Remembering the Fallen

               Sorry for the time of absence, everyone! I intentionally did two posts before I left for Gettysburg in order to keep my blog count up. Hope you find this week's article interesting!

              I found this article particularly interesting. Apparently, two sailors from the Civil War were buried today at Arlington National Cemetery. The soldiers were from the USS Monitor, which were recently discovered. (If you go through a few of my old posts, I have an earlier discussion on the new developments made with the USS Monitor due to new technology that allowed greater access to the ship.) Unfortunately, the soldiers so far remain unidentified. Yet, a researcher, named Megan Smolenyak, has been working for a period of time now to discover who they are. She has identified that one of the sailors are either Robert Williams or William Bryan. This has been achieved by looking through documents and pictures of the ship, its crew, and other pertinent details in the National Archives. It has been difficult to ascertain much more beyond this finding, however. This research will continue to be an ongoing local project.

                For now, though, the sailors will be in a respected spot in Arlington National Cemetery. Eventually, the Cemetery has officially confirmed, they will implement a monument in dedication to all of the sailors that served on the USS Monitor during the Civil War. I had visited to Arlington prior, so I know the area, but I am not certain exactly where they would place this marker. However, the public anticipates that it will obviously be professional and well-executed.

                After our trip to both the Gettysburg and Antietam cemeteries, I thought that this would be especially pertinent. With such extensive care, use of resources, and effort that people put into cemeteries, they have become symbols that reflect how we revere and view our past. They serve as excellent parallels into our dedication, cultural influences, and existential perspective. That is why I find them and their perpetuation very important.

Link Can Be Found Here: http://commercial-news.com/local/x620882144/Civil-War-sailors-buried-at-Arlington