Week 2

Washington D.C. is a great place to site see and randomly explore. On Memorial Day, for example, with map in hand, I went about touring many of the city’s popular monuments and museums. Not knowing that this event was going on, I bumped into the “Rolling Thunder” parade of motor cyclists who came to Washington to commemorate soldiers who died in combat. I was particularly moved by the display of patriotism both by onlookers and by the bikers. There was clear evidence at the war memorials that they had been visited by people who came to Washington to remember their fallen friends. At the Vietnam Memorial I saw what looked like a Vietnam veteran with his hand over a name on the wall with tears in his eyes. Other items left at the foot of the wall personalized the names engraved on the wall. An empty can of Budweiser, an empty bottle of Crown Royal whiskey, messages, small photographs, flowers and packs of cigarettes reminded everyone who visited the wall that the names engraved on the wall were once living men. It was a special day to visit the war memorials and it made me very proud of the men and women who serve in the armed forces.