ARLINGTON, Va. (EYT) — Today, as we honor and mourn the military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, we take a look at an annual tradition at Clarion Area High School that aims to deepen student’s understanding of our history.

(PHOTO — L to R: Skyler Pastor, Rachel Howard, Nick Frederick, Mikayla Miller. Photos and information provided by Julie Mackenzie.)

Each year in late November, the Clarion Area senior class takes a trip to Washington, D.C. An integral part of this trip is traveling to Arlington, Virginia, to walk the sacred grounds of Arlington National Cemetery with a tour guide and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to honor the U.S. veterans and members of the armed forces.

Participating in the wreath-laying ceremony in November were Skyler Pastor, who is enlisted in the United States Air Force and is scheduled to leave this summer for training, Rachel Howard, class president and valedictorian, Nick Frederick, class vice-president, and Mikayla Miller, class secretary.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, commonly recognized as Arlington National Cemetery’s most iconic memorial, is a monument dedicated to deceased U.S. service members whose remains have not been identified. The Unknown Soldiers laid to rest at the Tomb represent all missing and unknown service members who made the ultimate sacrifice – they not only gave their lives, but also their identities to protect these freedoms. The Tomb is the final resting place for Unknowns from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, and is guarded at all times.