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While the eternal flame is a popular motif in memorials around the world, we focused our answer to your burning question on the John F. Kennedy Grave Site in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. The U.S. Army hosts a fascinating article about the genesis of the grave site. The eternal flame at the JFK Memorial is fueled by natural gas, and is administered by the Washington Gas Company. According to this story behind the eternal flame, it's connected to a dedicated underground line of natural gas. Hence, it doesn't need to be refueled. The first model, however, was fueled by propane tanks that were buried at the grave site. It was quickly
assembled after Jacqueline Kennedy requested an eternal flame, after the tomb of the French Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. This model was removed in 1965. How does the eternal flame stay eternal? A constantly flashing electric spark near the tip of its nozzle relights the gas if the flame is accidentally extinguished. Kansas-based Flame Engineering designed the eternal flame at Ground Zero with a similar feature.
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