Image: Grave Marker Matthew Henson Arlington National Cemetery

Description: Tombstone over the grave of Matthew Alexander Henson and his wife, Lucy Ross Henson, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States. Henson, an African American, accompanied U.S. Navy Admiral Robert E. Peary on the first successful trip by non-Eskimos to the geographic North Pole. They reached the pole on April 6, 1909, accompanied by four Eskimos: Ooqueah, Ootah, Egingwah, and Seegloo. For years, Peary denied Henson's critical role in helping him reach the pole. Henson died on March 9, 1955. He and his wife were buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City. Dr. S. Allen Counter, neuroscientist at Harvard University, succesfully petitioned the National Geographic Society to recognize Henson's accomplishments. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan gave permission to have Henson buried at Arlington. On April 6, 1988, Henson and his wife were reinterred near Perry at Arlington National Cemetery. The headstone is made of polished black Vermont granite. It is 5 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 1 foot thick. A bas-relief bust of Henson in Arctic gear as at the top of the front face, and below is a bronze bas-relief plaque describing his achievement and showing and the four Eskimos at the pole (based on a photograph taken by Peary). On the rear, in gold leaf, is a quotation from Henson taken from one of his journals.
Title: Grave Marker Matthew Henson Arlington National Cemetery
Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23165290@N00/6236165356/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Author: dctim1
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
License: CC BY-SA 2.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Attribution Required?: Yes