Christa Mcauliffe and Arlington National Cemetary- a question

Cartooniverse · January 30, 2006, 1:45am

According to some news reports today that discussed the Challenger tragedy, Mrs. Mcauliffe is interrred in Arlington National Cemetary along with the remains of the rest of the crew. They were interred together, is how it was put. ( the more gruesome aspects of why this happened, is for another thread ).

Here’s the question. Mrs. Mcauliffe was not a member of the armed forces, and as near as I can find on Google, she never had been. Is she the only civillian who had never served in any capacity in the military to be buried at Arlington?

This is not an indictment of the idea that she is buried there. Much to the contrary- she paid for her dreams with her life and I find it honorable that she be buried with her crew members. The story just got me wondering, so I’m asking.

Cartooniverse

DrFidelius · January 30, 2006, 1:52am

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/civilia.htm

Prominent civilians buried at Arlington National Cemetary.

I haven’t looked through the whole list, but there seem to be quite a few folks there who died in for their without being in the service, and quite a few spouses.

Shagnasty · January 30, 2006, 1:52am

There are many spouses of military heroes buried in the cemetery. Judging by the link below, it looks like there are many people that were never in the military. Several astronauts are listed without a military rank.

Dewey_Finn · January 30, 2006, 1:53am

She’s not buried at Arlington. According to the findagrave.com website, she’s buried in Concord, New Hampshire.

silenus · January 30, 2006, 1:54am

Interesting question. I, too, think she is deserving of resting with heroes.

But as to your OP…I don’t know if there were civilians buried in Arlington in the early years, when it was designed as an attack on Robert E. Lee rather than sacred ground. I have a book on Arlington somewhere in my library. I shall have to dig it out and do some research.

AWB · January 30, 2006, 1:55am

IIRC, the two members of Challenger’s crew who were military - former or current - have specific graves at Arlington. Then, the unidentifyable (at the time) other remains of the crew are indeed in a group site, regardless of the fact that they were or weren’t current/former military.

engineer_comp_geek · January 30, 2006, 1:59am

Notable civilians
* Julian Bartley, Sr. (54), and his son Jay Bartley (20), killed together in the US Embassy, Nairobi terrorist attack.
* Dana Falkenberg (3), who was killed in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Buried in a mass grave with four others.
* Michael P. Hammer, American Foreign Service officer captured and murdered by guerillas in El Salvador.
* Marie Teresa Rios Versace, author of Fifteenth Pelican, basis for The Flying Nun TV show.
On July 24, 1998, U.S. Capitol Police Officers John Michael Gibson, 42, and Jacob Joseph Chestnut, 58, were killed in the line of duty and granted burials at the Cemetery.

Nine Canadians are buried here, all of whom won the Medal of Honor.

Whether or not they were wartime service members, presidents and defense secretaries are eligible to be buried at Arlington, since they oversaw the armed forces.

Three state funerals have been held at Arlington. Those of two presidents and a five-star general:
* Presidents:
      o William Howard Taft
      o John F. Kennedy
* Five-star general:
      o John J. Pershing

Cartooniverse · January 30, 2006, 2:08am

I thought that as well. According to CNN today, there is a memorial/gravesite in Concord, NH. There is also the site of her actual interrred remains. That is, apparently, Arlington. Hence my OP.

Sheesh, thanks DrFidelius. Nothing like a web page whose title answers my question !! Indeed, many prominent folks.

This Arlington site doesn’t list Mrs. Mcauliffe as being buried there. Hmph. Methinks CNN got it wrong. They made it sound as though her remains were interred in Arlington, but a marker is also in Concord. It sounds like the reverse is the case.

Cartooniverse · January 30, 2006, 2:14am

God, how awful. As a hijack, I have to wonder if Dana Falkenberg is the youngest person buried there.

I didn’t remember this from the 9/11 attacks.

The Arlington link from engineer_comp_geek says something ambiguous here:

So, we don’t know if Mrs. Mcauliffle’s remains were identified and returned or not.

DrFidelius · January 30, 2006, 2:14am

Looking through my list, it seems most of the “prominent civilians” are men whose achievements in civilian life far outshone their military careers. (Of course, that holds true for most veterans, even the ones who actually like to talk about their time in the service…)