Nellie Bennett Students Receive Rare Glimpse into Arlington National Cemetery Funeral

Ninety-two years ago the Allied forces and Germany signed the armistice that ended World War I. Cessation of fighting took effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918.

One year later, United States President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Armistice Day, November 11th, a national holiday. Following World War II, the holiday's name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all military veterans.

Across the country, the day is celebrated by parades and ceremonies designed to pay tribute to the men and women who have served the United States. The ultimate monument to United States Veterans is undoubtedly Arlington National Cemetery, the location of the annual Veterans Day National Ceremony.

The ceremony begins at exactly 11:00 am every November 11th with a wreath laying on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A procession of veterans then make their way to the Memorial Amphitheater where the ceremony concludes with tributes to those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

Over 300,000 veterans and their spouses as well as former Presidents of the United States of America are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Ceremonies vary based on a veteran’s rank and decoration.

Attendance at the nearly 7,000 funerals held at Arlington National Cemetery each year is restricted by the family of the deceased; however, students in Mrs. Jillian Morris fifth grade class at Nellie Bennett elementary school got a rare glimpse into the solemn ceremony when student teacher Ms. Kim McDonald shared with them a PowerPoint presentation depicting her grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence Connors’ funeral.

LtCol Connors was interred at Arlington National Ceremony with full military honors for his service in World War II.

“Because of his rank, my grandfather’s funeral procession was led by a riderless horse,” said Ms. McDonald explaining that the horse is used to signify a soldier that would ride no more. “The boots face backward in the stirrups in order to give the deceased a final look at the family.”

“Following a gun salute, the flag that drapes the casket is presented to the family,” she said. “My grandfather honored the flag in life and now it honors him in death.”

At the end of the presentation, the students were given an asignment to write an acrostic poem about veterans.

“Acrostic poems are simple poems in which the first letter of each line forms a word,” said Ms. McDonald.

The students then shouted out character traits describing veterans.

“Victorious!” shouted one student.

“Valiant,” said another.

After the brainstorming session, the students used the compiled words to write their own original poems.

“This was a great exercise that helped to express the importance of Veterans Day to our students,” said Principal Jim Karaba. “Ms. McDonald did a great job with the presentation and I’m grateful to her for sharing her experience with the class.”