The Virginia Trekkers at the Arlington House overlooking Arlington National Cemetary. (L to R: Frank Fitzpatrick, Alfonso Favale, and David Clough, not pictured is Brad Fernald)
The Virginia Trekkers (David Clough, Alfonso Favale, Brad Fernald, and myself) visited Washington DC on November 8th and 9th to film podcasts to cover famous Americans, Veteran’s Day, and the fall line of the Potomac. We left Richmond, VA at 6am so we could reach DC with enough time to get the footage that we needed. Our first stop was Arlington National Cemetery. I remember visiting Arlington as a kid and being amazed by the number of tombstones that cover the grounds. Now that I am older, and having lived during 2 large conflicts as an adult, I have a greater appreciation for the names on those stones. We traveled through the immense grounds of Arlington. We visited the Arlington House (formerly owned by Robert E. Lee), the John F. Kennedy’s tomb, and the Tomb of the Unknowns. We watched the precision and determination of the soldiers given the duty of guarding this special place. It is obvious that the display is not just for show, but a true sign of respect for those members that have not yet been identified.
Our Veteran’s day podcast was coming together nicely. The weather was perfect and the crowds were small. Deciding to head into DC, we started our walk to the exit when we heard a marching band start playing. We had read about the ceremony for the burial of a soldier that has earned full military honors. We had observed the flag at half-staff at the 
Arlington House. [1. The flag flies at half-staff on the day of a funeral.] It was then that the group of massive black horses, topped by an Honor Guard in full Military Parade Dress, appeared over the hill behind the Tomb of the Unknowns. The horses were pulling a flag draped coffin, followed by the family of the soldier on foot. This was an honor to see, but truly put the purpose of this podcast into perspective. The family, obviously still dealing with their loss, walked slowly behind the parade to the final resting place of this soldier. We witnessed the service from a distance. From where we were standing we could see that there was a short service under a tent near a new section of the cemetery that had less than 30 tombstones, the band played “America”, the bugler played “Taps”, and there was a 21 gun salute.
The Trekkers are all about having a good time and trying to instill a joy in learning with the viewers of our videos. However, this was not going to be a “fun” podcast, it was filmed with the intent of conveying respect to the men and women of the Armed Forces that serve for our military. We have filmed many podcasts that deal with veterans from many wars.[2. Appomattox Courthouse, USS Wisconsin, and many about the American Revolution and Civil War.] We all know that wars are not pretty and that every soldier has people waiting for them at home, but for most of us, war is something that we see on TV. Seeing this service with my own eyes took the flag draped coffin from the TV to reality. I know there are many teachers and staff members here in Henrico County that have sons, daughter, husbands, and wives that serve in our military. It is with this post that I would like to say thanks and wish your soldiers a safe return home.
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