We walked down below the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and looked back up to capture this photo. It was an amazing day to be able to spend several hours here and observe this solemn ceremony and pay our respects to those who sacrificed so much for our Freedom…
Between the changing of the guard ceremony’s, we walked around and found the Arlington Memorial amphitheater located on the back side of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also walked over to the memorials for the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia and recalled exactly where we were when both of those shuttles were lost.
We then walked over to the USS Maine memorial that contained the mast from the USS Maine that exploded and sank off the coast of Havana in 1898 taking 230 sailors to a watery grave. Link for more info: https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Monuments-and-Memorials/USS-Maine
We then found our way over to the JFK grave site and the eternal flame where he and Jacklyn are laid to rest.
After our visit to Arlington National Cemetery, we biked back over to the National Mall to catch our reservation to go up to the top of the Washington Monument! Admission is free but it does require a reservation. We learned that each morning, they release a handful of tickets at 10 am that you can try to snag for that day.
After our amazing tour of the Washington Monument, we walked West towards the WWII Memorial which opened in the Spring of 2004. Designed by Friedrich St. Florian, former chief of the Rhode Island School of Design, the memorial illustrates the clear relationship between the home front and the battle front, as Americans at home and those fighting abroad relied upon each other’s support in this defining moment of the 20th century. Walking around, you get a real sense of the sacrifices that everyone in the United States made to help defeat evil!
On the east end of the memorial lies the announcement stone which clearly places the memorial’s context within the landscape of West Potomac Park. As it begins: “Here in the presence of Washington and Lincoln…” the visitor cannot help but understand the deep meaning of the site of this tribute to American sacrifice in World War II. Our “greatest generation” fittingly has a memorial standing as testament to their sacrifices placed cleanly between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
Find more information on the WW II Memorial here: https://www.nps.gov/wwii/index.htm
This is the Wall of Gold Stars and each Gold Star represents 100 Soldiers who died fighting in WW II and marks the ultimate price of freedom.
After exploring the WW II Memorial, we continued West along the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial. Another iconic Memorial that pays tribute to another great leader of our our Country during a truly turbulent time. Built in 1922, it has stood for over 100 years and helps preserve the history of our 16th President.
Architect Henry Bacon modeled the Lincoln Memorial after the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Bacon felt that a memorial dedicated to a man who defended democracy should echo the birthplace of democracy. The towering memorial is 190 feet long, 120 feet wide, 99 feet tall and constructed with Colorado Yule marble.
The memorial is surrounded by 36 fluted Doric columns, one for each of the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. When you walk up the steps, two additional columns are located at the entrance behind the colonnade. These columns are 44 feet tall with a base diameter of seven feet and five inches.
Above the colonnade inscribed on the frieze are the names of 36 states and the dates in which they entered the Union. Their names are separated by double wreath medallions in bas-relief.
Check this link for more information: https://www.nps.gov/linc/index.htm
