National cemetery's centuries-old 'Arlington Oak' which shaded Kennedy's grave site tragically felled by Irene
Arlington National Cemetery officials say a 220-year-old oak tree at the grave site of President John F Kennedy was destroyed in Hurricane Irene last weekend.
The historical 'Arlington Oak' stood through the construction of Arlington House, the pre-Civil War home of Confederate General Robert E Lee, and the creation of the cemetery in 1864.
The majestic tree, among five fallen at the national cemetery, shaded visitors to the Kennedy grave site for 48 years.[...]
It was also a spot that JFK himself had once admired.
During a visit to the hollowed ground in 1963, Kennedy reportedly said the view from the hillside - in which the giant oak tree played a significant part - was so stunning he could stay there forever.