Civil War Sailors of the USS Monitor Buried in Arlington With Full Honors (photos)

Two crewmen of the USS Monitor were laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery March 8, 150 years after the famous ironclad sank off North Carolina during the Civil War. The Monitor made history when the Union ship fought the Confederate ship Virginia in the first battle between two ironclads on March 9, 1862. The battle was declared a draw. The Monitor sank nine months later in rough seas, killing the 16 men on board. The remains of two sailors were retrieved when the rusted hulk of the ship was recovered off the ocean floor in 2002. On Friday at about 5:30 PM, the remains of the still unidentified crewmen were given a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery with full honors. Several civil war and period reenactors added color to the spectacle.

View our photos of the event at Arlington by clicking on the photo icons below.