I believe there are more monuments and memorials in the city of Washington DC than in any other city in the nation. We tried to visit as many as we could. In fact, while Nancy was visiting, we not only visited the memorials in the daytime, but we took a grayline tour that showed us Washington by night with all the lighted memorials and monuments. One of the most recognized memorials is that of Iwo Jima which depicts the moment when the Marines raised the flag over Mount Suribachi during World War II.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is one very dear to our hearts as our son's partner was killed in the line of duty and we wanted to visit the memorial and make a shading of his name which is engraved on one of the "Pathways of Remembrance". The memorial was dedicated in 1991 by President George W. Bush. It honors all of America's federal, state and local law enforcers. Inscribed on the Memorial's blue-gray marble walls are the names of more than 17,500 officers who have been killed in the line of duty, dating back to the first known death in 1792. The Memorial sits on three acres of federal park land called Judiciary Square. Bordering the Memorial's beautifully landscaped park are two tree-lined "pathways of remembrance," where the names of the fallen officers are engraved There is a reflecting pool going down the center. Each of the pathways entrances are adorned with a powerful statuary grouping of an adult lion protecting its cubs. These statues symbolize the protective role of our law officers and convey the strength, courage, and valor that are the hallmarks of those who serve in law enforcement. An inscription on the Memorial Wall explains the uplifting spirit that is felt by every visitor: "In valor, there is hope".
One of the memorials we visited at night was the FDR memorial. George decided to place himself at the end of the bronze statues waiting in the food line. (Sounds like the right place for him to be since he likes food so well.)
The World War II memorial was also one that was very touching and close to our hearts. It honors the 16 million who served in uniform, of whom over 400,000 gave their lives. It also honors the many millions who supported the war effort on the home front and celebrates the American spirit, national unity, and victory. It recognizes the price paid by families. The Memorial was dedicated on May 29, 2004, funded mostly by private donations. Placing the memorial between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial reflects the importance of World War II in preserving and internationalizing democratic ideal won under George Washington and defended under Abraham Lincoln. The World War II Memorial reminds future generations that we must sometimes sacrifice for causes greater than ourselves.
The Korean War Memorial is a triangle of 19 stainless steel statues which depicts a squad on patrol and evokes the experience of American ground troops in Korea. On the south side is a polished black granite wall. It's polished surface mirrors the statues, intermingling the reflected images with the faces etched into the granite. At night when the soldiers are lit up, you see the reflection very vividly and instead of 19 soldiers, you see a total of 38 which represents the 38th parallel which was the new boundary estabished by the negotiated settlement in 1953. There are four words on the wall which we all need to remember "Freedom is Not Free!"
Next to the Korean War Memorial is the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. In 1980, Congress authorized a site in Constitution Gardens near the Lincoln Memorial for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The walls are polished black granite and point to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The 58,245 names are inscribed in chonological order of the date of casualty. The names begin at the vertex of the walls below the date of the first casualty and continue to the end of the east wall. They resume at the tip of the west wall, ending at the vertex above the date of the last death. The walls are 246 feet long with the height of the wall at the vertex being 10 feet. Family members and friends leave mementos and tokens of remembrance at the memorial such as the boots shown below. Nancy was able to locate the name of a POW that she knew.
There were certainly more memorials such as the Thomas Jefferson which was influenced by circular colonaded buildings in Rome. President Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the memorial on April 13, 1943 on the 200th anniversary of Jefferson's birth. I'm told the memorial is especially beautiful in the spring when the Japanese cherry trees are blooming.
There's also the Washington Monument, mentioned in another blog as well as the Lincoln Memorial. the building is constructed primarily of Colorado Yule marble and Indiana limestone. The 36 coloumns around the memorial represent the states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. The sitting statue of Lincoln inside in 19 feet tall and 19 feet wide and made from 28 marble blocks. Murals depicting principles evident in Lincoln's life are on the north and south walls above inscriptions of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address.
No matter how often we went to visit these memorials and monuments, we always saw something new and felt as if we were personally sharing every moment of our present, with those of the past.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is one very dear to our hearts as our son's partner was killed in the line of duty and we wanted to visit the memorial and make a shading of his name which is engraved on one of the "Pathways of Remembrance". The memorial was dedicated in 1991 by President George W. Bush. It honors all of America's federal, state and local law enforcers. Inscribed on the Memorial's blue-gray marble walls are the names of more than 17,500 officers who have been killed in the line of duty, dating back to the first known death in 1792. The Memorial sits on three acres of federal park land called Judiciary Square. Bordering the Memorial's beautifully landscaped park are two tree-lined "pathways of remembrance," where the names of the fallen officers are engraved There is a reflecting pool going down the center. Each of the pathways entrances are adorned with a powerful statuary grouping of an adult lion protecting its cubs. These statues symbolize the protective role of our law officers and convey the strength, courage, and valor that are the hallmarks of those who serve in law enforcement. An inscription on the Memorial Wall explains the uplifting spirit that is felt by every visitor: "In valor, there is hope".
One of the memorials we visited at night was the FDR memorial. George decided to place himself at the end of the bronze statues waiting in the food line. (Sounds like the right place for him to be since he likes food so well.)
The World War II memorial was also one that was very touching and close to our hearts. It honors the 16 million who served in uniform, of whom over 400,000 gave their lives. It also honors the many millions who supported the war effort on the home front and celebrates the American spirit, national unity, and victory. It recognizes the price paid by families. The Memorial was dedicated on May 29, 2004, funded mostly by private donations. Placing the memorial between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial reflects the importance of World War II in preserving and internationalizing democratic ideal won under George Washington and defended under Abraham Lincoln. The World War II Memorial reminds future generations that we must sometimes sacrifice for causes greater than ourselves.
The Korean War Memorial is a triangle of 19 stainless steel statues which depicts a squad on patrol and evokes the experience of American ground troops in Korea. On the south side is a polished black granite wall. It's polished surface mirrors the statues, intermingling the reflected images with the faces etched into the granite. At night when the soldiers are lit up, you see the reflection very vividly and instead of 19 soldiers, you see a total of 38 which represents the 38th parallel which was the new boundary estabished by the negotiated settlement in 1953. There are four words on the wall which we all need to remember "Freedom is Not Free!"
Next to the Korean War Memorial is the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. In 1980, Congress authorized a site in Constitution Gardens near the Lincoln Memorial for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The walls are polished black granite and point to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The 58,245 names are inscribed in chonological order of the date of casualty. The names begin at the vertex of the walls below the date of the first casualty and continue to the end of the east wall. They resume at the tip of the west wall, ending at the vertex above the date of the last death. The walls are 246 feet long with the height of the wall at the vertex being 10 feet. Family members and friends leave mementos and tokens of remembrance at the memorial such as the boots shown below. Nancy was able to locate the name of a POW that she knew.
There were certainly more memorials such as the Thomas Jefferson which was influenced by circular colonaded buildings in Rome. President Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the memorial on April 13, 1943 on the 200th anniversary of Jefferson's birth. I'm told the memorial is especially beautiful in the spring when the Japanese cherry trees are blooming.
There's also the Washington Monument, mentioned in another blog as well as the Lincoln Memorial. the building is constructed primarily of Colorado Yule marble and Indiana limestone. The 36 coloumns around the memorial represent the states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. The sitting statue of Lincoln inside in 19 feet tall and 19 feet wide and made from 28 marble blocks. Murals depicting principles evident in Lincoln's life are on the north and south walls above inscriptions of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. No matter how often we went to visit these memorials and monuments, we always saw something new and felt as if we were personally sharing every moment of our present, with those of the past.There is still more to come on Washington DC. Our two weeks there only brushed the tip of the iceberg. So much to see and do that it literally wears you out. But we are so thankful that we've had the opportunity to see and experience all these wonderful sites. Hope you are enjoying the trip as well.
1 comment:
Fabulous pictures!!! My goodness, I remember going to each and every one of those spots -- with the purse from hell. Note to travelers: do not try out a new backpack/purse on an extended trip. It can cause a great amount of excitement, followed by hours of entertainment for the hosts. In the meantime, I caught up on some of the blog about Williamsburg that I missed earlier; that's a must on my "to do" list, even if it is a bit expensive. Enjoy, and keep up the good work of having fun!
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