John C. Metzler (May 8, 1909 – May 25, 1990) was the superintendent of

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

from 1951 to 1972. Previously, he was a

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

in the U.S. Army during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Career

The availability of land in Arlington National Cemetery has been an issue for many years. In 1966, Metzler nearly doubled the size of Arlington National Cemetery by expanding the grounds. He added approximately to the original . He also worked to maximize space by inventing a "tiered" burial system; wherein, spouses of deceased individuals are placed in the same plot, but at a different level underground.Lost Magazine – A Field of Trees and Bones
/ref> Though Metzler administered numerous burials of distinguished people, he is most notable for helping preside over the funerals of

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

in 1963 and

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...

in 1968. During John F. Kennedy's funeral, Metzler presented Kennedy's widow,

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...

, the folded interment flag from JFK's casket. Metzler was instrumental in choosing the final resting place for the late President. Metzler also presided over the burials of the Unknown Soldiers of World War II and the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. He is quoted as saying: "I will tell each person what I have told others in the past—that exactly who the men on the hill are is not as important as the fact that they are there. Being there, they are not only representative of other men who died unknown, but of all men who have fought for America. For that reason, they belong to all of us." – May 1958. As a United States veteran with service during World War II, Metzler is buried in the cemetery which he administered for over twenty years.

Family

* John C. Metzler's son,

John C. Metzler Jr. John C. Metzler Jr. (born September 12, 1947) is an American civil servant who was Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, from 1991 to 2010.Pickert,"A Field of Trees and Bones", ''Lost'' December 2005."McHugh Streng ...

, grew up in the cemetery and was its superintendent from 1991 to 2010. Metzler Jr. helped preside over the burial of JFK's widow, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, in 1994. Due to a controversy over mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery, he was issued a letter of reprimand on June 10, 2010."McHugh Strengthens Management, Oversight at Arlington National Cemetery."
Press release. United States Army. United States Department of Defense. June 10, 2010.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Metzler, John C. Sr. 1909 births 1990 deaths People from Brooklyn United States Army soldiers Military personnel from New York City United States Army personnel of World War II Arlington National Cemetery John F. Kennedy Robert F. Kennedy People from Merritt Island, Florida Burials at Arlington National Cemetery