United States National Cemetery System
The United States National Cemetery System is a system of 164 cemeteries in the United States and its territories. The authority to create military burial places came during the American Civil War, in an act passed by the U.S. Congress on July 17, 1862. By the end of 1862, 12 national cemeteries had been established. Two of the nation's most iconic military cemeteries, Arlington National Cemetery and Gettysburg National Cemetery were established in 1864 and 1863, respectively.
A plaque at Chattanooga National Cemetery that explains the history of the National Cemetery System
Gettysburg National Cemetery, Pennsylvania
Golden Gate National Cemetery, California
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two cemeteries in the United States National Cemetery System that are maintained by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres in Arlington County, Virginia.
An aerial view of Arlington National Cemetery's east entrance and the cemetery's Women's Military Memorial in August 2013
Officers of the 8th New York Infantry Regiment at Arlington House in June 1861, two months after the launch of the American Civil War
The Custis-Lee Mansion, originally known as Arlington House, with Union Army soldiers on its lawn during the American Civil War on June 28, 1864
Arlington National Cemetery and the Netherlands Carillon in December 2012
