Arlington ladies
The Arlington Ladies are a group of women who attend the funeral service of members of the American Armed Forces who are buried in Arlington National Cemetery . This group also includes a man called the Arlington gentleman .
This group was founded in 1948 after the commander of the United States Air Force Hoyt Vandenberg and his wife Gladys witnessed how young members of the armed forces were buried without family members at the funeral were present. Usually only a clergyman and the honorary formation were present. Gladys Vandenberg took this as an opportunity to found a group that consisted of members of the Officer's Wives Club and that would henceforth take part in all funerals of members of the Air Force. In 1972 Creighton Abrams ' wife Julia founded a version of this group for the US Army, and in 1985 the Navy followed suit with the formation of its own group. The Marines do not officially have such a group, but they send a Marine Commandant representative to each funeral.
Originally, the women appeared alone at the funerals. It was finally decided to have an additional companion when the Arlington Ladies became a kind of official part of the ceremony. The escorts are members of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment . The soldiers of the Army usually serve as companions for four months, while the soldiers of the Navy are constantly entrusted with this task.
The ladies usually don't know much about the buried soldier, with the exception of the clergyman's information. Army Arlington Ladies must be wives or widows of Army personnel and have a recommendation from a current lady. The Navy and Air Force followed with similar requirements for their ladies.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Helen O'Neill: Special lady for each Arlington soldier-Volunteers honor troops and make sure none is buried alone . MSNBC . Retrieved May 30, 2010.
- ^ The Arlington National Cemetery website
- ↑ a b Arlington National Cemetery website . Arlington National Cemetery . Retrieved May 30, 2010.