In April 2015, I traveled to Washington, DC for the first time.
And promptly fell in love.
I have been to DC three times in the past year. That's how much I love it.
DC speaks to my heart in a way that few other cities have. I feel such incredible reverence there, especially when I visit the different Memorials. I could spend hours, even days, just sitting in silence and reflecting on the lives of those men (and the women behind them) who helped shape our nation. I am humbled by their fierce determination, often in the face of incredible challenges, to fight for what they knew to be right.
The Lincoln Memorial
On a wet Tuesday morning in December, 2015, I had the chance to visit the Lincoln Memorial early, around 6:30 am. With the weather being cold and rainy, I had a rare opportunity--to spend some time ALONE reflecting on the great man that Abraham Lincoln was. It was so quiet. Lincoln loomed larger than life. His face reflecting unwavering resolution while showing the care and labor he put into keeping our nation united.
I love the words written above him. Truly, he is one of the most beloved and well-known Presidents of the United States. Even 150 years later, his memory is printed on our hearts from a very young age. Here at the Memorial dedicated to him, you can still feel Lincoln's tenacity and determination permeating this hallowed ground. Somehow, being here makes me want to fight harder against injustice, stand my ground longer against those who would oppress us, and to rebuff my personal fears and doubts.
I am so grateful that I chose to wake up early that morning, and to venture out, in spite of the rain. I will never forget how it felt to visit the Lincoln Memorial in silence, without the regular hustle and bustle of tourists. I treasure those moments of reverent reflection with President Lincoln.
World War II Memorial
The WWII Memorial is huge. It's gorgeous. It pays homage to the battles fought in the Pacific and across the Atlantic.
I love how all the US states and territories are represented and honored for sending their men and women to fight against the tyranny and evils of the War.
The reliefs show scenes from the war, both the fighting and how it affected those back home.
I absolutely love this wall of remembrance. Every star represents 100 American lives given to the War. Standing in front of it, seeing all those yellow stars, really brings home the magnitude of the sacrifices that were made during WWII. The price of freedom is high, but it's a price that people throughout history have been willing to pay, over and over again. My grandfather was a pilot during WWII, and being here somehow makes me feel closer to him.
Korean War Memorial
This is my favorite war memorial. There is just something about it that is profoundly moving to me. Brings tears to my eyes each time I'm there.
The wall on the right has pictures etched in the marble of actual service men who fought in the war. The way that they are imprinted makes them look almost like shadows. Depending on the angle that you are viewing from, it can be hard to see them. But as you get closer, you can see a "ghost army" immortalized for all time. It's solemn. It's beautiful. It's horrible to think of so many lives lost, but there is an incredibly spiritual beauty about seeing their shadow-like pictures etched on the memorial wall.
Another part of the Korean Memorial are several statues of soldiers in different war-time gear, moving forward (toward the US flag). The way that they are lined up in rows makes you almost able to see them in formations, moving through the jungles and fighting "to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."
Vietnam War Memorial
My father fought in the Vietnam War, so I have a personal connection to this historical event. The Vietnam Wall has the names of all the US soldiers who lost their lives during that conflict.
I visited the Vietnam Wall one drizzly morning and loved the pictures I was able to get with no one around. You can see the wreaths lined up across from the wall because it's Christmas time in this photo. You can also see the flowers and notes that people have left to their long-deceased loved ones. Lest we forget...
When I was there with my dad in April 2015, I got these photos. I know it was really touching for my dad, being a Vietnam Vet, to visit this Memorial.
I love this sculpture. It's a part of the Vietnam War Memorial, and I was greatly moved by the agony and emotion of the subjects. I think it was particularly touching to see it in the rain, knowing that the jungles of Vietnam were humid and wet. I guess it made the sculpture that much more true to form, that much more lifelike and realistic to me. The woman's face just gets to me. Her agony. Her deep sadness. Her loss. And yet the tenderness with which she holds the soldier.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
"I have a dream..."
Those famous words that were immortalized on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial became a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's, and still today are used to fight for equality among all people, regardless of their race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or sexual identity. Martin Luther King, Jr. truly was a "stone of hope" cut from the "mountain of despair."
This memorial is directly between the Lincoln Memorial (Lincoln being the president who brought about freedom from slavery) and the Jefferson Memorial (Jefferson being the author of the Declaration of Independence). MLK, with his stern face and the Declaration of Independence rolled up in his hand, is looking toward Jefferson, who penned the words "...we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal," as if holding him accountable for the actualization of this statement.
On the wall behind MLK, quotes from him are etched into the marble. This is my favorite.
That's all for now.
Until my next adventure...
