Audie in Arlington

The youngest man ever to be elected to our nation's highest office, he was elected to the Presidency in November 1960, defeating then-Vice President Richard M. Nixon by one of the smallest margins in history. He was buried on November 25, 1963 and his gravesite is one of the most visited spots in the cemetery. He was moved from the original gravesite to one just a few feet away on March 14, 1967. His wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was laid to rest next to him when she died of cancer in 1994. His infant daughter (who was not named) and who was born and died on August 23, 1956 is also buried in his gravesite as of December 4, 1963. She was originally buried in Newport, Rhode Island. An infant son, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy (August 7, 1963-August 9, 1963) who was born prematurely and who was originally buried at Brookline, Massachusetts, is also buried in this site as of December 4, 1963.

Brother of President John F. Kennedy, former Attorney General, Senator and Presidential candidate, he was shot on June 5, 1968, and died the next morning. He was buried in Section 45 of Arlington National Cemetery, just steps from his brother's gravesite. In 1971, a more-elaborate gravesite was completed, at the request of the Kennedy family, by architect I.M. Pei (who also designed the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art). The new gravesite retains the simple, white Christian cross of the earlier site, and adds a granite plaza (like JFK's gravesite which adjoins it) and two inscriptions from Senator Kennedy's most notable addresses. Senator Robert Kennedy's funeral was very rare. It is the only one ever to take place at night, at Arlington National Cemetery.

From the outside...with tourists posing all over the place.

This full scale replica of an Infantry platoon on patrol lends realism and drama to the Korean War Memorial. It's a magnificent work of art.

From the back steps of the Amphitheater of the Tomb of the Unknowns, you can see a large Black Oak tree.

It was late May, the grass was thick and waiting to be mowed. There were several tourist groups milling around the area. Walking down the steps of the back of the Amphitheater, it was barely 100 feet to this spot.

Just as he would have wanted, the marker is no different than any other soldier's. (The small yellow flag was there to mark areas for maintenance.) (The flower was left by someone paying their respects.)

Sorry about the fuzzy picture...it just wouldn't clean up very well after I blew it up.

I wasn't sure how well this will be received. It was May 1971. Audie's widow, Pamela, clutches the U.S. Colors presented to her. She was leaving the services at Arlington.