Tag Archives: Memorial Day

May26

Raise a glass to the dead

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Congressional CemeteryWe raise a glass to the dead on various occasions to commemorate their lives – wakes, anniversaries, days of remembrance. But have you ever had a chance to toast somebody at a cemetery in a tasteful, respectful, and memorable way? I never thought I would until a few weeks ago when I did just that at Washington, DC’s Congressional Cemetery. I’ll tell you how in a moment…

Not many visitors coming to the nation’s capital even realize that this place exists since it’s been overshadowed by its larger, newer, and more famous relative, Arlington Cemetery. Yet Congressional Cemetery, stretched on the green banks of the Anacostia River in Southeast Washington (1801 E Street SE), is equally special. Founded in 1807, the cemetery is the final resting place for 65,000 individuals including prominent politicians, local businessmen, veterans of every American war, and other notable and ordinary Washingtonians. Probably the two most famous residents are John Philip Sousa, a composer and conductor known for patriotic military marches, and the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation J. Edgar Hoover. Many early members of the U.S. Congress who died in office are buried here for a very practical reason – it was not possible to transport bodies over long distances before the era of refrigeration. To honor those whose remains were moved, the Congress commissioned cenotaphs, or “empty tomb” monuments, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the architect of the Capitol building. Read the rest of this entry →

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May27

Memorial Day in Manila

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Manila American Cemetery

Memorial Day is almost here. I initially wanted to write something about the Arlington National Cemetery given that this is probably number one association most people make with commemorating this day. But there is another special place I want to talk about – a place I didn’t know existed until recently – the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. The Cemetery is located in Taguig, Metro Manila, and occupies 152 meticulously landscaped acres on a high plateau overlooking the city. It contains the graves of over 17,200 soldiers who died in WWII fighting in the Philippines and New Guinea, which makes it the largest U.S. military burial site of that war. The horrors of the bloody 1941-42 Battle of the Philippines and the triumph of the eventual Allied recapture of the islands from the Japanese come together in this place like nowhere else. General MacArthur said “I shall return” when, defeated, he was fleeing Bataan. He kept his word but it took enormous sacrifice of American and Filipino troops to fulfill that promise.

For anyone who has been to the Arlington Cemetery this place looks oddly familiar. Same gleaming white headstones stretching in long, even rows. Same manicured, lush lawns. Same serenity and silence. But tropical trees and flowers break the spell, with sweet plumeria scent in the air. Read the rest of this entry →