Arlington National Cemetery has released a new smart phone application that gives visitors an easier way to find gravesites and learn more about Arlington's history.
Interestingly enough, it was a push for accountability by Congress that lead to the accumulation of all the information that made the app possible. An investigation by the U.S. Army found thousands of graves at Arlington were mislabeled, a finding that prompted the Army to review and coordinate Arlington's records:
As part of the accountability effort, the Army photographed 259,978 gravesites, niches and markers using a custom-built smart phone application and instituted a rigorous process to review each headstone photo with existing cemetery records and other historical documents.
The end result was the creation of a single, verifiable and authoritative database of all those laid to rest at Arlington that is linked to the Arlington’s digital mapping system.
“This is just the beginning. In the future, ANC Explorer will offer features such as emergency and event notifications, restroom and water fountain locations, shuttle stops, and self-guided tours."
