Arlington

Arlington House was built by George Washington Parke Custis as a memorial to his step-grandfather, George Washington. The Greek Revival-style mansion was completed in 1818, on a high hill overlooking the Potomac River and Washington, D.C. Later confiscated during the Civil War, Arlington House is now a key part of Arlington National Cemetery. The structure served as a residence, plantation, and a gathering place for prominent Virginians of the era, hosting figures such as the Marquis de Lafayette. Today, it is maintained by the National Park Service as a museum and educational site.

Arlington National Cemetery was established on June 15, 1864, during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, which had been the estate of the family of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Custis Lee, a great-granddaughter of Martha Washington. The cemetery was created on the property to ensure that Lee would never be able to return to his home, and it has since become a burial site for U.S. veterans and military casualties from each of the nation's wars. The decision to establish the cemetery was made by Brigadier General Montgomery C. Meigs, who commandeered the estate for military purposes.

Arlington County, Virginia, was officially renamed from Alexandria County on January 17, 1925. This change was enacted by an act of the Virginia General Assembly as of March 1 in order to avoid confusion with the nearby City of Alexandria. Arlington was unique in that it became a county in its own right without a corresponding city, establishing its boundaries apart from the urban growth of nearby Washington, D.C. Today, Arlington is a vibrant urban community and a major hub for government offices and businesses.

The Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, was completed on January 29, 1943, and is located in Arlington County, Virginia. Designed by George Bergstrom and built by contractor John McShain, the Pentagon is a massive five-sided building with five floors above ground and two basement levels, covering 28.7 acres. With a construction cost of $83 million, it was one of the largest office buildings in the world when built, symbolizing the military power of the United States during World War II and serving as a central point for coordination of defense activities.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was formally established by President Harry S. Truman on September 6, 1949. Its headquarters is located in nearby Langley, Virginia, seamlessly blending the operations of intelligence gathering with its strategic location close to Arlington and Washington, D.C., enhancing the vital coordination among Defense, State, and Security agencies. The establishment and growth of the CIA marked a significant evolution of U.S. intelligence operations during the Cold War, protecting national security while fostering international policy.

President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on November 25, 1963, three days after his assassination in Dallas, Texas. His gravesite, marked by an eternal flame, immediately became a historic and symbolic location within Arlington. Selected for its vista overlooking the capital and because of Kennedy's service in World War II, the site concludes a grand procession from the White House. The public and official funeral ceremonies were televised live and followed by millions around the world, marking it an iconic moment in American history.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was assassinated on April 4, 1968, but his legacy in Arlington began soon after with the start of dignified military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. While he is not buried in Arlington, significant events have been held there in his honor, and the cemetery serves as a site where reflections on his impact frequently occur. His advocacy for nonviolence and justice influenced numerous leaders interred at the cemetery, contributing to Arlington's history as a landscape of national memory.

Though located in nearby Washington, D.C., the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 13, 1982, and its proximity to Arlington ties it closely with events in Arlington National Cemetery, where many Vietnam veterans are buried or commemorated. The memorial, designed by Maya Lin, consists of two black granite walls engraved with the names of over 58,000 servicemen and women who died in or were missing in action during the Vietnam War. The memorial’s stark design and reflective surface have made it a place of pilgrimage for veterans and families, commemorating their sacrifices and service.

On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, as part of the coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States. The impact caused a portion of the building to collapse, resulting in the deaths of 125 military and civilian personnel inside the building as well as the 59 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft. The attack on the Pentagon was one of four major incidents that day, but it marked a significant point in U.S. history, leading to enhanced security measures and the commencement of the War on Terror.

The Air Force Memorial, located in Arlington County, Virginia and overlooking the Pentagon, was officially dedicated on October 14, 2006. Designed by James Ingo Freed, the memorial features three stainless steel spires that soar into the sky, meant to evoke the image of contrails curving gracefully as they disappear. Dedicated to the men and women of the United States Air Force, and all those who served or died in the service of the Air Force and its predecessor organizations, it stands as a testament to the pride, honor, and sacrifice of the Air Force community.