Anna Der-Vartanian was laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on August 16, 2011.
On August 16, 2011, Anna Der-Vartanian was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, the nation's most hallowed burial ground for those who served the United States with distinction. Her interment there reflects the deep respect accorded to her decades of pioneering service, both in the U.S. Navy and later with the Central Intelligence Agency.
As the first woman in American military history to reach the E-9 pay grade and serve as a Master Chief Petty Officer, Der-Vartanian's burial at Arlington stands as a fitting final tribute to a woman who broke through significant gender barriers within the armed forces at a time when opportunities for women in the military were still severely constrained.
Her military funeral honors — likely including a flag-draped casket, a rifle party, and other traditional ceremonial elements befitting a highly decorated senior service member — served to honor not only her personal accomplishments but her broader symbolic importance as a trailblazer for generations of women who would follow her into military and government service. Her resting place at Arlington ensures that her legacy remains permanently memorialized among the nation's most honored veterans.