Finding Sergeant Edward F. Younger's Grave at Arlington National Cemetery: The Man Who Chose America's Unknown Soldier
By Steve Solosky, The Traveling Professor
Of all the memorials in the United States, I believe the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery is perhaps the most meaningful.
It does not honor a president, a famous general, or a celebrated military hero. Instead, it honors American service members who gave their lives for our country, including those whose remains were never identified.
The Tomb reminds us that every American who made the ultimate sacrifice deserves to be remembered, even when we do not know their name.
Millions of Americans recognize the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Visitors to Arlington National Cemetery gather to watch the solemn Changing of the Guard, one of the most moving ceremonies in our nation.
But how many know the story of Sergeant Edward F. Younger, the man who selected America's first Unknown Soldier in 1921?
And how many know where to find his grave?
That question led me to Section 18 of Arlington National Cemetery, where I encountered a historian who questioned part of Younger's story, a shuttle driver who had never been asked to visit Section 18 in seven years, and a gravestone that reminded me of the American military cemeteries in Normandy, France.
A Conversation with an Arlington National Cemetery Historian
Before setting out to find Sergeant Younger's grave, I had an opportunity to meet with a historian from Arlington National Cemetery.
We discussed the remarkable story of how Younger selected the Unknown Soldier in France in 1921.
She cautioned me that some details of the story may have become embellished over the years.
One detail particularly interested me.
According to one version of the story, a French florist supplied the white roses that Younger used to select the Unknown Soldier. The historian told me that, in her research, she could find no evidence supporting that particular claim.
It was a fascinating reminder that even well-known historical events can acquire details over time that are difficult to verify.
The central event is well documented. On October 24, 1921, Younger selected one of four unidentified American soldiers by placing a spray of white roses on a casket.
Interestingly, Arlington National Cemetery's published history of the flower ceremony identifies Brasseur Brulfer, a former member of the Châlons City Council who had lost two sons during World War I, as the donor of the roses.
However, that does not establish that he was a florist.
My conversation with the historian reminded me of the importance of distinguishing documented history from the stories that develop around it.
But there is no question about Younger's central role in the ceremony.
And I wanted to find his grave.
"Seven Years, and Nobody Has Ever Asked Me to Go to Section 18."
Arlington National Cemetery offers a complimentary gravesite shuttle that takes visitors to individual burial locations.
After meeting with the historian, I boarded the shuttle and told the driver where I wanted to go.
"Section 18," I said.
The driver paused.
"Section 18?" he repeated, sounding surprised.
I confirmed that was my destination.
He then told me something remarkable.
He had been driving visitors to different sections of Arlington National Cemetery for seven years, and in all that time, nobody had ever asked him to go to Section 18.
Think about that. Seven years of transporting visitors throughout one of America's most important military cemeteries, and not a single request for the section where Sergeant Edward F. Younger is buried.
His reaction was understandable.
Different sections of Arlington often reflect different periods in American military history.
For example, Section 60 is particularly associated with American service members killed during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many of their surviving spouses, children, parents, and fellow service members are still living. It remains an especially meaningful place for families and friends to visit and remember their loved ones.
Section 18 is different.
Historically designated for World War I burials, it contains the graves of many Americans who served more than a century ago.
According to Arlington National Cemetery's history of the Argonne Cross, approximately 2,100 American World War I casualties were reinterred in Section 18 after their remains were returned from Europe.
Few people living today personally knew those buried there.
Perhaps that helps explain why the driver had never received a request to visit Section 18.
But I wasn't going there to visit a relative.
I was going to find the grave of the man who chose America's Unknown Soldier.
Who Was Sergeant Edward F. Younger?
Edward F. Younger was born in Chicago on September 24, 1898.
He enlisted in the United States Army on February 23, 1917, just weeks before America entered World War I.
According to Arlington National Cemetery's biography of Sergeant Edward F. Younger, he served in France during several major military campaigns, including Château-Thierry and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
He was wounded twice in combat.
After the war, Younger reenlisted and served with American occupation forces in Germany.
In October 1921, he received an assignment that would forever connect his name to Arlington National Cemetery.
The United States had decided to honor its unidentified World War I dead by bringing home the remains of one unknown American soldier for burial in a special tomb.
Four unidentified American soldiers were selected from military cemeteries in France.
One would represent the Americans who had died in the war and whose identities had never been established.
Someone had to choose which soldier would receive this honor.
That responsibility was given to Sergeant Edward F. Younger.
October 24, 1921: How the Unknown Soldier Was Selected
The selection ceremony took place on October 24, 1921, at the city hall in Châlons-sur-Marne, France, now known as Châlons-en-Champagne.
Four identical caskets containing the remains of unidentified American soldiers had been brought to the building.
Precautions were taken to ensure that no one could identify which cemetery each soldier had come from.
Originally, a commissioned officer was expected to make the selection. However, the French had assigned that responsibility to an enlisted soldier when choosing their own Unknown Soldier in 1920.
The Americans decided to follow the French example.
Major Robert P. Harbold selected Sergeant Younger for the responsibility.
Younger was instructed to approach the four caskets and select one by placing a spray of white roses upon it.
As French and American military personnel watched, he approached the caskets.
He walked around them before making his decision.
Finally, he placed the roses on one of the caskets and saluted.
With that simple gesture, Sergeant Edward F. Younger had selected America's Unknown Soldier.
The selected casket was transported to the French port of Le Havre, where it was placed aboard the USS Olympia for the journey to the United States.
On November 11, 1921, President Warren G. Harding presided over the Unknown Soldier's burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
The date was particularly significant. Three years earlier, on November 11, 1918, the armistice had brought the fighting of World War I to an end.
Today, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of America's most recognized military memorials.
Yet relatively few people know the name of the man who selected its first occupant.
What Happened to Sergeant Edward F. Younger?
After returning to civilian life, Younger worked for the United States Postal Service in Chicago.
Despite his extraordinary role in American history, he lived a relatively ordinary life.
In 1930, a reporter from The Washington Post located Younger and learned that he had never visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Younger wanted to make the trip, but the expense had prevented him from doing so.
The newspaper arranged for him to travel to Arlington for Memorial Day.
There, nine years after making his selection in France, he placed roses at the Tomb.
Younger's personal connection to the Unknown Soldier was profound. He understood that the unidentified man could have been someone with whom he had served, shared meals, or fought during the war.
Sergeant Edward F. Younger died on August 6, 1942, at the age of 43.
He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
His final resting place was Section 18, among other veterans of the First World War.
Where Is Sergeant Edward F. Younger Buried at Arlington?
That brings me back to my visit.
Sergeant Edward F. Younger is buried in Section 18, Grave 1918-B, at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
His gravesite is relatively modest compared with the significance of the ceremony in which he participated.
What struck me most was the contrast.
Elsewhere at Arlington, crowds gather at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to observe the sentinels who guard it around the clock.
Yet here in Section 18 rests the man who selected the first Unknown Soldier, largely unknown to the visitors who come to Arlington.
I kept thinking about what the shuttle driver had told me.
Seven years.
Seven years of taking visitors to graves throughout Arlington National Cemetery without a single request for Section 18.
But something about Younger's gravestone suggested that perhaps he had not been entirely forgotten.
Someone Had Been There Before Me
As I stood before Sergeant Younger's grave, I noticed something unusual.
The lettering on his headstone was markedly darker than the inscriptions on the surrounding graves.
It almost appeared as though someone had rubbed something into the engraved letters, perhaps soil, to make the inscription stand out.
I had seen something similar before.
During my many visits to the American military cemeteries in Normandy, France, I have observed a practice in which sand from the D-Day invasion beaches is placed into the inscriptions on the white marble grave markers.
The sand darkens the engraved lettering, making the names more visible.
The American Battle Monuments Commission, which maintains the American military cemeteries overseas, explains that its staff sometimes place sand into headstone inscriptions when relatives or visitors come to honor a service member. This is done with cemetery staff involvement and permission, and the sand is subsequently removed.
It is a simple but meaningful gesture of remembrance, connecting those who died during the Normandy invasion with the beaches where so many American lives were lost.
Standing before Sergeant Younger's grave at Arlington, I couldn't help thinking about those Normandy headstones.
Had someone deliberately darkened the inscription on his grave?
Was it a family member, a veteran, or perhaps another visitor who understood the significance of the man buried there?
I had no way of knowing.
The darkened lettering might have had an entirely ordinary explanation. But the contrast between Younger's headstone and those surrounding it was unmistakable.
The shuttle driver might never have been asked to take anyone to Section 18, but that did not mean others had never sought out Sergeant Younger's grave.
Perhaps someone had made a special effort to ensure his name could be seen.
I found that thought particularly moving.
The Unknown Soldier was selected to represent Americans whose names had been lost to history.
And here, more than a century after that selection, was the grave of the man who chose him, with an inscription that appeared to have received someone's special attention.
Perhaps Sergeant Edward F. Younger was not quite as forgotten as I had imagined.
How to Find Sergeant Edward F. Younger's Grave at Arlington National Cemetery
If you are planning a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, I encourage you to consider finding Sergeant Younger's grave.
Grave location: Section 18, Grave 1918-B
Cemetery: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
Admission: Free
Transportation: Free gravesite shuttle service is available.
The easiest way to locate his grave is to use ANC Explorer, Arlington National Cemetery's official gravesite locator.
Enter Edward F. Younger in the search field to find his gravesite and walking directions.
Visitors can also request the complimentary gravesite shuttle at the tram ticket desk inside Arlington's Welcome Center. The shuttle is separate from the paid sightseeing tram.
If you prefer walking, Arlington has published an official Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Walking Tour that includes Sergeant Younger's grave as Stop 10.
The walking tour also visits the Tomb itself and the gravesites of other people connected to its history.
While in Section 18, consider visiting the Argonne Cross, a memorial honoring Americans who died during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War I.
For current hours, visitor policies, and transportation information, consult the official Arlington National Cemetery website.
Why Sergeant Younger's Story Matters
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier means different things to different Americans.
For some, it represents a family member who never returned from war.
For others, it symbolizes the sacrifices made by generations of American military personnel.
For me, it is a reminder that the freedoms we enjoy today were secured at an enormous human cost.
We know the names of many who gave their lives for our country. But countless others were buried without identification or never recovered at all.
The Tomb honors those Americans collectively.
Sergeant Edward F. Younger did not choose a particular soldier because of his rank, accomplishments, or military service record.
He could not have known any of those things.
That was the point.
The man he selected could have been anyone.
He represented everyone.
An Arlington National Cemetery Visit I Will Always Remember
When most people visit Arlington National Cemetery, they naturally head for its best-known memorials.
I would never discourage anyone from visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In fact, I consider it one of the most important places an American can visit.
But the next time you go to Arlington, consider making an additional stop.
Go to Section 18.
Find Grave 1918-B.
Remember Sergeant Edward F. Younger, the man who selected America's first Unknown Soldier.
My conversation with the cemetery historian reminded me that historical accounts can acquire embellishments over time. The shuttle driver's surprise reminded me how easily important people can fade from public memory.
And the darkened inscription on Younger's headstone suggested something else: perhaps someone had made a special effort to remember him.
When you stand before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, think of that remarkable moment on October 24, 1921, when a young American sergeant stood before four unidentified soldiers and selected one to represent them all.
The identity of the soldier he selected remains unknown.
But Younger's name is engraved on a modest headstone in Section 18.
I don't know why its lettering appeared darker than the inscriptions on the surrounding graves.
But I like to think that someone else had come looking for Sergeant Younger, just as I had.
The Unknown Soldier will never have a name. But the man who chose him does. And his name deserves to be remembered.
About the Author
Steve Solosky, The Traveling Professor, is a travel writer, speaker, and founder of Small Group Tours by The Traveling Professor. Since 2009, he has organized and led small group travel experiences, including journeys to historic World War II sites in Normandy, France.
He is the author of The Traveling Professor's Guide to Visiting the Normandy Invasion Beaches, which helps travelers understand and explore the historic sites of D-Day.
Learn more about Steve Solosky and The Traveling Professor or explore his small group tours.
Historical Sources and Further Reading