Arlington National Cemetery was established in 1864, on land seized by the Union government from Mary Custis Lee, great-granddaughter of Martha Washington and wife of Robert E. Lee.
A white marble sarcophagus sits atop the vaults facing Washington, D.C. It features three Greek allegorical figures representing Peace, Victory, and Valor.
On Veterans Day, November 11, 1963, President John F. Kennedy placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.