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Once little more than a potter's field, Arlington Cemetery has
become a national shrine and a treasury of American history.
Once little more than a potter's field, Arlington Cemetery has
become a national shrine and a treasury of American history. Both
the famous and the obscure are buried here, from John F. Kennedy
and the Unknown Soldiers to astronauts from the space shuttle
Challenger, polar explorers Peary and Henson, and some 3,000 freed
slaves. On the 140th anniversary of the first burial at Arlington
in May 1864, National Geographic presents a portrait of one of
America's most sacred places. Viewers take a privileged
behind-the-scenes look at the intense daily rituals and activities
of a military cemetery, through rare archival footage and the
real-life stories of the heroes and heroines buried here. They also
meet the people who make the cemetery work, defining it with their
service.