For Warriors Past and Future

"It's disappointing to me to see the conversion of these Arlington House woodlands to development, even if it's a low-key type of development you would see in a cemetery," said Kendell Thompson, site manager at Arlington House. "But we can't undo that."

The cemetery also plans to acquire the Navy Annex in 2010 and demolish it in 2013, and move underground utility lines within the next year or so, to gain more space.

Metzler said the projects should keep the cemetery open through about 2060.

Meanwhile, the pace at Arlington remains brisk.

"We're really busy," said Vicki A. Tanner, chief of the interment services branch. She said the cemetery handles 25 to 30 funerals a day. Some, involving cremated remains, are scheduled for next year.

Tanner said she studies the daily funeral schedule, estimates the size of the ceremony and the time it might require, and then assigns one of four sections where the funeral will take place.

She tries to leave two hours between most services in the same section to give workers time to prepare for the next funeral.

In the 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. slots, "we can do as many as five" funerals, she said. At 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. "we try not to do more than four."

"But if we have to do more, we'll do more," she said.

Tanner, who has worked at Arlington for more than 30 years, said cemetery workers also plan the day's funeral routes and stay in touch with hand-held radios to avoid traffic problems.

At times, participants at one funeral can indeed hear the bugle notes or rifle fire at another. "You don't usually hear the chaplain or anything," she said. "But there's no way of stopping that." She said people rarely complain: "They understand.

"This cemetery will always be here," she said. "As long as it's possible to have land, we'll bury here, and I think that should be. This is a beautiful place. Every time I come through the gate, it's like, whoa. It's like entering another world. It's just awesome.

"This cemetery is eternal," she said.