Ties to Nova Scotia at the Arlington National Cemetery, and the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries I was in Virginia in November 2018 to visit family for US Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day, November 22nd, I visited Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 400,000 active-duty service members, veterans, and their families. Service to country is the common thread that binds all who are remembered and honored at Arlington. The Army National Military Cemeteries, consisting of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, and the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery in Washington, DC, are under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army. All other National Cemeteries are administered by the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs. 21 men with ties to Nova Scotia are interred in National Cemeteries including the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the Beverley National Cemetery in New Jersey, the Golden Gate Nat. Cemetery in California, the Long Island Nat. Cemetery in NY, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, the Jefferson Barracks Nat. Cemetery in Missouri, and the Woodlawn Nat. Cemetery in NY. They are: Ernest H Alden Jr. son of Mary Dixie Porter Alden of Yarmouth, NS William Sewall Balfe born in Halifax, NS James E Cahill born in Halifax, NS Thomas Edward Church born in Falmouth, Hants Co., NS Frank Killam Crosby born in Chebogue, Yarmouth Co., NS Weymouth Crowell son of Weymouth & Ethel May (Ryder) Crowell of Argyle, Yarmouth Co., NS James Bazil Downey born in Halifax, NS Lawrence Holmes Flynn son of Edmond Power Flynn of Arichat, Richmond Co., NS Harold Elton Hoskin son of George Sandoe Hoskin of Londonderry, Colchester Co., NS Leonard Clifton Hunt born in New Grafton, Queens Co., NS Kenneth Leaman Lewis son of Helena Louise (McDonald) Lewis of Amherst, Cumberland Co., NS Wilfred Angus McDaniel born in Margaree Forks, Inverness Co., NS Lucius Gould McLauchlin born in Great Village, Colchester Co., NS William Frederick Meuse Jr. son of John Joseph Meuse of Quinan, Yarmouth Co., NS Charles Wilfred Penney born in Auburndale, Lunenburg Co., NS Benjamin William Rafuse born in Gold River, Lunenburg Co., NS Walter Copeland Robertson born in Piedmont, Barneys River, Pictou Co., NS John Delmont Rogers husband of Jean Ashford (Shatford) Rogers of Dartmouth, NS Lawrence Dennis Ross son of Captain Harry T. Ross, of Digby, Digby Co., NS Blanchard Sydney Silver born in Eastern Passage, Halifax Co., Nova Scotia Marshall Franklyn Swimm born in Clark's Harbour, Shelburne Co., NS Read their stories at: https://bit.ly/WWIIcasualtiesUSForcesNS Arlington National Cemetery conducts between 27 and 30 funeral services each week day and between 6 and 8 services on Saturday. The grounds of Arlington National Cemetery honor those who have served our nation by providing a sense of beauty and peace for our guests. The rolling green hills are dotted with trees that are hundreds of years in age and complement the gardens found throughout the 624 acres of the cemetery. This impressive landscape serves as a tribute to the service and sacrifice of every individual laid to rest within the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. In addition to wanting to visit the grave of WWII Veteran President John F Kennedy, and to watch the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the goal in visiting was to pay respect to all who lay at rest there. I also took a moment to visit the Korean War memorial bench, my father having served in the Korean War. I also wanted to locate the grave of one soldier with a connection to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia – General George Churchill Kenney, born in Yarmouth Co., NS. I only learned once there, that although General Kenney’s name appears on the grave marker above his third wife Sarah’s, he was never interred there. Sarah died in 1970, but George was interred at the Woodlawn Park North Cemetery in Miami-Dade Co., Florida, with his fourth wife Jeannette C. Kenney when he died in 1977. The Canadian Cross of Sacrifice at Arlington National Cemetery Canadians have served in the United States Army, the Navy, Air Force, Marines, Merchant Navy and Coast Guard in the First World War, Second World War, Korean War and beyond. And Americans have served in the Canadian Armed Forces in the same conflicts. Although the United States did not enter WWI until 1917, Americans had been enlisting and serving with Canadian Forces as early as 1914, and again in WWII, before America would enter the war in 1942, American airman had already served and died in RAF Squadrons in the Battle of Britain when England needed every pilot it could muster against the threat of Nazi invasion. The Canadian Cross of Sacrifice at Arlington was erected in 1927 to honor Americans who served in Canadian Forces during WWI. In his address after the unveiling of the memorial, Canadian Colonel Ralston concluded: ‘Of the United States, Canada asked to be permitted to raise this stone to help keep forever vivid in American hearts Canada’s sense of the comradeship, courage, and faithfulness of these sons of the United States who had joined the Canadian forces. We thank you for your quick and generous response. It is no light thing that you reserve for our mission a portion of this sacred ground. What could be more meaningful in the relations between us than the fact that you bring us in with you in the place where only friends may come and bestow on us an interest in this, your dearest national possession.’ Dwight F. Davis, the US Secretary of War, replied: “[…] So, the Canadians who in the past gave their lives in the United States armies and the Americans who in the world war gave their lives while serving in the Canadian forces, have consecrated, and hallowed the ties of friendship that have united our countries for more than a century. This memorial will always be a source of pride to the citizens of the United States.” In September 2023, I will be visiting Arlington once again, to lay a poppy and cross of remembrance at the graves of four men with ties to Nova Scotia interred at Arlington. At the time of my visit in 2018, these men had not yet been discovered by the Association’s research. These include: - US Marine Corps Sergeant Lawrence Holmes Flynn who served with Edson’s Raiders (the 1st Marine Raider Battalion), the son of Edmond Power Flynn of Arichat, Richmond Co. - US Army Air Force 2nd Lt. Harold Elton Hoskin who served with Air Transport Command, the son of George Sandoe Hoskin of Londonderry, Colchester Co. - US Army Major Lucius Gould McLauchlin who served with the Medical Corps, from Great Village, Colchester Co. - US Army PFC Charles Wilfred Penney, DFC who served with the 307th Infantry Regt, 77th Infantry Division, from Auburndale, Lunenburg Co., NS.