Theresa May lays wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery

Saphora Smith27 January 2017
WEST END FINAL

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Theresa May has paid her respects to the US military dead hours before her keenly awaited meeting with President Donald Trump.

Mrs May laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown soldiers at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, which holds the remains of unidentified US troops from the First and Second World Wars, as well as the Korean conflict.

Dressed in sombre black, the PM was greeted by troops representing all military units based in Washington, led by Major General Bradley Becker, commander of Joint Force Headquarters for the national capital region.

A cannon was fired 19 times as the Prime Minister's convoy arrived at the cemetery and made its way to the memorial, which stands on a small hill looking down over serried ranks of gravestones to the monuments of Washington a few miles away across the Potomac River.

Theresa May lays the wreath on Friday morning  
Getty Images

After a military band played the national anthems of the UK and US, the PM mounted the steps to lay a wreath of red poppies, bowing her head in respect as a single trumpeter sounded the Last Post.

More than 400,000 US troops killed in conflicts from the Civil War to the on-going War on Terror are laid to rest at Arlington.

Theresa May pays her respects to the unknown soldier 
EPA

Among them are a number of British troops who died fighting alongside US forces.

Also at the cemetery are a memorial to the victims of the Lockerbie terror attack and the grave of assassinated US president John F Kennedy.

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