Arlington Cemetery Gravestones Honor America's Fallen Soldiers Of Every (And No) Faith

Honoring America's Fallen Soldiers Of Every (And No) Faith
In this Aug. 20, 2010 photo, the tombstone for Pfc. Abraham Kooiman, a World War II veteran who died in 2002, is shown inscribed with a Wiccan religious symbol at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. As rancor swirls around the issue of whether a mosque and Islamic cultural center should be built two blocks from the New York site where the destroyed Twin Towers stood, Americans are being forced to examine just how tolerant they are _ or are not. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
In this Aug. 20, 2010 photo, the tombstone for Pfc. Abraham Kooiman, a World War II veteran who died in 2002, is shown inscribed with a Wiccan religious symbol at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. As rancor swirls around the issue of whether a mosque and Islamic cultural center should be built two blocks from the New York site where the destroyed Twin Towers stood, Americans are being forced to examine just how tolerant they are _ or are not. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

On Memorial Day we honor the men and women who have died in service for their country. At Arlington National Cemetery, these fallen soldiers lie side by in a remarkable display of religious diversity within the U.S. armed forces.

Baha'is lay beside Jews; Muslims beside Christians; Hindus beside Wiccans. The cemetery offers over 60 religious symbols with which to engrave headstones -- some of which may be familiar and others rarely viewed in public spaces.

Here is a sampling of some of the religious and non-religious headstones at Arlington National Cemetery:

Wicca
John Hamer/Flickr
Islam and Baha'i
John Hamer/Flickr
Judaism
Mh arduino/Wikipedia
Lutheran Church and Episcopal Church
John Hamer/Flickr
Buddhism and Soka Gakkai
John Hamer/Flickr
United Church of Religious Science and Atheism
John Hamer/Flickr
Christianity
Wikipedia
United Church of Christ and Church of Christ, Scientist
John Hamer/Flickr
Unitarian Universalism and Non-adherence
John Hamer/Flickr

Before You Go

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard - Hindu

Interfaith Faces of the U.S. Armed Forces

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