USS Maine Memorial

Rising from the center of a circular granite mausoleum in Arlington National Cemetery is the main mast of the USS Maine, the armored cruiser that exploded in Havana Harbor in 1898. This tragedy spurred a rallying cry, “Remember the Maine!” and helped propel the U.S. into the Spanish-American War. 

After more than a decade at the bottom of the ocean, the remains of the USS Maine were raised, and the Navy brought the mast to Arlington in 1912, setting it upright on a granite base meant to evoke the battleship’s turret. The monument contains inscriptions of the names and ranks of the more than 260 officers and enlisted men who perished in the wreck. 

The deceased were originally buried in a Havana cemetery due to Spanish policy. However, Congress later approved a bill that allowed their remains to be transferred to Arlington, where they were reinterred with a full military honors service. 

Surrounding the mast are relics of the era, including a massive anchor resembling the one carried by the ship, and two bronze mortars captured from Spanish forces. The memorial’s entryway contains half of the ship’s bell, retrieved from the bottom of Havana Harbor, lending the quiet stone structure a haunting sense of presence.