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The Vietnam and Korean War Memorials are beautifully moving and a great tribute to the many men and women who paid the price for freedom, even in far away lands. One feels the personal courage, and the human loss of these tragic conflicts. It would be nice to be able to visit similar reminders of those who lost their lives during other wars. The Civil War has many monuments throughout the country, and the Grant memorial in front of the Capitol. But we felt the absence of memorials of the World Wars, the War of 1812 and the Spanish-American War. Later in the week we took Harrison and Amanda to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This exceptional facility houses an important lesson for the entire world. It is presented from the perspective of individual people, real people, who suffered fates more horrific than any fiction writer could have imagined. Maybe some day Washington D.C. will also have memorials to Native American nations and victims of slavery that, not so long ago, experienced similar oppression and loss on American soil. It is through these reminders that future generations will avoid the conflicts that have robbed millions of freedom, peace and life itself. |
A
visit to the nation's war memorials is a great way to spend Memorial
Day. We went with the Conselatores, friends we met when we were neighbors
living in Tokyo, who now live near D.C. With five children between
us, we managed to make it a fun yet meaningful trip where we all learned
what this holiday is all about.) "We
watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns in
Arlington National Cemetery. It reminded me of seeing the changing of
the guard in Greece at their Tomb of the Unknowns. It was almost like
soldiers going to war with the general giving them orders. The people
watching were very quiet and the soldiers were very serious."--Amanda |
Arlington
National Cemetery (Cornerstones of Freedom Series) |
) It
was a gray, cold day when we visited the Vietnam War Memorial.
Although we have no direct relatives who are listed on the wall of black
granite, ) we
felt sorrow and gratitude for all those that lost their lives in this
controversial war. Harrison thought, "The strange shape
of the memorial was a good way to explain the war. It's like a dark gash
in the beautiful National Mall. Most Americans didn't know why we were
fighting this war and it was a dark page in our nation's history." |
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Amanda thought that the Korean War Memorial seemed scary at first, "I wouldn't want to have to fight like they did. There were a lot of letters for the soldiers. They were fighting for the freedom of Korea, even though the soldiers didn't know the country at all, or anything." |
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Amanda thought that the Jefferson Memorial was amazing. The Jefferson statue is 19 feet tall . Jefferson said "We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."-- Amanda |
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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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For Younger Readers |
For Older Readers |
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PLEASE DONATE GENEROUSLY TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF HURRICANE KATRINA
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