ended the fighting of World War 1. The exact moment of the armistice — the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — is celebrated by the Allies as Remembrance Day in Britain, Armistice Day in France and Veterans Day here in the United States.
Can’t be there in person today to celebrate the service of our country’s veterans? To participate remotely in Arlington National Cemetery’s solemn Veterans Day commemoration ceremonies, you can livestream the reopening of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and explore many other aspects of Arlington’s sacred ground.
And to find out more about the Old Guard soldiers whose sacred mission is to guard the Tomb, be sure to check out my earlier blog post about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for all the fascinating details of this inspiring monument to military courage.