To start my cemeteries series, we will begin at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Before it was a cemetery it was Arlington Estate, established by George Washington's grandson, George Washington Parke Custis to be a living memorial to the first president. Mary Custis, his daughter, married Robert E. Lee. However, they abandoned the property at the start of the Civil War. The U.S Army then seized control of the property for its strategic value to defend Washington D.C. during the war. Burials on the property predated when it was considered a military cemetery. Finally, on May 13, 1864, the first military burial occurred. Since then, the historic cemetery receives 3 to 4 million visitors per year. It has become the final resting place for many notable people including John F. Kennedy and his eternal flame, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Thurgood Marshall, and Medgar Evers among many others. It is primarily a military cemetery containing the tomb of the unknown soldier and even featuring the changing of the guards. Have you ever been to Arlington National Cemetery?