May 16th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

Today, five of us took our own self-guided walking tour of Arlington National Cemetery. It is the country’s largest military cemetery and serves as the final resting place for more than 400,000 military veterans and their immediate family from the fronts of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as World Wars I and II, the Korean conflict, Vietnam, the Cold War and America’s Civil War.

On average, 25 burials occur each weekday, for a total of nearly 6,900 each year.  Flags at Arlington National Cemetery are flown at half-staff from 30 minutes prior to the first funeral until 30 minutes past the last funeral.  Arlington National Cemetery burial eligibility requirements are stricter than all other national cemeteries.  Today the cemetery covers over 600 acres and contains the remains of more than 400,000 veterans in 70 burial sections, and 38,500 remains in the eight crypts.  The pathways of the cemetery conform to the natural topography of the site, and much of the site is naturally landscaped, although several major pathways, particularly at the southeast corner of the grounds, are lined with trees.  Throughout the cemetery, monuments are placed atop prominent hills, many providing visual and symbolic links to Washington, DC, located across the Potomac River.

Our first stop was the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy. At his funeral on Nov. 25, 1963, Jacqueline and Robert Kennedy lit an eternal flame that remains alight today. Two of Kennedy’s children and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis are also buried alongside the president.

Arlington House, the former residence of Robert E. Lee, sits on a hill overlooking the cemetery. Originally built to be a living memorial to George Washington. Over the years, the house was also used as a plantation estate and home to 63 slaves, a military headquarters, a community for emancipated slaves and a national cemetery. Although Robert E. Lee never owned the property, he and Mary Anna lived there until 1861 when Virginia seceded from the Union and Lee took command of the Virginia State Military while Mary Anna took safety elsewhere.  Lee never returned to Arlington House.

In 1864, the Federal Government repossessed the property over a failure to pay taxes and put it up for auction where a tax commissioner purchased the property for government, military, charitable, and educational purposes.  Lee’s son, Custis Lee, sued over the confiscation of the property, and in 1882, the Supreme Court ordered the land returned to the Lee family.  The following year Congress purchased the property outright.

On June 15, 1864, the Arlington House property and 200 acres of surrounding land were designated as a military cemetery as Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs wanted to ensure that Lee could not return to the site.  The first burial at Arlington National Cemetery was that of Private William Henry Christman, who lies in Section 27, Lot 19. The grave of the Private, from the 67th Pennsylvania, is the oldest military grave at Arlington. Christman was laid to rest on May 13, 1864.

In April 2004, "Mean Girls" was playing in theaters and "Yeah!" by Usher was topping the Billboard music charts. At the same time, around the mid-Atlantic region, small holes in the ground were opening up from which billions of bulky, red-eyed, winged insects would emerge, readying for a bacchanal of singing and mating -- and reminding humans of a horror movie. As the summer of 2004 waned, so did the lifespan, just a few weeks long, of those adult cicadas, and the larvae of the next generation dropped back to the earth where they would spend the next 17 years.

This spring, 17 years later, those cicadas are part of Brood X (ominous as the "X" sounds, it stands for the Roman numeral ten) and for all that time they have been underground eating and growing. Researchers aren't sure exactly how many will surface, except that it will be in the billions: They estimate the numbers will be at least 1.5 million per acre, which could mean as many as 30 of the creatures covering your average square foot. Brood X, sometimes referred to as the Great Eastern Brood, is among the largest in terms of geographical areas in North America, according to the University of Connecticut's Cicada Mapping Project.

The billions of bugs will come out, scientists say, when conditions are just right: when the soil is 64 degrees and on a night that's humid enough, but free of wind and rain. According to John Cooley, who runs the Periodical Cicada Mapping Project at the University of Connecticut, they start very pale and very small, even as small as "a grain of rice." But once the cicadas are above ground, they grow -- and grow fast. "They're going to emerge from that hole and go climb up some vegetation and undergo their final molt to the adult form, and that molting process takes about an hour and the newly emerged adult will be very pale when it comes out," Cooley said. "And over the next couple of hours, it'll finish very quickly finish expanding its body and then dark enough to have the adult colors."

 

After that, the cicadas spend about a week maturing. Once fully grown, their primary objective is -- mating. Their quest to procreate is precipitated by a loud signature "song." Male cicadas generate sounds with tymbals, an organ that generates sound when it contracts, the hollow body amplifies the sound. According to a project to prevent hearing loss in children sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, cicada choruses can reach 90 decibels and ordinances in the District of Columbia, the epicenter of the brood, say any sound over 70 decibels is considered a disturbance.

Males sing to entice females, of course, and Jenna Jadin, who has researched the insects at the University of Maryland (and even wrote a cicada cookbook "Cicada-Liscious"), likens the sound to human mating rituals. "It's like a bunch of guys at a frat party, they're all singing[...]some cheesy party song, and then the college sophomore girl sees the guy and she winks at him, and so that's the female cicada's click," Jadin said. 

"And so then he starts going, 'hey, baby, hey, baby, hey, baby, hey, baby, hey baby,' faster and faster and then they find each other." After all the singing and clicking, the cicadas mate and the females lay eggs in trees and other plants. Then, after about 4 to 6 weeks of life above ground, the party ends with dead adult cicadas and molted exoskeletons littered literally everywhere and the next generation of cicada larvae heading back underground.

Although the cicadas invade in great volume -- to overwhelm the appetites of predators -- they are harmless, don't bite or sting and aren't toxic. We should appreciate the once-in-a-17-year experience and the cicada songs that won't be heard again until 2038.

The largest structure within the cemetery is the Memorial Amphitheater, located near the center of the grounds.  Dedicated on May 15, 1920, the amphitheater is used for three major ceremonies each year, the services on Easter, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day.  The amphitheater is enclosed by a white marble oval colonnade, topped with a frieze inscribed with the names of 44 battles from the Revolutionary War through the Spanish-American War.  The names of 14 U.S. Army Generals and 14 U.S. Navy Admirals are inscribed on panels flanking the stage. Inscribed above the west entrance is a quote from the Roman poet, Horace, which reads “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori,” meaning, “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.”

Adjacent to the amphitheater is the Tomb of the Unknowns, a burial vault containing the remains of three unidentified service members, one each from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.  A white marble sarcophagus sits atop the vaults facing Washington, and is inscribed with three Greek allegorical figures representing Peace, Victory, and Valor.  The Unknown Soldier of World War I was interred in the tomb on Armistice Day in 1921 after lying in state beneath the Capitol dome after the arrival of his remains from France.  The Unknown Soldiers of World War II and the Korean War were buried on May 30, 1958, after lying in state and each receiving the Medal of Honor.  

The Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War, interred and presented with the Medal of Honor in 1984, was subsequently identified as Air Force 1st Lieutenant Michael J. Blassie.  In 1998, Lieutenant Blassie’s remains were disinterred from the Tomb of the Unknowns and reinterred near his family’s home in St. Louis.  Since then the Vietnam vault has remained vacant.  The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by the 3rd U.S. Infantry, the oldest active duty infantry unit in the Army, also known as "The Old Guard." The Tomb is guarded, and has been guarded, every minute of every day since 1937. The Sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are completely dedicated to their duty of guarding the Tomb. In fact, line eight of our Sentinel's Creed refers to the "discomfort of the elements". Because of their dedication, the weather does not bother them. In fact, it is considered an honor to walk the mat during inclement weather. It gets cold, it gets hot and the mission continues as it has unbroken since 1937. The Old Guard is the Army's official ceremonial unit and escort to the president, and it provides security for Washington in times of national emergency or civil disturbance.

We were so lucky to see the Changing of the Guard ritual—an elaborate, somber ceremony where a sentinel seamlessly takes over guard duty for the previous sentinel—happens every hour from October through March and every half hour from April through September.

The Sentinel takes Twenty-one steps, in front of the tomb. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. The Sentinel does not execute an about face, rather they stop on the 21st step, then turn and face the Tomb for 21 seconds. They then turn to face back down the mat, change the weapon to the outside shoulder, mentally count off 21 seconds, then step off for another 21 step walk down the mat. They face the Tomb at each end of the 21 step walk for 21 seconds. The Sentinel then repeats this over and over until the Guard Change ceremony begins.

The average tour at the Tomb is about an 18 months. However, there is NO set time for service there. Sentinels live either in a barracks on Ft. Myer (the Army post located adjacent to the cemetery) or off base if they like. They do have a living quarters under the steps of the amphitheater where they stay during their 24 hour shifts.

The Tomb Guard Identification Badge (TGIB) is awarded after the Sentinel passes a series of tests. The TGIB is permanently awarded after a Sentinel has served nine months as a Sentinel at the Tomb. Over 600 have been awarded since its creation in the late 1950's (on average 10 per year). And while the TGIB can be revoked, the offense must be such that it discredits the Tomb of the Unknowns. Revocation is at the 3rd Infantry Regimental Commander’s discretion and can occur while active duty or even when the Sentinel is a civilian. The TGIB is a full size award, worn on the right pocket of the uniform jacket, not a lapel pin.

Do you wonder, if any Sentinels have been female? There have been over 680 tomb guards awarded the badge since 1958 when we started counting. There are hundreds more from the year 1926 when the Army started guarding the Tomb. The 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard) is the unit that has been given the duty of guarding the Tomb. It was given this sacred duty in 1948. The Old Guard was -- and still is -- considered a combat unit. As an Infantry unit, females were not permitted in the ranks for many years. It wasn't until 1994 that females were permitted to volunteer to become a Sentinel when the 289th Military Police Company was attached to the Old Guard. The MP branch is a combat support unit and includes females. In 1996, SGT Heather Johnson became the first female to earn the Tomb Guard Identification Badge. She volunteered for duty in June 1995 and earned her badge in 1996. However, SGT Johnson was not the only female Sentinel. Since then, there have been a total of five female Sentinels awarded the Tomb Guard Identification Badge: SGT Danyell Wilson earned her badge in 1997; SSG Tonya Bell received hers in 1998; SGT Ruth Hanks earned her badge in June 2015; and SFC Chelsea Porterfield earned her badge in 2021. Several other units have since been attached to the Old Guard -- food service, transportation, medics, etc. -- so now females have an ever greater opportunity to become a Sentinel. Females must meet the same requirements as the male soldiers to be eligible to volunteer at the Tomb. The only difference is that females have a minimum height of 5'8" -- which is the same standard to be a member of the Old Guard.

We quickly learned that the cemetery is built into a hill and requires extensive walking!

The Marine Corps memorial was under reconstruction, I captured a picture for Charlie anyway.

We had two graves to find, one for Patti’s friend and one for a friend of Tim & Doris’s son. We found both grave locations. As we were walking, we were talking about funerals and I remembered we had a friend buried here. Patti said “Wouldn’t it be cool if he was in section 55?” That happened to be the section we were standing in front of. Yes, Roland is laid to rest in section 55. We found him too!

Section 27 contains the remains of more than 3,800 former slaves who resided in the Freedman’s Village on the cemetery grounds.  Freed slaves were allowed to farm on this land from 1863 to 1883, and those who died while residing in the village were buried here.

Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 360 recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, given for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.”

As burial space becomes more sparse, the Army has proposed new criteria on which service members can be laid to rest at the sacred Arlington National Cemetery. Acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy formally announced the new parameters in 2019, saying the changes will allow the cemetery to continue functioning as an active burial ground “well into the future." The biggest change proposed under the new criteria is that veterans who retired from active duty and were eligible for retirement pay would no longer be automatically eligible for in-ground burial. They would be eligible for above-ground "inurnment" of cremated remains. If no changes are made, the cemetery is on course to run out of space for new interments by the mid-2050s, including for Medal of Honor recipients. More than 400,000 people are buried in the cemetery, and only 95,000 burial spaces remain, though a planned expansion will add 37 acres of burial space and more than 10 years of life to the cemetery under the existing rules.

Even with the expansion, the cemetery faces a severe capacity problem in the coming decades. Under the current rules, almost all of the 22 million living armed forces members and veterans are eligible for burial at Arlington, the Army said. "Arlington National Cemetery is a national shrine for all Americans, but especially those who have served our great nation," McCarthy said in a statement. "We must ensure it can honor those we have lost for many years to come." Those who were killed in action, received awards such as the Purple Heart or the Silver Star, and were prisoners of war could still receive an in-ground burial. Service members who died in combat-related service while conducting uniquely military activities also qualify for below-ground interment, as well as veterans with combat service who "also served out of uniform as a government official and made significant contributions to the nation's security at the highest levels of public service," according to officials. U.S. presidents and vice presidents also would retain eligibility.

As we departed Arlington National Cemetery, we spotted the Women's War Memorial. It is located at the western end of Memorial Avenue at exit from Arlington National Cemetery.

The Women in Military Service for America Memorial, is a “hidden gem” within the nation’s capital, a perspective on the memorial that every female in military service needs to change. The memorial is the first monument in the Washington area that honors all military women.

The monument, titled The Pledge, will be unveiled during a ceremony Oct. 17. In bronze, it depicts a service woman outfitted for combat, kneeling and staring face-to-face with a military working dog. The base of the monument says it honors “all women of the U.S. military, past present and future.” It is located in the center of the memorial’s lobby to draw visitors in to see the rest of the exhibits. The monument was commissioned by the U.S. War Dogs Association and is meant to honor female veterans and military dogs.

One side of the monument is inscribed with a quote from Anne Sosh Brehm, a first lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II: “Let the generations know that women in uniform also guaranteed their freedom. That our resolve was just as great as the brave men who stand among us. And with victory, our hearts were just as full and beat just as fast — that the tears fell just as hard for those we left behind.”

The monument’s unveiling comes at a poignant time for women in America. The year marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to vote. It also comes after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a leading voice for gender equality and women’s rights. Ginsburg helped secure equal benefits for female service members and in 1970 pushed the military to drop its policy that forced pregnant troops to leave the service. She also helped open the Virginia Military Institute to women in the 1990s. Ginsburg was buried beside her husband in Arlington National Cemetery in September. That day, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial was draped in black in her honor.

Much of the museum was closed off to visitors as they hung new pieces, but we did enjoy the quotes that are located above the displays on the upper terrace over the skylights into museum.

The Military Women’s Memorial offers a register. It is a one-of-a-kind interactive database that records and preserves the names, service information, photographs and memorable experiences of each registered servicewoman. The Register records and preserves the history of the powerful women who have defended this country—both past and present. Servicewomen and women veterans were invited to make their military experiences visible by “registering” their service. By completing a simple form with their dates of service, branch of service, awards and decorations, at least one memorable experience, and a picture in uniform, women took their rightful and visible place in history for all time. For the first time in American history, there was a place to learn about the extraordinary servicewomen who defend our country. 

Stay tuned as we enjoy more of our #EastCoastPatriotTour

#TwoLaneAdventures

May 15th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

Today we started early with our own private bus and tour guide for our daytime tour of Washington DC. Our first stop was the relatively newly completed memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II and 34th US President. A life-size sculpture of Eisenhower as a young man begins the trajectory of his life as the quintessential American story. The sculpture’s inspiration comes from Eisenhower’s famous homecoming speech in Kansas on June 22, 1945, where he declared the proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene.

It commemorates his military accomplishments, the memorial's core features heroic-size sculptures of General Eisenhower and paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division before the Battle of Normandy. Behind the sculptures is a bas relief depicting the beach landings on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

The space is defined by eight 80-foot stone-clad columns. Six columns support an artistically-woven stainless steel tapestry depicting the Pointe du Hoc promontory of France’s Normandy coastline in peacetime.

We headed to the newest national memorial along Pennsylvania Avenue, the World War I Memorial in Pershing Park.

It still missing its defining feature: “A Soldier’s Journey,” a sculpture that will be the largest free-standing bronze relief in the Western Hemisphere. While there’s a canvas stand-in, the real thing will not be installed for another three years. In the plaza, though, there’s still plenty to see. There are a number of water features, both still and animated. Engraved quotes, maps, and a brief history of the war line marbled walls.

There’s an enlarged victory medallion embedded in the ground. If a visitor stands in the middle, sound reverbs back to them creating an echo effect. And there’s the statue of General John Pershing, a leftover remnant of the previous iteration of the park that stood in this space.

Before the new World War I Memorial, there was Pershing Park. Opened in 1981, the nearly two-acre park was built intentionally as a livable, modernist, landscaped space. It was constructed by the now-defunct Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation, an organization chartered to improve the appearance of “America’s Main Street.” In 1996, Congress disbanded PADC and Pershing Park became a ward of the National Park Service.

We walked around the “back” of the White House, although there is no true front or back and we caught a glimpse of the balcony over the concrete barriers and high wrought iron fences. Our first president, George Washington, selected the site for the White House in 1791. The following year, the cornerstone was laid. After eight years of construction, President John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the still-unfinished residence. During the War of 1812, the British set fire to the President’s House. James Monroe moved into the building in 1817, and during his administration, the South Portico was constructed. In 1829, Andrew Jackson oversaw the addition of the North Portico. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt began a major renovation of the White House, including the relocation of the President’s offices from the Second Floor of the Residence to the newly constructed temporary Executive Office Building (now known as the West Wing). Roosevelt’s successor, President William Howard Taft, had the Oval Office constructed within an enlarged office wing. 

Less than fifty years after the Roosevelt renovation, the White House was already showing signs of serious structural weakness. President Harry S. Truman began a renovation of the building in which everything but the outer walls was dismantled. The Truman family moved back into the White House. Every president since John Adams has occupied the White House, and the history of this building extends far beyond the construction of its walls. From the Ground Floor Corridor rooms, transformed from their early use as service areas, to the State Floor rooms, where countless leaders and dignitaries have been entertained, the White House is both the home of the President of the United States and his or her family, and a living museum of American history. The White House remains a place where history continues to unfold. There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators. The White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000. The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface. At various times in history, the White House has been known as the “President’s Palace,” the “President’s House,” and the “Executive Mansion.” President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has some of the most respectable real estate in Washington, D.C.  It also has one of the District’s most beloved statues, unveiled in 1979 to celebrate the 100th birthday of Albert Einstein. The statue is triple-sized, cast in bronze, and oh so inviting to sit on. Created by sculptor Robert Berks, the head is modeled on a bust that the artist sculpted at the scientist’s home in Princeton in the 1950s. The giant bronze genius is relaxed, holding a tablet that sketches out three of his most important scientific contributions: the photoelectric effect, the theory of general relativity, and the equivalence of energy and matter.

Einstein was elected to the NAS in 1922, a year after he won the Nobel Prize in physics. His citizenship at the time is a little complicated (he was naturalized Swiss but German-born, and also claimed by the Weimar Republic), and since only U.S. citizens can be elected as full members, he entered as a “Foreign Associate.” In 1940 he became a citizen of the United States, and two years later was elected as a full member, serving the NAS mission until his death in 1955.

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) building caught Patti’s and my eye. The exterior walls are formed of stone courses of white Dover marble, irregularly sized and recessed to form a battered, or inwardly-sloping, profile.  The battered profile was a hallmark of Egyptian architecture, and its appearance in the Academy building façade is consistent with the architect’s interest in Egyptian architecture.  One of the most notable Greek elements of the façade is the animal figures running along the frieze. 

We crossed into Arlington, VA, to see the United States Air Force Memorial. It is located on federal property adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery, overlooking the Pentagon. It honors the service and heritage of the men and women of the United States Air Force. Three stainless steel spires soar into the sky from the promontory reaching a heights of 402 feet above sea-level. Granite walls contain inscriptions describing valor and values of aviation pioneers supporting the Air Force and its predecessor military organizations.

The Air Force Memorial is the last military service monument to be erected in the National Capital Region and is the last design project of American architect James Ingo Freed. The Air Force Memorial uses architectural design, inscriptions and sculpture to represent the Air Force heritage including those intrepid pioneers in early flight balloon reconnaissance and the advent of manned flight in air and space.

We drove a short distance to see the US Marine Corps War Memorial (more commonly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial.) It is perhaps one of the most moving memorials in the DC region.

The US Marine Corps War Memorial's world-famous statue, which is based on the iconic photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, depicts the six Marines who raised of the second American flag at Iwo Jima in the Japanese Volcano Islands on February 23, 1945, signifying the conclusion of the American campaign in the Pacific during World War II.

The memorial is dedicated to “the Marine dead of all wars and their comrades of other services who fell fighting beside them.” The memorial was dedicated on November 10, 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the American flag has flown from the statue 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by presidential proclamation ever since.

The bronze statue was made by sculptor Felix W. de Weldon. He worked with the three surviving Marines from the battle, Rene A. Gagnon, Ira Hayes and John H. Bradley, to model their faces in clay. The base of the memorial is composed of rough Swedish granite and contains inscriptions of the location and dates of every major battle involving the Marine Corps since 1775.

Georgetown is home to some of the city’s top shops, tastiest restaurants and most luxurious hotels, and it's a favorite of tourists and locals alike. And it’s easy to see why: Though M Street may be best known for a wide-ranging retail scene that includes such mainstream crowd-pleasers as Anthropologie and H&M and exclusive high-end designers like Billy Reid and Rag & Bone, the neighborhood is also home to a solid selection of upscale home design stores, independent small businesses and many of the city’s best fine art galleries.

If shopping’s not your thing, there are plenty of other things to do, too. History buffs can tour stunning historic 18th and 19th century mansions or see the one-time homes of JFK and Julia Child. Foodies will find locally owned gems that appeal for a quick bite alongside world-class restaurants perfect for a leisurely dining experience.

Stained-glass windows, Gothic spires and flying buttresses make the Washington National Cathedral look ages old, but the grand church was actually constructed during the 20th century. Though overseen by the Episcopal Church, the house of worship welcomes people of all faiths to its impressive site on the highest point in DC.

Stonemasons and builders erected the cathedral beginning in 1907, completing it 83 years later in 1990. Carved from Indiana limestone, the structure boasts a 30-story-tall central tower, an interior nine-bay nave and 215 stained glass windows, including one embedded with a moon rock. Inside, you’ll find a crypt level where Helen Keller and President Woodrow Wilson are buried.

On the exterior, you can search out the 112 gargoyles (decorative rain spouts) and grotesques (carved stone creatures). Be on the lookout for the grotesque of Darth Vader and the hippie gargoyle. All of this on 59 acres of grounds around the National Cathedral. Enclosed by stone walls, the medieval-style Bishop’s Garden includes herb plantings, roses and a 13th-century Norman arch. Stone paths wind through Olmstead Woods, one of the only old-growth forests in DC.

The tour guide took us down "Embassy Row." There are more than 170 foreign embassies in Washington DC. As a rule, embassies are located in capitals, while other diplomatic facilities - consulates, trade missions, etc. - are found outside of Washington. Some countries have a sizable number of diplomatic offices in the U.S.; Mexico has more than 40 consulates throughout the country.

Each country's embassy in Washington is also usually a collection of several facilities, sometimes widely scattered in multiple locations. An embassy "residence" is the ambassador's official home, while the "chancery" is where diplomats' offices are located. Some countries' diplomatic presence in Washington is quite modest, with the minimal staff needed to maintain diplomatic relations. Others' can be quite extensive, with specialized offices for particular functions. Several embassies maintain educational offices to facilitate their countries' citizens at schools in America, and many embassies have offices for military staffs here as liaison to the U.S. Defense Department.

 Embassy Row, is the only place in the US where you can see Nelson Mandela waving to Winston Churchill, every day!

On the way home, we found more murals. The tiger is from the 2018 POW! WOW! event.

While at first glance the mural seems to honor Abraham Lincoln, “28 Blocks” is actually an homage to the people who built the Lincoln Memorial--to be specific, African-Americans and Italian immigrants. Black men quarried the white marble (28 blocks in total) and an Italian family carved it into the Lincoln Memorial that stands today. Artist Garin Baker said, “This statue and this work goes to the core of the actual men and women that built this country.” 

Stay tuned to enjoy more of our #TwoLaneAdventures. 

May 14th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

We took roads Charlie & I prefer today! We were on US 29 for the majority of our travel day. I was able to catch a neat picture of a few of our rigs as we exited from I-64 onto US 29.

We exited US 29 onto I-66 and I-495, this picture shows why Charlie & I prefer to travel those two lanes! I miss our friend and traveling buddy Nancy, but she would have hated this portion of the drive! We arrived at Cherry Hill Park, our home for the next 4 nights! We have a chartered bus for a Nighttime Tour of Washington, DC.

As we headed in, we found a few awesome murals on the buildings. There is an annual mural event in the nation's capital. 2021 will make it their 6th year in Washington, DC, the Pow! Wow! DC mural festival always boasts an impressive collection of work by artists the world over. The painting continue through a weekend, within the NoMa District, in the area around Gallaudet University. This piece is from the 2019 event.

This piece is from the 2020 Pow! Wow! Event. Aniekan Udofia is one of the District’s most well-known visual artists. Udofia is the artist behind such well-known DC public art works as the Frederick Douglass mural in Anacostia, the Duke Ellington building mural, and the gagged George Washington mural on U St. NW. With his work gaining national attention, the 33-year old Nigerian artist has come to be known by many as a prominent face of DC art.

At the US Capitol the Senate and the House of Representatives come together to discuss, debate and deliberate national policy; develop consensus; and craft the country's laws. As the nation has grown so has the US Capitol. Today it covers well over 1.5 million square feet, has over 600 rooms, and miles of corridors. It is crowned by a magnificent white dome that overlooks the city of Washington and has become a widely recognized icon of the American people and government. The US Capitol's design was selected by President George Washington in 1793 and construction began shortly thereafter. The US Capitol is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. It has housed the meeting chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives for over two centuries. Begun in 1793, the US Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended and restored; today, it stands as a monument not only to its builders but also to the American people and their government.

I forgot this was here, but located along a two-block pedestrian area of 16th Street NW in Downtown DC, this mural features the words “Black Lives Matter” in 50-foot-tall letters, in yellow and all caps, as well as the flag of the District. The portion of 16th Street on which the mural is showcased, located just outside of the White House, was officially renamed by Mayor Muriel Bowser as “Black Lives Matter Plaza NW.”

Our next stop was the Jefferson Memorial. The location and architecture of the memorial makes it stand out among DC’s amazing array of monuments and memorials. Designed by John Russell Pope in 1925, the memorial resembles the Pantheon in Rome, an adaptation of neoclassical architecture favored by Thomas Jefferson himself. Surrounded by water, the structure is located on the National Mall's Tidal Basin, a large body of water that is bordered by DC’s famous cherry blossom trees. As philosopher and statesman, Thomas Jefferson served in many capacities during his life: lawyer, politician, scientist, linguist, meteorologist, book collector, architect, farmer and diplomat. Of course, his two most famous posts were as the third US president and the author of the first draft of the Declaration of Independence.

The memorial is meant to reflect his diverse and plentiful accomplishments. The open-air, white columned structure shelters a 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson, standing at the ready to welcome visitors. His gaze is toward the White House.

The walls of the Jefferson Memorial contain words from his various texts; one expresses his idea about the right to religious freedom, while another features the importance of changing laws to represent the changing times. One of the memorial’s most powerful sights can be found on its southwest wall. On the left side of the Jefferson statue, you will find some of the most impactful words in the history of the United States, taken directly from the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

The Tidal Reservoir Inlet Bridge on Ohio Drive is a successful blending of engineering designs and necessities while achieving the height of aesthetics. The tidal gates of the inlet control and regulate the water received from the river according to the tidal action and the pressure exerted or not exerted on the gates. As a focal point of Potomac Park, the Tidal Reservoir Inlet Bridge contributes to the monumental design of the Capital City. The bridge was also designed to include a roadway, in 1909, at a time automobile traffic was only beginning to appear. The design of the bridge shows the influence of the Neo-Classical style with ornate details such as gargoyles and classical balustrades.

Next we visited the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and we were transported to a trying time in American history. An era ripe with economic depression and international conflict. The memorial, which honors the 32nd president of the United States, is composed of four “outdoor rooms” which represent each of President Roosevelt’s four terms as commander in chief. It has bronze sculptures of the president, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and his trusty canine and First Pet Fala.

There are scenes from the Great Depression of fireside chats and waiting in bread lines are surrounded by engravings of 21 famous quotes. The memorial provides a unique experience and unparalleled insight into the trials and tribulations of America’s longest-serving president.

We caught a unique glimpse of the Washington Monument, with its reflection in the Tidal Reservoir. Built to honor George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first president of the United States, the Washington Monument was once the tallest building in the world at just over 555 feet. The monument to America’s first president still holds the title of world’s tallest stone structure and obelisk.  The structure was originally designed by Robert Mills, with construction beginning in 1848. The combination of the Civil War, the Know Nothing Party's rise to control of the Washington National Monument Society through an illegal election and lack of funding led to a halt in construction in 1854. When construction resumed in 1879, marble was used from a different quarry, and time and weather erosion have led to the difference in color, which begins at the 150-foot mark. The monument was finally completed in 1884 by Thomas Casey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an elevator was added to the monument in 1889.

The sun was setting as we walked from the FDR memorial to the MLK memorial.

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most prominent figures in the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century, fighting racial inequality, advocating for voting rights, and championing desegregation movements. He was integral to shaping the country we know today, and our nation’s capital honors his legacy with the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Two walls of quotes are engraved with some of his most famous words. The focal point of the memorial is inspired by a line from that renowned 1963 speech: “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” Two large walls of granite, metaphorical mountains of despair, stand in front of a 30-foot sculpture of Dr. King entitled the Stone of Hope. The edges of these sculptures all feature scrape marks, symbolizing the struggles of Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement.

The Korean War Memorial commemorates the sacrifices of the 6 million Americans who served in the US Armed Services during the three-year period of the Korean War. 54,246 Americans died in support of their country. Of these, 8,200 were listed as missing in action, or lost or buried at sea at the Honolulu Memorial, at the time of the Korean War Courts of the Missing dedication in 1966.  In addition 103,284 were wounded during the conflict.

The mural wall creates a two-dimensional work of art adjacent to the three-dimensional statues. The wall consists of 41 panels extending 164 feet. Over 2,400 photographs of the Korean War were obtained from the National Archives. They were enhanced by computer to give a uniform lighting effect and the desired size. The mural, representing those forces supporting the foot soldier, depicts Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard personnel and their equipment. The etchings are arranged to give a wavy appearance in harmony with the layout of the statues. The reflective quality of the academy black granite creates the image of a total of 38 statues, symbolic of the 38th parallel and the 38 months of the war.

The 19 statues are approximately 7-feet tall and represent an ethnic cross section of America. The advance party has 14 Army, three Marine, one Navy and one Air Force members. The statues stand in patches of juniper bushes and are separated by polished granite strips, which give a semblance of order and symbolize the rice paddies of Korea. The troops wear ponchos covering their weapons and equipment. The ponchos seem to blow in the cold winds of Korea.

As you walk toward the Lincoln Memorial, you can watch as it gradually gets larger. When you stand directly in front, gaze at the handsome marble columns surrounded by greenery, part of a design inspired by ancient Greek temples. There are 36 columns, each one representing one state in the US at the date of President Lincoln’s death. The memorial itself is 190 feet long and 119 feet wide, and reaches a height of almost 100 feet. As you climb the stairs leading to the interior, and look up. There, etched into the wall, is a memorable quote: "In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever."

Below the quote sits a 19-foot tall, 175-ton statue of President Lincoln, himself looking out over the Mall of the country that he fought so hard to preserve and unite. The statue was designed by Daniel Chester French, who worked to depict Lincoln during the Civil War, stately and dignified. Interestingly, though the memorial was approved decades earlier, construction did not begin until 1914, and the memorial opened to the public in 1922.

To the left of the statue is Lincoln’s great speech, the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous in U.S. history. Every single word of the address is etched into the wall to inspire Americans just as it did in 1863. To the right is the entire Second Inaugural Address, given in March of 1865 — mere months before Lincoln’s death.

We headed to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial pays tribute to the brave members of the US Armed Forces who fought in the Vietnam War and were killed or missing in action. The memorial consists of two separate parts: The Three Soldiers statue and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, also known as The Wall That Heals, which is the most popular feature.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall provides one of the National Mall’s most powerful scenes. In truth, the “wall” is actually made up of two identical walls that each stretch 246 feet and 9 inches, containing more than 58,000 names. The names are listed in chronological order based on the date of casualty, and within each day, names are shown in alphabetical order. The wall’s walls point to two other prominent memorials, do you know which two?

Perhaps the memorial wall’s most defining characteristic is a visitor’s ability to see his or her reflection at the same time as the engraved names, connecting the past and the present like few other monuments can. Visitors to the wall leave small American flags, boots, dog tags, flowers and other momentos.

The National World War II Memorial honors the 16 million people who served as part of the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, including more than 400,000 who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The memorial sits along the central vista of the National Mall, at the east end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Symbols of America’s triumph in the Second World War are artfully displayed all over the World War II Memorial, which has a splendid fountain at its center. 56 granite columns symbolize unity among the 48 states, seven federal territories and the District of Columbia. The columns form a semi-circle around the memorial’s plaza, with two 43-foot tall arches on opposite sides. The northern arch represents victory in the Atlantic, while the southern arch symbolizes victory in the Pacific.

When you enter the memorial’s semi-circle from the east, look for two walls on each side of you. Each contains scenes from the war beautifully rendered in bronze relief. On the left (towards the Pacific arch), the scenes progress through the experience of war, from physical exams all the way to homecoming. The right side pays tribute to the Atlantic, as the last scene depicts American and Russian armies shaking hands as the two sides met in Germany at the conclusion of the war.

One of the World War II Memorial’s most striking features is the Freedom Wall. 4,048 gold stars pay tribute to American lives lost at war (each star represents 100 Americans), while dozens of battle names and military campaign destinations are also on display. In front of the wall, a stone fittingly reads, “Here we mark the price of freedom.”

It was a moving and memorable evening of touring our history. Stay tuned for more adventures with us, on our #TwoLaneAdventure