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General public to lay flowers at Tomb of Unknown Soldier during 2-day event in November

Travel Trip Arlington Cemetery
Posted at 9:25 AM, Oct 01, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-01 12:25:21-04

The general public will now be able to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the first time in a century.

On Thursday, Arlington National Cemetery announced that the public would get to place flowers at the base of the tomb during a 2-day flower ceremony on Nov. 9-10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

They'll also be allowed to walk the Tomb Plaza.

Nov. 11 marks the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier's 100th year serving "as the heart of Arlington National Cemetery."

“As the stewards of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, it’s our honor to lead the centennial commemoration of this site,” said Karen Durham-Aguilera, Executive Director, Army National Military Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery, in a press release. “In collaboration with other governmental and non-governmental organizations, ANC is using this centennial commemoration to explore and share with the public the history, meaning and evolution of the Tomb.”

The tomb marks the final resting place of one unidentified soldier from every war dating back to World War I.

According to Arlington National Cemetery, guards began guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 24/7 in 1937.