Memorials

Hello! It's been a busy summer, but nevertheless, I press on with this East Coast travelogue. We landed at Reagan International on March 28; this post will describe our day on April 1. (Actually, it won't, because we spent four hours of April 1 at the Smithsonian museums. The Smithsonian Institution gets a separate post.)

The bus rolled at 7:15 am. Our first stop was the Korean War Memorial, and from there we walked to the Vietnam and Lincoln memorials.

At the Vietnam Memorial, we were busy rubbing a name off the wall (Jay Manchester, a friend of my dad's) so took no photos. I did get a shot of the Vietnam Women's Memorial with my phone.

Next: the Lincoln Memorial.

According to legend, the face of Robert E. Lee is sculpted onto the back of Lincoln's head. Speaking of Robert E. Lee, his former home was our next stop.

To make a very long, historically-significant story short, George Washington's step-grandson, (last name Custis) built a grand house on a hill overlooking Washington. Robert E. Lee married his granddaughter, and the mansion was their home for thirty years. During the Civil War, the U.S. government seized the property and began burying Union soldiers near the house. Today, the Custis house sits atop Arlington National Cemetery.

At the top of the photo is the Custis home; below is the eternal flame on John F. Kennedy's grave. The next picture is the view from the house.

Our school placed a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Note: You can't just walk up to this tomb and put flowers on it. It's guarded at all hours, in all weather, by military Sentinels who undergo strenuous training and testing for the privilege. To participate in a wreath-laying ceremony, Firm Foundation submitted a request with Arlington National Cemetery in advance, and held an essay contest to determine which students would participate.

It is not considered proper to sit down at Arlington, no matter now inviting the various granite walls and ledges appear, and no matter how tired your legs are. We stood gladly, because Arlington is a lovely and sober place. The people underground may rest, and those of us paying respect can stand.

If we stood in a wobbly manner, it was due to the morning march through all those memorials, and several hours spent at the Smithsonian Museums.

As I mentioned, the Smithsonian gets its own post, if I can fit it all into one.