short for
Arlington National Cemetery, one of the largest and most famous United
States national burial grounds. Located in
Arlington,
Virginia, across the
Potomac River from
Washington,
DC, the cemetery is reserved primarily for military
personnel, high-
ranking government officials, such as US Presidents
William H. Taft and
John F.
Kennedy and their families. It also has several memorials, such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (which
honors unidentified soldiers who were killed in
action).
Arlington National Cemetery covers 612 acres and
holds more than 200,000 graves. It was created in 1864 and the first men buried there were two soldiers, one from each side of the
American Civil War (1861-1865).