DC

Day 1 is all about the military. It's who we are. My dad was a WWII veteran, serving with the Army Air Corp in North Africa. I served in the Army in the late '70s, in then, West Germany. And my daughter, Jackie, served in the US Marines. Serving one tour in Iraq. So military day it is.

We went to Arlington National Cemetery and decided to walk the grounds at our own pace. We stopped and enjoyed the reverence this place has. We visited the Tomb of the Unkowns and watched the changing of the guard.

Then since we were so close and watched the movie "To Hell and Back" in anticipation of our visit, we stopped at the grave site of Medal of Honor winner Audy Murphy.

After that worked our way to the "Lee"' (that's Robert E Lee) mansion for a tour and the view of the city.

Then down the hill to the Kennedy gravesite.

We thought we'd spend an hour at Arlington. But almost 4 hours later we found it was a day well spent. We left the cemetery and stopped at the Iwo Jima Memorial, of course...(pictures later). The Iwo Jima Memorial is dedicated to the Marine Corps, listing all their conflicts the served in.

We had a quick stop at the Bureau of Engraving. It's pretty cool how they make our money. After that we headed for the highlight of the day.

Jackie had a Marine buddy stationed in the DC area and he got us great seats for "The Evening Parade" at Eighth and I, the headquarters of the Marine Corps. (Eighth & I are the street names of where it is located, so that's how it is referred to.) The parade is held regularly, every Friday, and includes 2 companies stationed here: the Silent Drill Platoon, the President's Own (the Marine Band) & the Commandant's Own (the Marine Drum & Bugle Corps). It doesn't start until 9pm but you need to get there early, it's packed. You have to remember, it's not a parade like we see at home where they walk down the street. These are units marching onto the big parade grounds (about the size of a football field), and the rituals & traditions just set the tone for the evening.

Well the Marines know how to put on a parade. They control the lighting with spots & colors. They march in precision and the musical units seemed to be in competition. Plus the Commandant of the British Royal Marines was the guest of honor along with a contingent of Royal Marines training with our Marines. Wow, what a show.....

The Silent Drill Team was impressive and the music and the marching were perfect. The night ended with the Commandants Own playing a song highlighted by a battery of 155mm cannon fire. Cool....

It was a long day but worth it...

 

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