Opening Ceremonies will be held at the McClellan Arch located on McClellan Drive between Sections 33 and 12 on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. Copy link into your browser for map. http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/mrp-map10.htm
The public will be allowed entry to the cemetery at 8:00 a.m. The ceremony will provide some introductory remarks and a short briefing to provide basic information to volunteers. After the ceremony, volunteers will move to the designated areas of the cemetery where they will participate in the laying of wreaths on headstones beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Again this year Troop 1325 and Pack 1199 will lay wreaths in Section 60. This is where veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are laid to rest.
There will be several wreath distribution points located at Section 60, Bradley Drive and York Drive. Members of 1325 and 1199 will be at these locations to assist you. We want to remind you that when you place the wreath, you may be the first person to visit that particular grave in years, so we hope you will take time to read the stone and honor the memory of that hero. Our theme for this year is “Come with a Mission – Leave with a Memory.”
At 11:00 a.m. there will be a wreath laying at President Kennedy’s grave followed by an 11:30 a.m. wreath laying at the USS Battleship Maine’s Mast Memorial. The final ceremony will take place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at noon.
We highly encourage Metro use as parking within the cemetery itself will be very restricted. While the Arlington Cemetery stop on the Blue Line stops at the cemetery entrance, you can access various parts of the Cemetery from the Rosslyn, Pentagon, and Pentagon City stops via only a short walk. To support our Metro traveling volunteers, we will have multiple gates open to provide pedestrian access to the ceremony. In addition, we hope to have parking spaces at the Pentagon, Navy Annex, and Fort Myer.
Parking at the ANC Welcome Center Parking Facility will be very restricted. ANC officials have advised they plan to open the parking garage at 0600 to individuals with an authorized ANC Family Pass. Also, they will allow visiting buses to park in the garage. Once the bus section is full they we will direct the buses to an additional parking area. Vehicles with valid Handicap Permits will be allowed to enter the Cemetery at 0600, through the Administration Building gate. They should turn left towards the Welcome Center Parking Garage, then make a right at the gate next to the admin building. Then proceed to park in the admin parking lot.
For those of you who are returning volunteers, Thank You! For those of you first time volunteers, This will be an event that you will want to do every year!
Additional information will be posted as necessary.
Yours In Scouting,
Mark Brady