Veteran's Day - Washington DC

Be warned. This is a long post with lots of pictures but hopefully you will enjoy the pictures. It includes the story of the white squirrel, the 21 gun salute,the motorcycle at the Vietnam Memorial, Mackenzie's love of North Carolina at the WW II Memorial and pictures of my new favorite memorial. As you look at all the memorials and especially my new favorite memorial hopefully you will pause to remember a veteran you know and send them an e-mail or call them and tell them thank you.

A couple of weeks ago Mackenize and I had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC. Since my dad,his siblings and father and all of my mom's brother's were in the military I especially enjoyed the War Monuments and Memorials. Today being Veteran's day I thought it would be a good time to reflect on my thoughts as I took Mackenize to see these monuments for the first time.

This was a favorite moment at the cemetery as a group of Veteran's sat waiting to enter. I could imagine being there with my dad and uncles and listening to their stories.

I wore my cousin's Army Jacket that weekend since it was very cool and I did feel very proud to be wearing it. There was almost a prestige that came with it.(Chris would say it's because it was his jacket but he would be wrong.) I wish I could have brought it home but I don't think I want the entire Army after me just for a jacket.

My parents lived up on the hill behind the cemetery while my dad was stationed in Washington DC and working at the Pentagon. My mom said they could stand at their window and watch the funerals of the soldiers. She would hear taps being played and felt sorry for the family. My cousin Chris (our tour guide for the weekend and a Major in the Army)served in Iraq and has a friend buried here. He said it is so large and the first time he went to find his friend he got lost.

Some 230,000 veterans and dependents are buried on the cemetery’s 612 acres. From Pierre L’Enfant, George Washington’s aide during the American Revolution, to American service members killed during Operation Desert Storm. Arlington has the remains of veterans representing every military action the United States has fought.

After the Civil War, only the poor or unidentified were buried at Arlington, now it is a burial site particularly coveted by veterans and their families. Space for in-ground burials is restricted to those who die on active duty, have had 20 years of service, or earned certain military decorations, and their spouses and dependents. I think it is pretty cool that my parents and I could be buried in such a place of honor.


While at the tomb of the unknown soldier (Amazing experience. Complete silence during the changing of the guard without any signs or pleadings or Ssshhing. Only other time was at the Holocaust Museum. Different story different day.) Chris asked me if I knew why we had a 21 gun salute. I am the worst History knowledgeable person in the world but knew my dad wants one at his funeral so I said no. In a whisper he said 1776. and then very slowly 1+7+7+6=21. I hope that wasn't classified information. Oops! He then pointed out that the guard takes 21 steps. (I counted he does) We then realized that he pauses for 21 seconds between each turn. What a symbolic presentation and a great experience.

This was Mackenzie's favorite memorial. She loved all the tombstones (my gore child) and took a picture of "all" of them I do believe. So if you have a family member buried there I bet we have a picture. Her other reason to deem this her favorite it is where we saw the white squirrel.

Yes! a white squirrel.

I said it was a ghost squirrel since we were at the cemetery. Mackenzie said it a white squirrel and Chris said it was the president's bald squirrel. Since at the Pentagon we had just seen the President fly over in his one of two helicopters he must be looking for his bald squirrel. His story was that since the nation's bird was a bald eagle then it must be the president's bald squirrel.
It wasn't until later that I learned I could walk on the grass or I would have walked up and taken a closer picture.

Right next to Arlington Cemetery is the Women In Military Service for America Memorial. A special thank you to the women who have served and will continue to serve. Mackenzie said she was just going to be president and tell the boys what to do.

Just a short walk from there is the Iwo Jima Memorial. The United States Marine Corps War Memorial, better known as the Iwo Jima Memorial depicts one of the most historic battles of World War II, the battle of Iwo Jima. The memorial is dedicated to all marines who have given their lives in battle.


The Korean War Memorial was one of our favorite Memorials to visit. Nineteen stainless steel sculptures stand silently under the watchful eye of a sea of faces upon a granite wall—reminders of the human cost of defending freedom. These elements all bear witness to the patriotism, devotion to duty, and courage of Korean War veterans. The day we were there a group of Koreans were also there and they had put these flowers out thanking us for our service. It made for a very special day.



At the Memorial is a stone wall with the inscription "Freedom is not free." Chris pointed to this and although it looks like a feather it is really part of the stone. We have tried to research it to see if it was done on purpose but can't find any information yet.

My dad lived in Korea and while I was telling Chris this he suggested Mackenzie throw a coin in the fountain in honor of her grandfather. She did after much prodding and then we walked around to the front of the fountain and found this sign.


I being such a knowledgeable history buff mentioned that I really liked this memorial. Chris said it represents an attack. What an ah ha moment. I had no idea I just thought it was a group of men. It was getting dark at this point so I took a picture and now as I look at the picture I can only imagine what it would be like to be there sneaking up at night getting ready for an attack. How scary for those young men. I was so grateful to them at that moment. I learned that the Korean War has often been referred to as the "forgotten war" because it came on the heels of World War II and was overshadowed by the Vietnam War. But standing there at that moment no one could forget.


One of the next Memorials we saw was the Vietnam Memorial known simply as "The Wall". The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a black granite wall with the names of 58,209 American’s killed or missing in the Vietnam conflict inscribed on it.
The veterans names are listed in chronological order along the wall of when the casualty occurred. There is an alphabetical directory which helps visitors locate names. We found several names in this directory. Thank goodness for alphabetical order.


We met a veteran there who was very knowledgeable. We learned about the first and last woman to have their names on the wall. I have included pictures of both. There is also one other woman. I loved how the wall began in the top right corner and ended in the bottom left corner.



While eaves dropping on a tour we heard the guide talking about the gifts that were left at "The Wall". We saw pictures, flowers and combat boots. He said that is what you most often see. He said one morning however, they discovered a motorcycle. The story was that the motorcycle was left by a group of veterans who wanted to ride and they wanted all brothers to be able to ride and that it wouldn't be riden until all the were home.

This monument we just happened to come upon while looking for something else. I love it when you find treasures. The World War I Memorial commemorates the 26,000 citizens of Washington, D.C. who served in World War I. It is located on the National Mall in West Potomac Park and intended to be used as a bandstand large enough to accommodate the 80-member U.S. Marine Corps Band. Inscribed in the base are 499 names of Washingtonians who lost their life in the war. Authorized by Congress in 1924, the memorial was appropriately dedicated in 1931 on Armistice Day-the official end of WWI. It serves as the first war memorial to be built in West Potomac Park and stands as the only local memorial on the National Mall. I enjoyed it even more when I learned more about it.

We also saw the World War II Memorial. Each pillar is inscribed with the name of one of the 48 U.S. states of 1945, as well as the District of Columbia, the Alaska Territory and Territory of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The northern arch is inscribed with "Atlantic"; the southern one, "Pacific."
The Freedom Wall is on the west side of the memorial, with a view of the Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial behind it. I knew the stars were important and found it interesting that the wall contains 4,048gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war.
My favorite part of this memorial was the sweet veteran and his wife who were visiting it for the first time. My funniest moment was that the people thought we were from North Carolina because Mackenzie only wanted her picture taken under that state. It is her favorite and she wants us to move there. Note: she has never even been there. We took our picture beside Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee all in recognition of family from there who had served in this war.



This is a memorial that we just happened upon on our last day when we were rushing to get to the Old Post Office. Chris didn't take us here maybe because he is an Army guy I guess.

The founders of the Navy Memorial envisioned this Lone Sailor at 25 years old at most, a senior second class petty officer who is fast becoming a seagoing veteran. He has done it all – fired his weapons in a dozen wars, weighed anchor from a thousand ports, tracked supplies, doused fires, repelled boarders, typed in quadruplicate and mess-cooked, too. He has made liberty call in great cities and tiny villages, where he played tourist, ambassador, missionary to the poor, adventurer, souvenir shopper and friend to new lands. His shipmates remember him with pride and tell their grandchildren stories, some of which, like him, are seven feet tall. My uncle served in the Navy and although I never met him this memorial gives me a warm fuzzy feeling of him. I thought about the stories I had heard and one that came to mind was the story of him being on the ship and hearing them call out a gun number that had been hit. He realized it was his and ran to protect it.

I loved all the Monuments and Memorials I saw that weekend and I thought a lot about all the men and women who lost their lives in each of those wars and branches of service. This next memorial will be one that I will cherish for a very long time. Again another memorial that we just happened upon. We were walking back to get on the Metro late Saturday night and this is what we found in the bushes. It isn't known for it's height, in fact it is probably the shortest memorial I saw. I don't believe there were bands and public officials there for the "ground breaking". There were no long lines waiting to take pictures. There were no brochures being passed out to explain the meaning of it or what materials were used to build it. I am sure that if you google it you will not find any reference to it. But it is my favorite and I got a chill when I discovered it almost hidden in the bushes. I love it and I hope if you took the time to look through all these pictures and think of a veteran you know you will love it also. I will always remember it becuase as we were walking past it my cousin was on the phone discussing a situation at work. No emergency but something that would require him to get up at 4:00 in the morning and report to duty. I don't know any of the details that are involved in our military but I know that each day they put their lives on the line. In each battle of each war someone makes the ultimate sacrifice so that I can live in this free country and I am so grateful. I read the names on this my new favorite memorial. As I read the names on this small hand made memorial three of the soldiers were from Texas, one was from Alabama (where my family lives) and one was from Georgia. Thank you to these 6 soldiers, all the soldiers represented on the memorials and to all the men and women serving in the armed forces today.





This post is dedicated to my mom's heros: At her 75th birthday party she paid special tribute to her hero's becuase they had put their life on the line for her freedom. I ditto that Thank you.

My dad, Uncle Gloyd, Uncle Glen, Uncle Robert, Chris, Uncle Floyd, Uncle Carl.

Uncle Kenneth

and also although I don't have a picture my dad's brother's Uncle Kyle and Uncle Sam.

John's dad and his brother's Jason, Jerry and Joe

and all my cousin's who are now serving.

Love this from Google today.