Latest news with #ArlingtonNationalCemetery
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
Second North Country Honor Flight takes off Saturday
PLATTSBURGH — Ahead of the North Country Honor Flight's second flight of the season Saturday morning, Assemblyman Billy Jones presented a $50,000 check to organizers. The funds will help cover flight and travel expenses for local veterans to visit the Arlington National Cemetery and other veterans memorials in Washington, D.C. 'The North Country Honor Flight is an incredible organization that I am extremely proud to be able to support each and every year,' Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, said. 'Showing support to our local heroes in such an incredible way, by sending them to our nation's capital to be recognized for their service and dedication to our country, is an amazing opportunity and a great showing of our community's appreciation of our local veterans.' Jones presented the check to Barrie Finnegan, executive director of the North Country Honor Flight on Thursday. 'I am incredibly grateful for the Assemblyman's continued support for the Honor Flight and our veterans,' Finnegan said. 'We take great pride in our program's offerings and are looking forward to the three remaining flights of 2025.' North Country Honor Flight is a 100% volunteer-led nonprofit organization committed to honoring America's veterans by providing them with free, first-class trips to Washington, D.C. These trips allow the veterans to reflect, remember, and receive the recognition for their service. The next North Country Honor Flight is scheduled for Saturday. The flight will honor and transport 30 veterans from New York and Vermont — primarily Vietnam War veterans — on a journey to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials built in their honor. The day will begin with a send-off ceremony at 7 a.m. at the US Oval, featuring the public, local veterans, families and supporters. The community is encouraged to attend and show appreciation for these American heroes as they embark on this unforgettable experience. This flight is sponsored by Harmony Golf Club, whose annual 2024 golf tournament fundraiser made this mission possible. The Honor Flight organization shared that the Harmony Golf Club tournament has become a successful and beloved tradition — the 2025 tournament is already underway, continuing its legacy of honoring veterans through community generosity and involvement. For more information about future flights or how to support the mission, visit For more information visit or contact Jerika Manning at 518-364-6503 or northcountryhonorflight@
Wall Street Journal
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Pride When the U.S. Army Goes Rolling Along
Regarding 'Patriotism and Protests Stir the Nation' (U.S. News, June 16): I want to land firmly on the 'pro' side and thank President Trump and the organizers. Every aspect of the parade touched me personally. My father enlisted in January 1944 and served in the Army until his death in 1973. While in the Counterintelligence Corps, he was awarded multiple medals including a Bronze Star, and he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. I spent most of my childhood overseas, where an Army parade was a very anticipated and celebrated event, in part because there were none of the usual community activities enjoyed in civilian America. The parades always included marching soldiers in perfect cadence, a color guard carrying the U.S. and regimental flags, and a military band playing patriotic songs. At Christmas since there were no department stores featuring Santa Claus, he would arrive in a helicopter on the parade grounds.
Washington Post
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
What to know about the Army parade in D.C. on Saturday, Trump's birthday
The event will bring street closures, security checkpoints, hundreds of military vehicles and thousands of marching troops. Thousands of marching soldiers. Dozens of helicopters flying overhead. Hundreds of military vehicles, including 28 tanks. These will all parade through the heart of D.C. for a celebration honoring the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army on Saturday — also, President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement It is expected to be the largest parade in the nation's capital since the end of the first Gulf War in 1991 and will be part of a day-long extravaganza on the National Mall that will include musical performances, parachutists and fireworks. There will be street closures, heightened security and protests, too. Here's what you need to know. WHAT TO KNOW What is the schedule of events? Activities are planned throughout Saturday. Here's a breakdown. 8:15 a.m. Wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia; open to the public and live-streamed. 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Fitness competition on the National Mall. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Army Birthday Festival on the National Mall, including military demonstrations, equipment displays, live music and food trucks. 6:30 p.m. The parade route runs along Constitution Avenue NW, beginning at 23rd Street near the Lincoln Memorial and finishing about a mile down the road, at 15th Street near the Washington Monument. The parade involves thousands of soldiers in historic and modern uniforms, dozens of Army vehicles including Abrams tanks, a flyover and a parachute jump. 9:45 p.m. Fireworks on the National Mall. What military equipment will be in the parade? According to the Pentagon, about 150 ground vehicles, 6,600 soldiers and 50 aircraft will appear in the parade, grouped to represent each major era of the Army's history. What streets are blocked off to traffic? Roads will be closed to vehicles roughly between 7th Street NW and the Potomac and from E Street down to Independence Avenue. That includes the entire area encompassing Lafayette Square, the White House, the Ellipse, the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and West Potomac Park. The 12th Street Expressway and the Constitution Avenue entrance to the 9th Street Expressway are covered by the closures. A broader swath of downtown will be limited by police to drivers who need to get to a location in the area: south of E Street to 4th Street NW on the east side of the White House, and south of H Street until 23rd Street on the west side. While the Jefferson Memorial and Hains Point are open to pedestrians from the D.C. side, the roads there are blocked off. Access to Virginia around and over the Arlington Memorial Bridge will be blocked. Rock Creek Parkway south of Virginia Avenue is closed, and on the other side of the bridge the George Washington Memorial Parkway is closed in both directions between I-395 and Arlington Boulevard. (Unrelated construction will also require detours on the parkway farther north at Route 123.) Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Other roads between D.C. and Virginia are open, but exits around the Mall are closed. See the full list of street closures and parking restrictions affecting D.C. and Northern Virginia here. Closures apply to parking, too. Boats and paddleboards will not be allowed between the 14th Street Bridge and the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, including in the Tidal Basin. How will Metro and buses be affected? The Smithsonian station entrance on the Mall will be closed, but otherwise Metro is running as normal. Buses that travel through the blocked-off areas of downtown D.C. and Northern Virginia — 3F, 3Y, 11Y, 16E, 31, 32, 36, 42, 43, 52, 59, 63, 64, 70, 74, 79, N2, N4, P6, S2 — will face detours and delays from 11 p.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Monday. Will local airports be impacted? Flights in and out of Reagan National Airport will be halted for the military flyovers between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The airport will be open, but flights in and out — about 65 arrivals and 35 departures — will be delayed for an average of about three hours, until after the event. Will there be security checkpoints for pedestrians? Yes. To attend the morning festival, evening parade or both, you must enter through designated screening checkpoints. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement The checkpoint to enter the festival opens to the public at 8 a.m. It is on the east side of the National Mall at 7th Street NW, between Madison Avenue NW and Jefferson Drive SW. There are two checkpoints to enter the viewing area for the parade that open to the public at 2 p.m. These checkpoints are at 14th Street NW between Constitution Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW, and at C Street NW between 18th Street and 19th Street NW. Expect to encounter a robust security perimeter that includes 18.5 miles of steel fencing and 175 metal detectors. Pedestrians not planning to attend will be able to access the Mall, but the White House and parkland to its west will require going through security. The Mount Vernon Trail will be closed to pedestrians and cyclists between the 14th Street Bridge and the Memorial Bridge, and the path along Rock Creek Parkway will be also be closed to pedestrians and cyclists below C Street NW. Where can I watch the parade? After entering through the parade checkpoint, spectators will be able to stand along the parade route on Constitution Avenue NW. The event is standing room only: no bleachers or seating available, according to the Secret Service. Most people viewing the parade will be directed to the south side of Constitution Avenue NW, though some space will be available on the north side of the street. Officials say the space can accommodate 'hundreds of thousands' of people. Those who exit the parade viewing area will need to go through a checkpoint again before reentering. Are any items prohibited from the area? Yes, many items are banned from both the festival and the parade grounds. Among the prohibited items: umbrellas with metal tips (those without metal tips will be permitted); balloons; folding chairs; bags larger than 18 x 13 x 7 inches; signs larger than 20 inches x 3 feet x 1/4 inch; and glass, thermal or metal containers. View the full list of prohibited items here. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement How crowded will the city be? Officials have said they are preparing for 'hundreds of thousands' of people to attend Saturday's events, but they have not responded to requests about what that number is based on. What's the weather forecast? According to The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang, a slow-moving front approaching D.C. from the north could trigger heavy showers and storms, including lightning. The potential showers are most probable in the late afternoon and evening, though it is likely the morning and early afternoon will be mostly dry. As for the temperature, forecast models project highs in the low 80s and near 90, depending on cloud cover. Confidence is high that it will be humid, which will make it feel several degrees hotter; hydration will be key for those planning to spend long hours outdoors. Are animals allowed? Because of the large crowds, noise and the weather forecast, Secret Service officials are asking people to leave pets and emotional support animals at home for their safety. Service animals are welcome. Could the tanks damage D.C.'s roads? Possibly. District leaders have expressed concern about potential damage to city roads, though the Army has said it would pay for any repairs. Security officials said at a recent briefing that they expect to execute the parade with 'little to no damage' to the city's streets because of safety precautions that include metal plating on areas where tanks have to steer sharply and matting where vehicles are staged. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Tanks that will be used during the parade have been fitted with rubber trackpads that will lessen impact to the roads, said Col. Jesse Curry, a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Curry said Army engineers worked with National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration officials to assess the impact of tanks and other vehicles on the roads and come up with a plan to protect them. 'Throughout the straightaways, we really have very little or no concerns that there would be any other damage,' he said. 'The plates, where we're putting them, are designed to minimize or eliminate all possible damage.' Are there protests planned? More than 1,600 rallies are planned across all 50 states as part of the No Kings movement organized by a coalition of organizations calling for a 'nationwide day of defiance.' A full list of locations can be found on their website. There are No Kings events in Virginia and Maryland, but not in D.C. The flagship march and rally will be in Philadelphia, with organizers aiming to 'draw a clear contrast between our people-powered movement and the costly, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade in Washington.' Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Within the city, local group Free DC is hosting a 'DC Joy Day' at Anacostia Park, Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m. celebrating the city's 'people, culture, and our connections to one another,' according to their website. Organizers say there will be face painting, line dancing, lawn games and free food on the grill for the first 500 people. There will be a free shuttle from Anacostia Metro to Anacostia Park Field 7, every 30 minutes between 3 and 8 p.m., and DC Queer Bikes and Hill Family Biking will meet at Nationals Park at 2 p.m. for a group bike ride to the event. Trump said Tuesday that protesters who assembled during a military parade would be met with 'very big force.'
Fox News
06-06-2025
- General
- Fox News
Army's historic horse-drawn funeral tradition returns from two-year hiatus after $28M overhaul
The U.S. Army's Caisson Detachment returned to Arlington National Cemetery this week for the first time in two years. In Section 62, the ceremonial horse unit that transports veterans and service members to their final resting place, escorted the remains of Private Bernard Curran, who was killed in World War II. Curran died in 1942 after being captured by the Japanese. He was buried alongside other prisoners of war in Common Grave 723 in the Philippines. He was brought back home to the United States after his remains were identified by the U.S. military last year. The hallowed grounds of Arlington were decided to be his final resting place. The ceremony marked the return of the Caisson Detachment after a two-year suspension. The program faced a massive overhaul after two horses died within 96-hours of each other due to poor living conditions. The US Army's Caisson platoon is part of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as the Old Guard, famously responsible for guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Caisson horses have pulled the flag-draped coffins of America's war heroes to their final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery for more than 70 years. This is a military tradition that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who served in an Armored Infantry unit in Iraq, explained dates back hundreds of years. "The Caisson units in the military go back hundreds and hundreds of years, when militaries and armies want to show respect and love for their soldiers, soldiers who have served honorably and the soldiers who died in war," Driscoll said in an exclusive interview with Fox News. The Caisson program was halted in May 2023 while the Army investigated concerns that the horses used to pull the caisson were suffering from dangerous living conditions and neglect. "We had two horses die within four days of each other," Driscoll said. "And so we did a pause to all the operations and the Army took a hard look at what was causing that. What they found is these horses and their care had kind of fallen through the cracks." In February 2022, two Caisson horses, Mickey and Tony, died within 96 hours of each other. Both were euthanized due to poor conditions and feeding. Tony was found to have ingested 44 pounds of gravel and sand while Mickey had a gastrointestinal illness that went untreated. Another two horses died within the year, raising concerns within the Army and denying families this ceremonial tradition. "We hadn't done a particularly good job as an Army in all instances of making sure the training was good and that the horses were taken care of, so we took a pause. It was originally meant to be a 45-day pause that then as the government and sometimes the Army, it stretched on and on," Driscoll said. The Caisson unit was living in stables at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia at the time. A U.S. Army report found that conditions among the aging horses at decrepit stables located at Fort Meyer, that had been built in 1908, were inadequate to house the ceremonial horses. The horses were fed low quality hay, and routinely suffered from parasites from standing in their own excrement. They ate their feed off the ground in mud lots covered in gravel and construction waste, according to the report. Major General Trevor Bredenkamp, who serves as Commanding General of Joint Task Force National Capital Region and U.S. Army Military District of Washington, took command shortly after the Caisson program was suspended. "We had to rehabilitate many of our horses and what we found is years of underinvestment. They were injured beyond the point where they could still continue the mission, and so we had to retire them, and then we had to procure new horses… we found we lacked a degree of expertise to care for these horses," Bredenkamp said. He oversaw the complete overhaul of the unit. "It wasn't a problem that manifested itself overnight. This was decades of under-investment. We understood that gravel impaction was a significant problem because there was feed that was on the ground. We didn't have the appropriate matting in the stalls and so gravel could easily become mixed in with hay or with ground cover, and so we have raised all of the feed off of the ground, we've got feed bags hanging on the inside of the stalls. We have also put rubber matting on there again to prevent the possibility of gravel being ingested by the horses," Bredenkamp explained. The Army set out to find the best horse trainers in the country. "We brought in these outside experts. We created a plan. We invested $28 million in it over the last two years," Driscoll said. Lt. Col. Jason Crawford is a trained Army veterinarian who has been riding horses his whole life. Crawford was promoted to become the new caisson detachment commander earlier this year. "We've now had civilian trainers on our squads, on each individual squad, as well as within our leadership," Crawford explained. It was dental day when Crawford showed the Fox News crew around the newly renovated stable. "We've been doing dental procedures on all these horses, and we got them on a good routine now, and that's one of the other big changes, is really being persistent about their care," Crawford said. The Caisson unit has to choose their horses carefully. The unit will be doing up to two funerals a day, up 10 per week on the hard pavement of Arlington National Cemetery. "Unlike some of the other smaller breed horses, they're going to be on the concrete and the pavement. So really having strong feet for them to actually move through the cemetery is very vital. The biggest thing we look at is just being tall, wide, and have a good strong back and a solid hindquarters and solid legs," Crawford said. It takes a special horse to complete the mission of escorting America's heroes to their final resting place. "The way I look at anything with the horses, especially at military animals, is they're an extension of us. And it's that extension of what our abilities that we can do. Anything, you know, whether it's a working dog in the battlefield or if it's a horse we're using in Arlington Cemetery," Crawford said. The Army has returned the Caisson unit to its storied role after renovating the stables, and overhauling the care of the caisson horses using the best practices learned from the nation's top equine experts and equestrians. "I would say, though this horse cannot speak, I think it would say that it is living one of the best lives of any horse in our country," Driscoll said. Bredenkamp, who led the overhaul of the unit, explained, "As a 33-year veteran of the United States military, it is a visible reminder of the solemnity of service. When we carry our honored dead to our final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery, it is a visible symbol of American resolve and honor."
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Arlington National Cemetery reminded Donald Trump Jr. of his family's 'sacrifices,' he wrote
Claim: Donald Trump Jr. said driving through Arlington National Cemetery reminded him of "all the sacrifices we'd have to make — giving up a huge chunk of our business and all international deals." Rating: According to internet rumors, Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of U.S. President Donald Trump, said a visit to Virginia's Arlington National Cemetery conjured reflection on the hardships and sacrifices his family has faced over the years. Arlington National Cemetery's website describes the site as a place to honor "those who have served our nation. … This impressive landscape serves as a tribute to the service and sacrifice of every individual laid to rest within these hallowed grounds." While this particular rumor about Trump Jr. has percolated online for years, it resurfaced in May 2025 following criticism of a social media post by the president on Memorial Day that offered scathing remarks about his political opponents rather than reflecting the purpose of Memorial Day to honor fallen service members. Many posts sharing the claim, such as those on TikTok (archived) and Facebook (archived), quoted the junior Trump as saying, "As we drove past the rows of white grave markers … I also thought of … all the sacrifices we'd have to make — giving up a huge chunk of our business and all international deals." This quote is correctly attributed to Donald Trump Jr. He wrote those words in his 2019 book, "Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us." The full passage from the book read: Meanwhile, it also took two months for me to realize the enormity of what my father had accomplished, and the weight of the job that he'd won. It was the day before the inauguration, and we were driving into Arlington National Cemetery, where he was to lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I rarely get emotional, if ever. I guess you'd call me hyper-rational, stoic. Yet, as we drove past the rows of white grave markers, in the gravity of the moment, I had a deep sense of the importance of the presidency and a love of our country. I was never prouder of my father than when I watched as he stood before the tomb, his hand over his heart, while the Army bugler played "Taps." In that moment, I also thought of all the attacks we'd already suffered as a family, and about all the sacrifices we'd have to make to help my father succeed — voluntarily giving up a huge chunk of our business and all international deals to avoid the appearance that we were "profiting off the office." We're not talking about business with any foreign government agencies. This was based on the idea that we might be taken advantage of by a private business that would then have leverage on us. First of all, I don't think Trump Org has ever gotten duped by anyone and, second, the chances of something like that even being attempted are pretty remote. Frankly, it was a big sacrifice, costing us millions and millions of dollars annually, a huge book of business that I had personally built. But it was a sacrifice we were more than happy and willing to make. Of course, we didn't get any credit whatsoever from the mainstream media, which now does not surprise me at all. ("Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us") Political commentators and veterans criticized Trump's comments at the time of the book's publication. Vanity Fair ran an opinion piece with the headline "Donald Trump Jr. Thinks Not Doing Foreign Deals is the Same as Dying in Battle." The BBC reported: "Arizona Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego, who fought in Iraq, responded on Twitter: 'Eight men I served with are buried in Section 60 of Arlington' … 'I visit them monthly. Even if Donald Jr lived a 1,000 years, he will never even get close to being as good and honourable as they were.'" Salon's managing editor wrote that the book "finds the son of the most powerful man in the world complaining that his family is the victim of unfair attacks. In one passage, Don Jr. refutes critics who have called his father 'racist' by pointing out that Trump allowed him and Eric to play with Michael Jackson as children and let him go on vacation with former NFL star Herschel Walker." Snopes also has reported on Donald Trump Jr.'s comments questioning why "Dr. Jill Biden" missed former President Joe Biden's cancer. Arlington Cemetery Dead Remind Trump Jr of His Father's "Sacrifices." 8 Nov. 2019. Christensen, Laerke. "Trump Wished Happy Memorial Day to 'scum' That Spent Last 4 Years 'Trying to Destroy Our Country.'" Snopes, 27 May 2025, Derysh, Igor. "Don Jr. Says Fallen Troops at Arlington National Cemetery Remind Him of Trump Family's 'Sacrifices.'" Salon, 8 Nov. 2019, Levin, Bess. "Don Jr. Thinks Not Doing Foreign Deals Is the Same as Dying in Battle." Vanity Fair, 7 Nov. 2019, Member, Politics Newsweek Is A. Trust Project. "Veteran Tells Trump Jr. to Join Military If He Wants to Know 'Sacrifice.'" Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2019, Trump, Donald. Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us. First edition., Center Street, 2019. "Trump Honors Fallen Soldiers on Memorial Day, While Attacking Biden and Judges." AP News, 26 May 2025,
