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Arlington, VA → Washington, DC → Arlington, VA 15.7 mi (25.3 km) |
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Good morning, everyone!
I had to drag myself out of bed this morning, because we got back to the hotel at midnight and had to get up at 4:00 AM to prepare for a 6:00 AM breakfast and 7:30 AM departure for the main events on the Honor Flight! That’s okay, though, because I’m super excited to see the ceremonies for the veterans!
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Since most of these folks were veterans of the second World War, our first stop was at one of the newest memorials (2004) on the National Mall: the World War II Memorial! Seated directly between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, the World War II memorial features columns for all fifty states, a monument to victory in the Atlantic, and the Pacific, and a gallery of 4,048 gold stars to commemorate the 405,399 American lives lost during the war!
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Here, the veterans lined up in their wheelchairs, facing the Lincoln Memorial, and watched a color guard presentation. It was short and sweet, and then the veterans were invited to visit the columns of their native states. Even though Eddie lives in Utah now, he was living in the Bronx when he was drafted. I also couldn’t help snapping a photo at California:
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From there, we embarked on a relaxing “Mall Crawl” for a couple of hours! That meant we were all free to wander the monuments of the Mall until lunch time! How neat!
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Since we were right by the Washington Monument, I wanted to go take a look at that first before we went to the others on the opposite end of the reflecting pond. At 600-feet in height, this Egyptian obelisk is the easily spotted centerpiece of our nation’s capital! It was designed by Robert Mills in homage to George Washington, and it is visible from all presidential monuments within the city! While it’s possible to journey up to the top, the line was very long, so we had to admire it from below!
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The next memorial drew even more people, probably because it was designed to honor the president who brought our nation back together after the Civil War: Abraham Lincoln! The 19-foot statue of the president inside this temple is one of the most recognizable symbols of American patriotism, and it is flanked on both sides by his Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address! It also turned out to be a great spot to meet other traveling animals!
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Charlie the Monkey was visiting the District of Columbia from Cleveland! He is a much more casual traveler than I am, going from place to place with his two companions and just seeing things for fun, monkeying around, so to speak!
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Then I met Petra the dog, who came all the way from England to visit the capital of the former colonies. Petra is very interested in promoting good eating habits, which is very different from most dogs I have met before! It was really cool getting to see other traveling animals up close and in person, because most of the time, I’m the shortest one at places I visit!
The Honor Flight group reconvened at the Korean War Memorial for a yummy boxed lunch. Eddie was having issues with his hearing aid, but he did seem to be enjoying the sites a lot. From there, we boarded the bus to visit our next monument: the Air Force Memorial!
I didn’t take any photos here, because it didn’t feel right after I’d overheard someone at the Lincoln Memorial refusing to have his picture taken, because he didnt want to disrespect Mr. Lincoln by making him part of a background. At the Air Force Memorial, there was a presentation on Prisoners of War and those who went MIA, and it was too sad to think about posing in front of the colossal metal spirals, like jets flying into the air. It was a beautiful ceremony, though, in a beautiful place overlooking Washington.
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The next site we visited didn’t come with a ceremony, only a wander. It was the US Marine Corps War Memorial, a 78-foot high replica of the four soldiers who famously raised the American flag atop Mount Suribashi during the Battle of Iwo Jima! As you walk around the statue, it gives the illusion that the flag is being raised! It’s a symbol of tenacity in the face of danger, as only two of these soldiers made it off Iwo Jima alive. As such, the memorial remembers by name every principal Marine victory in America’s history!
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For our last stop this evening, the buses pulled into Arlington National Cemetery. You know my policy on cemetery photos, so I can only relate through writing. It is a vast space built on the former estate of Robert E. Lee, where both Union and Confederate soldiers were buried (Confederate gravestones were pointed so that people wouldn’t come and sit on them)! Two presidents and many soldiers of foreign wars are buried here, but our aim was to see the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
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The famous casket over the tomb of an unknown man who died during World War I is guarded by elite volunteer members of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment. Every hour, on the hour, the guards change in an elaborate ceremony of 21-step increments, to symbolize the 21-gun salute, the highest military honor! It was a beautiful ceremony to watch, but from my perch, it was disappointing to see so many people watching through cameras and phones. Cameras can be lots of fun, but when you’re at a solemn ceremony, they’re better left at home!
Inside the Memorial Amphitheater above the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, there was a display on September 11th with items taken from the wreckage: hats, toys, and other belongings that were never claimed. It was very sad and very humbling to see, and I was glad for the quietness here.
The night was never meant to end on a sad note, though! On returning to the hotel, everyone got dressed up for the Heroes’ Banquet, featuring—the organizers were very excited about this—meat loaf for dinner! At the banquet, they played all five of the Armed Forces service songs and presented a slide show of the trip so far. Some folks brought photos of their loved ones who had died before they’d gotten to take the Honor Flight, and it was very emotional. Eddie still couldn’t hear much, but he did seem moved by the experience.
It’s hard to believe that this is the climax of the trip already. The family plane goes home first thing in the morning, and the veterans depart in the afternoon. It’s been a whirlwind glimpse of Washington, D.C., but I sure am glad to have gotten to spend it with my friends.
Anchors aweigh!
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Total Ground Covered: 39.8 mi (64.1 km) |
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