<P> Congress has from time to time created prohibited categories of persons that, even if otherwise eligible for burial, lose that eligibility . One such prohibition is against certain persons who are convicted of committing certain state or federal capital crimes, as defined in 38 U.S. Code § 2411 . Capital crime is a specifically defined term in the statute, and for state offenses can include offenses that are eligible for a life sentence (with or without parole). The reasoning for this provision originally was to prevent Timothy McVeigh from being eligible at Arlington National Cemetery, but it has since been amended to prevent others . </P> <P> Also prohibited under the same statute are those determined, with clear and convincing evidence, to have avoided such conviction by death or flight . </P> <P> The first soldier to be buried in Arlington was Private William Henry Christman of Pennsylvania on May 13, 1864 . There are 396 Medal of Honor recipients buried in Arlington National Cemetery, nine of whom are Canadian . </P> <P> Five state funerals have been held at Arlington: those of Presidents William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy, his two brothers, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy, and General of the Armies John J. Pershing . Whether or not they were wartime service members, U.S. presidents are eligible to be buried at Arlington, since they oversaw the armed forces as commanders - in - chief . </P>

Who was the first person buried at arlington national cemetery