Military Funeral Honors
Honor and remembrance are primary undercurrents of mission work at Arlington National Cemetery. Each funeral service conducted at ANC is unique and personal. The reverence and solemnity that comes with laying a military loved one to rest allows me to produce emotional and evocative imagery. Whether killed in action, died of natural causes, or identified and repatriated after 70 years of being missing in action, each funeral has a story to be told.
(All imagery on this page is in the public domain and taken while Elizabeth Fraser worked as a contractor at Arlington National Cemetery.)
Elizabeth Ohree pauses at the casket of her brother, U.S. Army Pfc. William H. Jones, following his funeral service in Section 55 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Aug. 22, 2019. Jones went missing in North Korea in 1950 and stayed missing for nearly 70 years until his remains were identified on Sept. 13, 2018.
In November 1950, Jones was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, engaged in attacks against the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces near Pakchon, North Korea. On Nov. 26, 1950, after his unit made a fighting withdrawal, he could not be accounted for and was reported missing in action.
On July 27, 2018, North Korea turned over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War.
From these remains, Jones was officially accounted for on Sept. 13, 2018 by Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Ohree received the flag from Jones’ casket.
The 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Caisson Platoon support a funeral during heavy snowfall at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., March 21, 2018. This was the second day of spring when a snow storm hit the national capital region.
A soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) renders honors during the funeral for U.S. Army Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Robert M. Belch in Section 68 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., April 14, 2020. Given current health protection guidance from the Secretary of Defense, Old Guard Soldiers wear face coverings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while executing the Memorial Affairs mission. This was the first funeral service where such coverings were worn.
Command Sgt. Maj. Belch served in the Army for 26 years, where he was a Combat Engineer with the 42nd Infantry, 142nd Combat Engineer Battalion, Rainbow Division. He was among the first 192 Soldiers to wear the rank of Sergeant Major when it was created. As a decorated World War II veteran, he earned several commendations that included the Legion of Merit.
Vice Adm. Thomas J. Moore (right), commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, presents the American flag to Darrel Martin (center right) during the graveside service for his son, U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Xavier A. Martin, at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Aug. 9, 2017.
Petty Officer 1st Class Martin perished at 24 years old when the USS Fitzgerald was involved in a collision with the Philippine-flagged merchant vessel ACX Crystal, flooding the berthing compartment he was occupying. Petty Officer 1st Class Martin was buried in Section 60 with military funeral honors.
The "Thunderbirds" perform a double missing man flyover as part of the funeral service for U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Cuthbert Pattillo and Lt. Gen. Charles Pattillo in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Sept. 14, 2022.
Twin brothers, Maj. Gen. and Lt. Gen. Pattillo, helped form and flew in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe-North Atlantic Treaty Organization aerial demonstration team, the “Skyblazers.”
Later, the brothers went to Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., as gunnery instructors. Together, they were instrumental in forming the “Thunderbirds,” the first U.S. Air Force official aerial demonstration team. Maj. Gen. Pattillo flew right wing and Lt. Gen. Pattillo flew left wing in the original 1953 team.
Marines from the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. (8th and I) participate in military funeral honors with funeral escort for U.S. Marine Corps Pvt. Archie Newell in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Dec. 8, 2017.
Two casket teams from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Caisson Platoon conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for two unknown Civil War Union Soldiers in Section 81 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Sept. 6, 2018. These interments were part of the dedication ceremony for the newest area of Arlington National Cemetery, also known as the Millennium site, which consists of 27 acres with more than 27,000 interment spaces, two new committal shelters, and four new columbarium courts. Two caissons have not been provided in support of a military funeral in recent history.
A bugler from the U.S. Coast Guard Band renders honors after playing "Taps" as part of modified military funeral honors for U.S. Coast Guard Seaman Ethan Kelch in Section 64 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., August 11, 2020.
Kelch’s father, Christopher Kelch, received the flag from his son’s casket.
Members of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command pay respect during the funeral of U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan J. Elchin in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. Jan. 24, 2019.
Elchin, along with U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Emond and U.S. Army Capt. Andrew Ross, died Nov. 27, 2018 from injuries sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Andar, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. Elchin was assigned to the 26th Special Tactics Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina. At the time, the service members were supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
Ross and Emond were also buried in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery – Ross on Jan. 8, 2019 and Emond on Jan. 11, 2019.
Dawna Duez, Elchin’s mother, received the U.S. flag from her son’s service.
A firing party from the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. (8th and I) fires 3-rifle volleys as part of military funeral honors with funeral escort for U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Benjamin Hines in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., May 10, 2019.
Hines, along with Cpl. Robert Hendricks and Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, died on April 8, 2019 while conducting combat operations in Parwan province, Afghanistan. They were assigned to 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve.
Hines’ father, Scott Hines, received the flag from his son’s casket.
Soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) hold folded flags before military funeral honors with funeral escort for U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Farmer in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., April 9, 2019.
Farmer joined the Army in 2005 and graduated in 2007 from One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Georgia to become a Special Forces engineer sergeant. He earned his commission as a Special Forces warrant officer in 2016 and after graduation for the basic Special Forces Warrant Officer Course, was then selected to serve as an assistant detachment commander.
Farmer had previously served five combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before deploying to Syria in early January 2019. Farmer died of wounds sustained during an attack while conducting a local engagement in Manbij, Syria, January 16, 2019. Also killed in the attack were U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, and Defense Intelligence Agency civilian Scott Wirtz.
His spouse, Tabitha Farmer, received the U.S. flag from his casket, and folded U.S. flags were presented to his four children and parents.
Marines render honors during the funeral service of U.S. Marine Corps Col. Wesley Fox in Section 55 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., April 17, 2018.
Enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1950 at the age of 18, Fox received the Medal of Honor in 1971 for successfully leading his company through an enemy attack during the Vietnam War. As a first lieutenant, he led a company in that would suffer 75 percent causalities during a three-month operation. The unit, Company A, 9th Marines, was among the troops fighting in Operation Dewey Canyon, the last major Marine offensive during the Vietnam War. The company came under intense gunfire from the North Vietnamese on Feb. 22, 1969. While Fox was wounded, he refused medical attention and led a responding attack against the larger enemy force, coordinating air support and supervising the medical evacuation of injured and dead Marines.
The Medal of Honor was presented to Fox by former President Richard Nixon on March 2, 1971.
In 1993, Fox retired at the mandatory retirement age of 62. He died at the age of 86 on Nov. 24, 2017. Fox’s spouse, Dottie Lu Fox, received the U.S. Flag from his casket, presented by the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Robert B. Neller.
U.S. Army Capt. Michael Tovo hands the U.S. flag to Felicia Ross during the funeral of her husband, U.S. Army Capt. Andrew Ross, in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Jan. 8, 2019.
Capt. Ross, along with U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Emond and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan Elchin, died Nov. 27, 2018 from injuries sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Andar, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. The soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C. The airman was assigned to the 26th Special Tactics Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. At the time, all three service members were supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
The 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Caisson Platoon and an Armed Forces Body Bearer Team conduct joint forces military funeral honors with funeral escort for the late Gen. (ret.) Colin Powell at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Nov. 5, 2021.
The 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Caisson Platoon; U.S. Marines from the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps; and U.S. Marines from the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. (8th and I) conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for retired 28th Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) Gen. Paul X. Kelley in Section 34 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Feb. 13, 2020.
A soldier from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Caisson Platoon renders honors upon arrival to the gravesite of U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. Seymour Drovis during military funeral honors with funeral escort in Section 57 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Oct. 16, 2019.
The 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Caisson Platoon helps conduct Military Funeral Honors with Funeral Escort for U.S. Army Master Sgt. Carl Lindquist in Section 55 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Aug. 5, 2019.
The U.S. Army Honor Guard, The 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Caisson Platoon, and The U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own”, conduct the funeral of former Secretary of the Army Togo D. West, Jr. in Section 34 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., April 26, 2018.
West served as both Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the Clinton Administration, and was the second African-American to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs. West was also a Captain in the U.S. Army and the former General Counsel of the Navy in the Carter Administration.
West’s spouse, Gail Berry West, received the American flags from his casket.