Arlington Ladies
Tomorrow, November 11th is Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day. The purpose of Armistice Day was to honor the fallen soldiers of the Great War for their sacrifice and bravery. In 1926, Congress adopted a resolution making November 11, Armistice Day a legal holiday. In honor of this holiday, do you know about the Arlington Ladies? I recently learned about the Arlington Ladies from my friend, Joanne, who volunteers for this wonderful organization. The Arlington Ladies are a group of volunteers who attend funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery to ensure that no Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Coast Guardsman is buried alone.
History
The history of this group dates back to 1948 when Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg, and his wife, Gladys, routinely attended funerals and noticed that some services had only a military chaplain present. Vandenberg asked her friends to start attending services. And their efforts grew into a group that would come to be known as the Arlington Ladies.
The role of the Arlington Lady is to represent the service branch to offer condolences, support the family, and honor the veteran or service member.
How Do You Become an Arlington Lady?
The group initially included military wives, but it now includes military daughters and even a gentleman. The Army Arlington Lady must be wives or widows of Army men and be referred by a current wife. The Navy and Air Force follow similar requirements for their ladies. Instead of Arlington Ladies, the Marines send their own representative to the funeral.
Every Arlington Lady completes a training period. During the training period, the prospective member will shadow an Arlington Lady at a minimum of six funerals. This includes two dependent, two standard honors, two full honors services. At least one of these should be a chapel service.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Arlington Ladies are an official part of the funeral service, representing the military service’s chief of staff or equivalent. Joanne is a Coast Guard Arlington Lady. Before the funeral, Joanne researches the life and military history of the deceased. She shares that information with the honor guard that accompanies her. Prior to the service, she meets with the family. Joanne’s role is to represent the United States Coast Guard, while providing comfort and guidance to the family.
With a 21 gun salute, 3 shell casings are gathered, placed in a black velvet bag and given to the family. At the end of the service, Joanne gives a card of condolences from the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
At every funeral, even if there is no family present, there are at least 3 people~the chaplain, an honor guard and an Arlington Lady.
The Coast Guard is the only branch of service that allows the service member, spouse and family to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
How Many Funerals are at Arlington?
Prior to COVID, there were 25-36 funerals a day. While burials were suspended during the pandemic, there are currently 10 funerals per month at Arlington. As you can imagine, these funeral services are conducted with the utmost precision, protocol and respect. Depending on rank, the ceremony can be with full honors, standard honors or dependent status.
Dress Code
Taken from the Arlington Lady Handbook:
The Arlington Ladies are expected to wear modest knee-length or longer dress or dress pants in dark, muted tones (e.g. black, grey, navy, brown). Closed-toe shoes suitable for uneven surfaces are appropriate. Shoulders should be covered as for a religious ceremony.
Hats and boots appropriate to the weather are acceptable. Sunglasses and gloves may be worn but must be removed when addressing the family.
Coast Guard jewelry, including American flag pins, may be worn. A name tag and official Arlington Ladies pin (which are received upon completion of the training process) are worn below the right shoulder. The AL pin should be worn above the name tag.
In Conclusion
For the last 73 years, countless women have volunteered to provide comfort and guidance to every service person and their family members at Arlington National Cemetery. I, for one, did not even know that the Arlington Ladies existed. What a wonderful organization! And I am so proud of my sweet friend, Joanne, who volunteers her time to this valuable cause.
Also, I don’t know if you have ever had the privilege of attending a funeral service at Arlington. My dear friend, Bob Garrett passed away unexpectedly a few years ago. He had a full military honors ceremony (hence the pictures) and I was so honored to attend.
I know many of us are thinking about Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, but please take some time tomorrow to Veterans Day. Let’s thank and honor ALL who have served, living or deceased, but in particular, the living veterans among us. And share the story about the Arlington Ladies, who quietly volunteer their time honoring those veterans and their families.
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What a wonderful tribute to those who have served our country. When there is so much division and anger these days, it’s so nice to hear about these amazing women.
I was not aware of the Arlington Ladies. What a wonderful program one, which I am sure, doesn’t go without notice. My brother in law was part of a group here and in Phoenix made up of ex-vets mostly from Viet Nam era. This group was formed with a similar mission — no veteran should ever be buried without honor and without family.
Thank you for sharing the Arlington Ladies with us.
I am so sorry I missed this Mary. What a wonderful story!
Such a kind way to honor and serve. Sometimes the helpers are there right in front of you and you only need to open your eyes.
Holly, I didn’t know anything about this until my friend shared her volunteer experience. And you are right about how much we miss until we open our eyes.
A beautiful tradition. I was not aware of this. Thanks for sharing this on such an appropriate day. You are always timely, interesting and informative with what you share.
Alan, thank you so much for your sweet comments!
What a touching post, Mary, and so timely. I was on a flight last week with a WWII veteran, Marine Carl Scott, 97 who was going to a WWII reunion.. The airline announced he was on board and had him and his family deplane first when landing. He was met at the gate by two Camp Pendleton marines. I’m glad to see they are receiving the respect and honor that is so due to them from a grateful nation.
Leslie, I love your story about Carl Scott. God love him! To serve and survive WWII….wow. And how nice that the airline recognized him and his family. So touching.
Very interesting blog. I never knew the Arlington Ladies existed.
Thanks
Susie, I didn’t know either and I didn’t notice during Bob Garrett’s funeral. So glad Joanne told me about it…
What an interesting post. I wonder if this type of volunteer exists outside of Arlington. You always have such interesting things to share.
Andrea, that’s such a good question. It’s nice to think that everyone that is buried there has someone nearby to attend. I agree, every cemetery should have this.
Mary, Even with the preview you provided, this is so heartwarming. These women (and one gentleman) are such selfless volunteers. What a wonderful tribute to those who have served our country.
Chloe, it is so heartwarming. Just when we think the world has become selfish and horrible, these stories come to light. It renews my faith in humans…
Oh Mary this is beautiful! What a truly wonderful group – your friend must be an amazing person. Thanks so much for sharing this with us, and I hope you felt that your friend was sent onward in the best possible way! Lots of love!
Barbara, yes my friend is very patriotic and so generous to volunteer her time. I love that these women quietly serve our country and provide comfort to those families who have lost a loved one. A very noble cause. Yes, my dear, life-long friend Bob had a very proper send-off! I’m glad I was able to attend.
I have not heard of the Arlington Ladies. I’m so happy for your post. In this world of division and negativity, it’s so nice to learn about these wonderful women. What a comforting and honorable experience for everyone. Thank you, Joanne and all you Arlington Ladies, for your selfless service to our country.
Ellen, thank you so much for your sweet and thoughtful comments. Yes, I agree about our divided world, which pains me so. But it’s nice to know that these women quietly serve our country and provide warmth and grace to those families who have lost a loved one.
Thanks so much for sharing this information! You did a great job of explaining the role and purpose of the Arlington Lady!
You do such wonderful work whether it be in the kitchen, decorating for the holidays, or simply informing your followers about a variety of topics!! Love, love, love!!!
Joanne, like the others that have commented, we thank YOU for volunteering your time and serving our country. I’m so glad you shared this with me and thanks for all the information so I was able to write this post.