The Arlington Ladies - Serving Veterans and Their Families

For more than 35 years, the Arlington Ladies volunteers have represented veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard at every funeral at Arlington National Cemetery.

Currently 195 Arlington Ladies, volunteer time to pay tribute to nation's fallen and serve their grief-stricken families.

The Arlington Ladies are all former or current military spouses, helping families who are attending services or serving in place of families for soldiers who have no one who can attend. They ensure that no soldier is ever buried alone.

What we do is always important and meaningful,
but when you are alone at a funeral there is an added relevance.
You feel an even greater need to be there,
like you're helping to close the circle.

Linda Willey
13-year Arlington Ladies Veteran

The founding mission of the Arlington Ladies was to ensure that no soldier is ever buried alone. Their mission has evolved over time to serve the needs of family members, whether they are present at the funeral or not.

If family members are present, an Arlington Lady will deliver a personal note of condolence from the chief of staff's office along with their own note of condolence.

The Arlington Lady follow-up with another hand-written letter six to eight weeks later, as a reminder that they are still available if needed.

Image Source: Arlington Ladies pass milestone marker, pass on tradition. Pentagram Newspaper. September 16, 2005

Formed 60 years ago, the Arlington Ladies attend every funeral at Arlington National Cemetery to ensure that no military service member is ever buried alone.

The origins of the Arlington Ladies started in 1948 when Air Force Chief of Staff General Hoyt Vandenberg happened upon the funeral of an airman at Arlington. He was very disturbed by the fact that there was not one present at the service except for the chaplain and the Honor Guard members. It bothered Chief of Staff to watch a fellow airman make this final journey alone.

When he recounted the story to his wife, Gladys, and how disturbed he was by the airman being buried alone, she promised to personally attend the Air Force personnel burials.

Gladys Vandenberg founded the Arlington Committee for the Air Force in 1948; this Arlington institution eventually became known as the Arlington Ladies.

The Army Arlington Ladies was founded in 1972 and the Navy in 1985. The Marine Corps does not have a contingent of Arlington Ladies, but a representative of the Commandant is present at every funeral.

There are three branches of the Arlington Ladies for the Air Force, the Army and the Navy, with nearly 200 active members.

Source: Shawn Macomber. May 2005. The Arlington Ladies. The Spectator.

An Arlington Lady is always present at every burial, internment or Inurnment ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery holds as many as 100 funerals a week, Monday through Friday or upwards of 20 funerals a day.

The Arlington Ladies are always accompanied by a military escort, Members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard). They wear a distinctive red, white and blue pin that incorporates the Army Chief of Staff's flag.

The Arlington Ladies have a strict Standard Operating Procedure that they follow.

• An Arlington Lady does not cry.
• She dresses in muted, conservative civilian dress.
• She is not a professional mourner.
• She is not a grief counselor.
• She is there as a witness at every Arlington funeral as the personal representative of the chief of staff.
• She is there to shepherd the fallen soldier during his or her final mile.
• She is also there to say "Thank You" to the family.

Image Source: The Ladies of Arlington. Official Government Website.

Understandably the Arlington Ladies are a very selective volunteer group. This is not a role that many people would want to take on and perform.

In order to become an Arlington Lady, one must be asked to join their ranks by another Arlington Lady.

The Arlington Ladies is open only to military wives or widows. Many are the wives of high-ranking officers and, as military partners, have witnessed decades of military history.

Margaret Mensch, chairperson of the Army's Arlington Ladies perhaps sums up the reasons many participate.

It's an honor to be asked to be a part of these ceremonies that pay tribute to the everyday heroes that make up the armed forces. We're just giving back a little to those who have given us so much.

Since 1999, Margaret Mensch has chaired the Army division of the Arlington Ladies, organizing a crew of 63 volunteers headquartered in a cramped office in the cemetery's administrative building.