Arlington National Cemetery - symbols on Schley Gate - 2011
Close-up of a gatepost on the southwesternmost of the inner pillars of the Schley Gate, which is the northern of the two ceremonial gates at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States.
Each iron gatepost is decorated with military symbols. Here is a helmet in the design used by ancient Sparta, as well as the axe-head that is top a fasces (the ancient symbol of law). Just visible to the left of the helmet symbol is a floral design, commonly used in cemeteries.
The gates were constructed in 1932 as part of the construction of the Hemicycle (now the Women in Military Service to America Memorial) and Memorial Drive, which linked Arlington's new main gate to the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Arlington had expanded toward the Potomac River, making the old McClellan Gate and Sheridan Gate unuseable as an entrance as both were now deep inside the cemetery. Each gate consists of four granite pillars trending southwest-to-northeast. The southwesternmost pillar connects with the retaining wall that forms the Hemicycle. The gate itself is between the second and third pillars, while black wrought iron fences connect the outermost pillars to the innermost ones. A fifth pillar is set inward toward Memorial Drive from the northwesternmost pillar, and is connected to the fourth pillar by a black wrought iron fence. The two innermost pillars are topped by eagles, while the other three are topped by decorative funeral urns.
Gold gilded lamps top the hinge of each gate. On each gate, front and back, are two gold wreaths 30 inches (76 cm) in diameter. Each wreath cradles the shield of the U.S. Department of War (the precusor to the U.S. Department of Defense) as well as the armed services that existed in 1932. On the Schley Gate, these are the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard. (The United States Air Force did not exist until 1947.) Each gate is divided into 13 sections by wrought iron fasces, and above six of the sections are iron spikes topped by gold stars.
Arlington National Cemetery - symbols on Schley Gate - 2011
Close-up of a gatepost on the southwesternmost of the inner pillars of the Schley Gate, which is the northern of the two ceremonial gates at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States.
Each iron gatepost is decorated with military symbols. Here is a helmet in the design used by ancient Sparta, as well as the axe-head that is top a fasces (the ancient symbol of law). Just visible to the left of the helmet symbol is a floral design, commonly used in cemeteries.
The gates were constructed in 1932 as part of the construction of the Hemicycle (now the Women in Military Service to America Memorial) and Memorial Drive, which linked Arlington's new main gate to the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Arlington had expanded toward the Potomac River, making the old McClellan Gate and Sheridan Gate unuseable as an entrance as both were now deep inside the cemetery. Each gate consists of four granite pillars trending southwest-to-northeast. The southwesternmost pillar connects with the retaining wall that forms the Hemicycle. The gate itself is between the second and third pillars, while black wrought iron fences connect the outermost pillars to the innermost ones. A fifth pillar is set inward toward Memorial Drive from the northwesternmost pillar, and is connected to the fourth pillar by a black wrought iron fence. The two innermost pillars are topped by eagles, while the other three are topped by decorative funeral urns.
Gold gilded lamps top the hinge of each gate. On each gate, front and back, are two gold wreaths 30 inches (76 cm) in diameter. Each wreath cradles the shield of the U.S. Department of War (the precusor to the U.S. Department of Defense) as well as the armed services that existed in 1932. On the Schley Gate, these are the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard. (The United States Air Force did not exist until 1947.) Each gate is divided into 13 sections by wrought iron fasces, and above six of the sections are iron spikes topped by gold stars.