Changing Times at Arlington National Cemetery

On Thursday I wrote about the history of Arlington National Cemetery (“Arlington”), the flagship of our national system of cemeteries for veterans.

Arlington’s a place to honor the dead, but in that context and as a projection of history, it’s first a work of landscape architecture, which is art. About 400,000 veterans are buried there. Service, not necessarily heroism, is the key to admission, though heroes of all stripes are there. Arlington is one vast history book, too, and I see American history as a blessing, not a curse or an embarrassment. Anyone having common sense, empathy, and gratitude would feel the same way.

About the Author

Brian T. Allen

Brian T. Allen is National Review’s art critic.

On Thursday I wrote about the history of Arlington National Cemetery (“Arlington”), the flagship of our national system of cemeteries for veterans.

Arlington’s a place to honor the dead, but in that context and as a projection of history, it’s first a work of landscape architecture, which is art. About 400,000 veterans are buried there. Service, not necessarily heroism, is the key to admission, though heroes of all stripes are there. Arlington is one vast history book, too, and I see American history as a blessing, not a curse or an embarrassment. Anyone having common sense, empathy, and gratitude would feel the same way.