Arlington Cemetery to recreate solemn 1921 procession to Tomb of the Unknowns

Arlington National Cemetery said Wednesday that it will host a public memorial procession and military flyover on Nov. 11 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of Unknowns.

The procession, which visitors can observe, will begin at the main entrance to the cemetery on Memorial Avenue near the welcome center.

It will include troops from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), the Marine Corps Ceremonial and Guard Company, honor guards from the Air Force, the Navy, and the Coast Guard, and the U.S. Army Band, known as “Pershing’s Own.”

The procession will enter the cemetery along Eisenhower Drive, then proceed along McClellan Drive and Roosevelt Drive, and conclude at the base of the plaza on the east side of the Tomb near the Roosevelt Fountain, the cemetery said in a statement.

Areas along Memorial Avenue, Eisenhower Drive and near McClellan Drive will be designated as public viewing locations. All visitors must have a government-issued identification.

A flyover will take place over the cemetery during the procession.

On Nov. 11, 1921, a huge cortege accompanied the body of the World War I unknown soldier to the newly-established Tomb in the cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington.

The war, which had claimed the lives of more than 100,000 Americans through combat and disease, and hundreds of thousands of French, British, Germans and others, had ended on Nov. 11, 1918.

Three years later, tens of thousands of people watched as the horse-drawn casket of the unknown was borne through the streets of the Washington, over the river, and into the cemetery.

Next month’s procession is free. No tickets are required. Those interested must be along the parade route no later than 8:45 a.m., the cemetery said. The procession will take place rain or shine.