On an errand after school today the Chattanooga National Cemetery caught me eye. I drove through the cemetery in awe of its beauty and all it represents. My maternal grandparents are buried there, as well as Kevin's grandmother.

The cemetery holds the remains of veterans from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War and 186 graves of German prisoners-of-war from both World Wars. The park-like setting includes 121 acres of land, making it the largest cemetery in the state. With more than 37,000 interments presently, the cemetery is near capacity and scheduled to close to new interments in 2015. Only veterans, their wives and families may be buried here.
(As stated on the Cemetery's website.)

God Bless America

very large cemetery.......... Peaceful place to take pictures and it does remind me of the American cemetery in France , my native country. Blessings to you and your family. ????? · 2008-05-05: 22:02

Very nice set. I love photographing cemeteries - it's so peaceful. The last shot is particularly lovely. ncshutterbug · 2008-05-05: 22:06

What is it about cemeteries that makes them so fascinating? Anyway, great shots! ScubaLiz · 2008-05-05: 22:23

You've done a very nice job of capturing the honor of the fallen. Thank you. pdsdville · 2008-05-05: 22:35

Lovely! I like 4 the best with the mountain the background. I am so behind - I will have to get caught up and go look at all your others. :) mamacita · 2008-05-06: 00:15

there is a nice, quiet beauty around cemeteries - very nice post ????? · 2008-05-06: 00:20

GREAT WORKS!! vterezia · 2008-05-06: 01:17

Thank you, rows and rows of veterans. God bless them is right. Freedom is precious. May they rest in peace. Amen. oldbabe · 2008-05-06: 07:02

That cemetary is pretty, jeremy's grandmother is buried there......very nice! Jerseyshoregal · 2008-05-06: 08:55

I have wanted to stop and take photos there forever! I pass it almost every weekend, but there's always a reason to keep driving! I glad you got to stop, cause these are fantastic! Great composition!! PaperWings · 2008-05-06: 09:57

Great composure on these especially #2 and 7. seabreeze · 2008-05-06: 18:34

Very nice set. Queen911 · 2008-05-06: 23:29

Lovely, simply lovely. Th tree in No: 1 is simply majestic. Thanks for sharing, and best regards. meiling · 2008-05-06: 23:56

It might seem obvious to say, but peace emanates from this set. I'm sure it overtook you as you stood there taking these shots. They're all so well-framed, and such good perspectives too. What strikes me so much is the uniformity of the graves... being the graves of the war dead, it seems that even as they are, they are part of a whole, as opposed to being separate. Peche · 2008-05-07: 02:22

As long as I have lived in Tn. I never once visited this cemetary! Its so awesome and yet so sad! The framing in photo # 4 is perfect perfect perfect!! Great photo!! # 11 is wonderful! I love black and white! mindysue · 2008-05-07: 11:15

Nice photos bamommy · 2008-05-07: 19:01

Wonderful series. Love all of your different angles. It gives a great perspective. TheCrazyCroat · 2008-05-07: 20:29

beautifully shot and moving post. nice job. BreezyOnTheEyes · 2008-05-08: 22:22

interesting post! ????? · 2008-05-11: 21:24

wow, very informative - I love history, thanks for the post sherryb · 2008-05-19: 15:12