September 13
I do not know how far I will get tonight since again it is late, but I do want to mention the nice couple from Germany I crossed paths with at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial kiosk. They had earlier been to the World War II Memorial and had looked for the Passport Cancellation stamp. The large kiosk at the WW2 was closed. I also saw that. We asked the ranger at the VVW kiosk if he knew how we could get the stamp. His reply was folks can send a letter to the park unit asking for the stamp on a piece of paper which is then mailed back to the requestor. I mentioned this would not help me with Guinness World Records because that does nothing to show I was at the park. But, he had no other information. I checked at Lincoln, Korean, and MLK… no success. Finally, at the FDR Memorial that VC/Bookstore did have a WW2 stamp. So, if anyone is looking for the WW2 Memorial stamp and the kiosk there is closed, walk over to the FDR Memorial.
On the topic of closings, more than half of the water fountains around the National Mall were not working. That does not help in making a good impression on visitors.
September 17 - Sorry for the delay. This past week has not had enough hours in each day.
I had selected a hotel on the GREEN subway line because it goes by Frederick Douglass NHS and Ford’s Theatre NHS. A short walk up the hill on W Street in Anacostia from the metro station to Douglass’ home was good exercise. I arrived a bit early for the 9 AM opening, but soon a ranger was waving at me from up the street. She had taken a metro bus to reach the park. Douglass is one of the best known abolitionists in our history. He practiced peaceful means, which is why he turned down an offer from John Brown to participate in the raid at Harper’s Ferry. The last 17 years of his life (he died in 1895) were spent here at his Cedar Hill estate. Though trees, houses, and buildings now surround the property, during the late-1800s, Douglass could look out over the Anacostia River basin and see the Capitol without obstruction. One of my favorite quotes by Douglass is, “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.” About 70% of the furnishings and artifacts in the house are original to the Douglass family. The guided tour (requires reservation via www.recreation.gov) covers both the first and second floors. The house never had electricity which is why all the light fixtures in the rooms are designed to use kerosene. Back to the subway.
The Archives subway stop is on Pennsylvania Avenue. I took some photos of the Navy Memorial and the Old Post Office (today it is a Waldorf Astoria hotel property). There are many monuments along this famed road, “America’s Street”. Then one corner turn and in two blocks I was at Ford’s Theatre. Every primary school in the country teaches this is the location President Lincoln was shot in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth. The theatre and Petersen House (across the street where Lincoln died the next morning) is open for a self-guided tour. Tickets must be purchased from the Ford’s Theatre group (www.fords.org). Humberto, a fellow club member of the NPTC, came through the lobby entrance door. We talked for about 20 minutes before we presented our time-ticket for entry to the theatre.
The play on Ford’s Theater stage the night of April 14, 1865, was “Our American Cousin.” President Lincoln was in attendance, for some R&R. The American Civil War had ended five days earlier. What the world could not have known was the President’s life would also be terminated shortly. John Wilkes Booth entered the President’s booth and shot Lincoln in the back of his head with a .44-caliber Derringer. Lincoln was moved across the street to the William Peterson home. Efforts to save his life ended at 7:22 AM on April 15. Edward Stanton, the Secretary of War, sobbed and said, “Now he belongs to the ages.” Lincoln was the first U.S. President to be assassinated. A few days prior Lincoln reportedly had dreams about a successful attempt on his life. His bodyguard recommended that Lincoln not go to Ford’s Theater the night of the 14th. Mary Lincoln was quoted as saying after the shooting, “His dream was prophetic.”
Your tour starts with a climb to the upper seating tier, a great place to take a photo which captures the stage, the orchestra area seats, and President Lincoln’s box in one image. You can walk to the door which Booth used to access the President’s booth, and the NPS has installed plexiglass before the door, so visitors can look into the box. Then down to the basement which is now the VC and a museum. Various displays provide information on the events of the Civil War and the days leading up to the tragic night. Artifacts such as Lincoln’s top hat and Booth’s Philadelphia Derringer (obtained by the NPS in 1940) are on display. I did not see the blood-stained pillow and pillowcase that Lincoln’s head lay on at the Peterson house. It had been on display at my previous visits. The blood stains are a stark reminder of our bodies’ fragile nature. The interior of the Petersen home looked frozen in time as if we had stepped through a time-portal to 1865. The room into which the President was brought is on the first floor, to the back of the house. The articles in the room are replicas. The bed on which Lincoln died, along with other items from that night, are on display at the Chicago History Museum. It has been said the doctors laid Lincoln diagonally on the bed due to his 6’4” frame. He remained in a coma for nine hours. His son, Robert Todd Lincoln, was at the President’s side when he died at 7:22 AM; only 56 years young. To understand the impact Lincoln had on our country at that time, check how long it took for the government to take ownership of the theater. On April 7, 1866, Congress authorized the purchase of the property. Only an issue of immense national importance gets Congress to act with such speed. The urgency of that action, though, was not subsequently pursued with good management of the building. The theater had been saved from burning the night of the assassination by Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War. He placed a 24-hour guard around the site to keep an angry mob at bay. The feds then rented the theater in 1867, as office space. In 1893, the interior of the theater collapsed, killing some workers. The offices were rebuilt. Not until the 1950’s did Congress pay much needed attention to the building, finally authorizing funds to restore the structure to its 1865 appearance. A reopening was held in 1968. My father and mother took my brother and me to a performance of Godspell in 1973. To sit in the same theater as had President Lincoln was quite an impression on a 10-year old. In October 2008, the theater became an independent unit of the NPS.
Since we had to go back to Pennsylvania Avenue on our way to the Washington Monument, I counted this as my official visit for the “street park” since I now used the Guinness-required GPS device to log my location.
Among the many iconic landmarks in Washington, the Washington Monument is usually in the first group of attractions to be mentioned. Its height of 555 feet claims the title of tallest structure in the District. Folks obsessed with building architecture may state the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the tallest building at 329 feet. But the Basilica is defined as a “building” while the Washington Monument is defined as a ‘structure’. The monument honors our country’s first President. No one individual did more for the 13 colonies in gaining independence from England and setting the United States on its forward path. The tower is fitting for the father of our country. Humberto had a ticket for a later time this day (tickets can sell out in the blink of an eye, so be sure to go onto www.recreation.gov as soon as you know the date you want to visit), so we said our good-byes and he headed off to see other park sites on the Mall.
The planning stage for a monument to honor the man began in 1783, even before he was President. A statue of Washington on a horse would be positioned at the point where intersecting lines from the White House and the Capitol formed a 90-degree angle. More urgent matters for the new country pushed the activity well down the list of priorities. When Washington died in 1799 the conversation took exigency. Folks could not decide on what to commission, taking another 34 years to get the ball rolling again. John Marshall and James Madison helped form the Washington National Monument Society in 1833. Architect Robert Mills was awarded the design rights. Construction began in 1848, with President James Polk attending the cornerstone-laying ceremony (Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson were in attendance). The final task was crowning the top with a 3,300-pound pyramidion capstone in December-1884. To complete in 36 years is a tale of Congressional politics, combined with lack of funds. Yes, there had been the urgent matter of the Civil War, but there had been twelve years before Fort Sumter. The world’s tallest man-made structure was now in the America, passing the Cologne Cathedral (its construction started in 1248… now that was a long time ago). Approximately 150 feet above the ground spectators can distinguish a line, separating two different colors of marble. This is the height the structure stood when the initial construction was halted. The monument is made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, still the tallest structure made of stone, as well as being the tallest obelisk in the world. The monument has only a minute semblance to Robert Mills’ original design due to the long construction delay. His plans called for a large colonnade, columns connected by an entablature, encircling the base of a flat-top 600-foot obelisk. Sculptures of Revolutionary War heroes would be positioned around the colonnade. The primary statue would be Washington at the reins of a chariot. The location was to have been slightly south and east of where the monument is seen today. Later studies indicated the original spot would not have supported the weight of the colossal design. President Grant signed legislation in 1876 to finish what had been started. Lt. Colonel Thomas Casey, of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, was ordered to provide an altered design. It is Casey’s design which visitors today view. The public enthusiastically embraced the new monument. The count was over 10,000 people in the first six months, post-dedication, willing to climb the 898 steps. Then came a steam-powered elevator. Visitation soured, with 10,000 people per month the norm. Where else could one see for 30 miles east, north, west, and south on a clear day? Hardy souls have enjoyed the steps, which encircle the elevator shaft. One time, in the 1970s, my father let me walk down the steps, but always the elevator when going upwards. Gravity has a way of impacting such decisions. Graffiti began to appear on the stairwell walls over the years, prompting the NPS to close the stairs. But there will always be an elevator.
An earthquake in 2011, centered nearby in Virginia, damaged the monument. After a couple years of repairs the monument was re-opened. An analysis of the situation indicated more work was needed. On August 17, 2016, the elevator was turned off and the interior of the obelisk closed to the public. One group of artifacts seen when riding the elevator is the 193 Memorial stones on the east and west interior walls. The closing of the stairs was partially to help preserve these stones. Various organizations around the country (states, cities, DAR, etc.) had been invited, starting in 1848, to contribute stones to help with construction. The Washington National Monument Society led the initiative. A requirement was a stone had to be quarried in the United States. A disagreement arose over a donated stone by Pope Pius IX. The “Know-Nothing” political group (anti-immigration, anti-Catholic) used the debate to gain control of the Society. The group should have been referred to as the “Do-Nothing” party during the next four years. The height of the monument gained only a few feet. Money ran out in 1859. That is why today one sees the distinct color difference of the horizontal split around the 150-foot mark. Today’s ‘anti-gravity carriage’ has glass windows to allow visitors to see the stones, but only on the ride down and for a few short moments… so have your cameras ready. A walk around the base is the best way to see 50 flag poles which encircle the concrete walkway. Each flies Old Glory, to represent the fifty states. Wonderful views of the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the National Mall, the Lincoln Memorial, the reflecting pool, and the World War II Memorial are the norm. A turn of the head to look straight up will give one a chance to dizzyingly contemplate the monument’s connection to Baseball. Gabby Street, catcher for the Washington Senators (not the Washington Nationals of today; they are the 1969 expansion Montreal Expos franchise), stood at the base waiting for leather-surfaced spheroids to fall from the sky. How hard could this be, to catch the balls, thought Street, the 1908 battery mate of Walter Johnson, the famous Hall of Fame pitcher for the Senators who could throw over 100 mph (this is based on non-scientific reasoning since radar guns and other technology were not available at that time… but everyone could tell you Johnson was the fastest of the fast). Senators’ fans Preston Gibson and John Biddle had a bet to settle. The two men argued if anyone could catch a ball dropped from the top of the monument. Street demanded the challenge. A bucket was filled with balls and the men climbed the stairs. The base being wider than the top, a chute was used to make the balls arc away from the monument. But they continued to hit the stone surface during descent. A decision was made to throw the balls out and away from the monument. Gravity would do the rest of the work. Vertical distance was roughly 535 feet. Anyone remember their high school Algebra or Physics classes? Well, the math comes out to 4.5 seconds to cover the distance. Depending on the weight of the balls, the force was said to have been between 200 and 300 pounds on impact. Street made 13 to 15 attempts to be successful. The curious crowd said the catch sounded like a pistol shot. Street’s glove practically hit the ground. He said his hand was numbed. Another monumental moment came in 1959 when Russell Nesbit, a 70-year old acrobatics instructor, walked down the monument’s steps, on his hands. He accomplished the feat in 98 minutes. A friend was on the look-out for park rangers and other visitors who might nix the attempt. The NPS had approved Street’s attempt to use his hands (to catch a ball) but had not given Nesbitt permission to perform his upside-down hands feat. Rangers had stopped Nesbit in 1951, just 50 steps from the bottom, supposedly concerned for his safety. For as much as I respect the NPS sometimes they can act like many Federal Government agencies.
Pierre Charles L’Enfant incorporated a 400-foot wide landscaped “grand avenue” when he created his plans for the new District. This would be the major east-west axis of his plan, a length of one mile, extending west from the Capitol to a spot which would honor George Washington and be directly south of the White House. Today, this is the National Mall, slightly lengthened, all the way to the Lincoln Memorial. Distance from the Capitol steps to the Lincoln Memorial is 1.9 miles. The walk down the Mall allows a view of the expansive Smithsonian Institute complex. Each person has their own favorite building among the many that line Constitution Ave NW and Independence Ave SW. Elizabeth enjoys the Museum of Natural History, with the large collection of gems and baubles. Kyle and I enjoy touring the Museum of Air and Space, seeing the Apollo lander, World War II fighters, etc. One could spend a week in all the museum’s buildings and still not take in all the information and sights.
The walk on the National Mall from the Washington Monument to the World War II Memorial is a couple hundred yards. The north end of the memorial is anchored by the Atlantic Pavilion, with its sister anchor, the Pacific Pavilion to the south. I walked through the pavilion’s entrance and paused to look out over the memorial. This was one gigantic monument, fitting to represent the greatest military force ever called to arms in the history of mankind. 16 million uniformed men and women of the United States armed forces did battle against soldiers, sailors, and airmen from Germany, Italy, and Japan, four times the number of Americans who went to battle in World War 1. The memorial’s grounds reflect the scope of America’s war effort, including the work on the home front by the millions of women and men in factories, and the sacrifices made in communities across our land. Rosie the Riveter NHP in California is a park unit that commemorates another aspect of the war; women supporting the war effort by working in manufacturing. Even without my interest in World War II history I could tell this park unit requires more time to tour and contemplate than the average memorial. Among the bas-relief sculptures (24 scenes of the war), engraved names (including a “Roll Call” of the 56 states, territories, and District of Colombia), and the Atlantic/Pacific Pavilions (symbols of America’s participation across two oceans in two theaters of operation) is an inscription of words by President Harry Truman at the end of the war: “Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. American will never forget their sacrifices.” More than 4000 Gold Stars adorn the Freedom Wall commemorating the over 400,000 service men and women who laid down their lives. Too many times Blue Stars, which signified a son or daughter in military service, adorning the windows of homes across the country, were replaced by Gold Stars, signifying another casualty. The NPS has an information station to the south of the Memorial, where the Passport stamp and the memorial’s brochure are located. At one end of the building are interactive computer screens which access the World War II veteran’s registry. These were closed today for some reason. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) was authorized by Congress in 1993 to design and build the memorial. Dedication was May 29, 2004. This date was too late for many men and women veterans. But, for those fortunate to have been with us since its dedication, the memorial has been a beacon, calling them to a final duty, to pay their respects to their fellow soldiers, airmen, and sailors, to remember their dedication to our country. Day in and day out, a steady stream of veterans used to arrive via the Honor Flight initiative, but that has now ceased.
D.C. is a treasure-trove for National Park enthusiasts. Many of the monuments and memorials in the National Mall area which are on the agendas of junior high school spring-break trips, or on Americans’ bucket-lists, are managed by the NPS, thereby making them official park units. And there is a bucket of them between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol. But one park unit hard to find on a tourist’s short-list is Constitution Gardens. The Gardens are due north of the World War II Memorial. Concrete paths connect the two units, making easy access for all. Constitution Gardens is subpart of the National Mall and Memorial Parks group, as important a representative of our country’s past as the better-known units. For trivia sake, who would know this park used to be at the bottom of the Potomac River? Towards the end of the 19th century the Army Corps of Engineers dredged this area, creating Potomac Park. The U.S. Government had buildings erected. Not until President Nixon ordered the buildings demolished in 1971 did someone come up with the idea of creating a garden landscape. The Gardens were dedicated May-1976, to honor the American Revolution bicentennial. A small island is accessed via a bridge on the north shore of the water to a unique memorial. Marble/Granite stones have been engraved with the names and facsimile signatures of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Surveying the signatures, one stood out from the rest, due to its size. It should not be too hard to correctly guess whose name is the largest. Yes, it is John Hancock, intended as a nod to the exhibited magnitude on the original document. How many people know the parchment has language on its backside. No, we are not talking National Treasure (2004 movie with Nicholas Cage) masonic code text. But “Original Declaration of Independence date 4th July 1776,” can be seen. That is the date John Dunlap printed the first copies. When you walk around the Gardens, be on the lookout for the droppings of Canadian Geese. They were more prevalent today than humans.
The walking distance covered along the Wall at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial seems much longer than the actual 246.75 feet due to the slow pace folks take. Regardless of the direction one walks, the list of names seems unending. Over 58,000 U.S. Military personnel died in the Vietnam War, or are to this day still missing-in-action. Each of their names is engraved on the black granite, standing 0.53-inch tall, with a depth of 0.038 inch. The sequence of names is based on when a service member was declared a casualty. Maya Ying Lin, the Wall’s designer, said, “The names would become the memorial.” A detail unknown to, or not ascertained by, most visitors, is the two portions of the Wall point directly to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The Vietnam War did not have a specific start-date for our country such as December 8, the day we entered World War II, declaring war on Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Vietnam War is considered to have had its beginning for the United States in 1955, with President Eisenhower promising our country’s support to Ngo Dinh Diem, the leader of South Vietnam. This followed the first Indochina War which resulted in France ending its 100-year colonial rule in southeast Asia, in 1954. The Geneva peace talks split Vietnam into two countries, North and South. The United States did not want to see an expansion of communism through the region, offering aid to Saigon to keep the ‘red disease’ to the north. Only a small group of American advisors were stationed in South Vietnam at first. The Viet Cong (Vietnamese fighters in South Vietnam who wanted to reunite the two countries) was an insurgency group that disagreed with the Geneva agreement, taking up the fight for reunification, to bring the rule of the Communist government to the south. The VC felt this was still a colonial war. Sound familiar relative to our American Revolution? But a batch of advisors would be no match against an armed revolutionary force. In March-1965 the United States of America landed its first wave of combat Marines, at Da Nang. Our ‘advisors’ now had guns. The American populace had mixed feelings about the war. Some supported our efforts. Others were dead set against any kind of war. Their preference was peace. The Peace Movement had a loud voice in the late 1960s, becoming thunderous on December 1, 1969 when the Selective Service System initiated the draft lottery. In total, 648,500 draftees were called to serve. This was 25% of the armed forces used by the United States. American deaths connected to draftees were 17,725 personnel, 30% of all casualties. About 150 Vietnam vets were arriving at the memorial, all wearing bright tee-shirts indicating they were on an Honor Flight adventure. I offered my thanks to a few of them.
One a side note, for you baseball enthusiasts. Major League Baseball had nearly 500 of its players support the war effort for World War II. The number was much less for the Vietnam War. The only major leaguer known to have been seriously injured in Vietnam was Roy Gleason. The Los Angeles Dodgers called-up Gleason in 1963. He helped the team reach the World Series (swept the Yankees in four games) but was termed ineligible for the Series. Being on the season’s roster he received a World Series ring, identical to the ones Drysdale, Wills, and Koufax were given. Spring Training was coming to an end in the 1967 season when Gleason received his draft notice. The Dodgers said he could appeal, so he hired a lawyer. But one day three MPs came and escorted him to the local army base. He was off to ‘Nam. Gleason was leading a patrol on July 24, 1968 through the jungle. All hell broke loose. An initial explosion killed his friend standing behind him. Shrapnel was forced into one leg and arm. Bleeding, Gleason turned over and started firing his rifle. Other soldiers died in the battle. Gleason was lucky for an air-evac to a field hospital. He was awarded various honors, including the Purple Heart. He never again saw his footlocker from his unit’s base camp. Inside had been his 1963 World Series ring. Gleason was invited to throw out the first pitch at a September 2003 Dodgers home game. The ball having smacked into the catcher’s mitt, Gleason began to walk off the field. Legendary announcer Vin Scully called over the stadium PA for the veteran to remain on the field. All the Dodgers’ players, coaches, and the manager walked onto the field and presented Gleason with another 1963 World Series ring. A great story for one of our country’s great heroes involved in the Vietnam War.
The Lincoln Memorial must have a magical anti-aging formula, looking the same to me as it did 50 years earlier. That was my first memory of the iconic larger-than-life seated sculpture of our country’s 16th President, designed by Daniel French and carved by the Piccinilli Brothers. A good bet is its appearance will look unchanged 50 years from now, a long time from President Warren Harding’s dedication of the memorial in 1922. Robert Todd Lincoln, the last surviving son of Lincoln, was present for the ceremony. The year 1922 was more than a few times around the sun removed from 1865. There would be a different looking memorial for visitors to admire in 2016 if events and actions had moved more quickly after Lincoln’s death. Two groups, one organized by an African-American woman who was born into slavery, and the other being the Lincoln Monument Association (authorized by Congress), began efforts in 1867 to build a memorial. Unlike the swift action taken to obtain Ford’s Theater shortly after the assassination, Congress dragged its feet until 1911, finally establishing the Lincoln Memorial Commission. Things then started cranking. The McMillan Commission, in 1901, had suggested placing two new memorials in the Mall area. One would be at the end of a vector which ran west, from the Capitol through the Washington Monument. The Lincoln Memorial was selected for this site, as close to the Potomac River as feasible. This neoclassical memorial is a Washington, D.C. landmark. Even if you have never visited the District and viewed the memorial up close, when you see a photo of the memorial you know exactly what it is, and where it is located. A part of Lincoln’s legacy based on freedom for all peoples, the memorial has become a fitting symbolic venue for civil rights events. The most notable may be the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” on August 23, 1963, the 100th year anniversary of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I have a Dream” speech on the memorial steps. A poll of experts in the field of speeches granted King’s speech the top spot of the 100 most important speeches in the 20th century. Jon Meacham wrote, “With a single phrase, Martin Luther King Jr., joined Jefferson and Lincoln in the ranks of men who have shaped modern America.” Maybe an even more symbolic event was the Easter Sunday Concert of 1939. Marian Anderson sang to a large audience from the steps of the memorial. She had just been denied the opportunity to sing in Constitution Hall. The reason? She was African-American. It is easy to see our country had, at that time, a long way to go to reach equality for all American citizens. An interesting tidbit about Abe Lincoln, the only U.S. President to hold a U.S. patent. He was awarded patent #6469 for an inflatable bellows system on canal boats, to help with navigation. Lincoln had more talents than the general citizenry knows. The famous architect Henry Bacon was awarded the opportunity to design the memorial. It was his last project. He wanted the memorial to reflect Lincoln’s ultimate objective, to repair the torn country and make a single Union whole once again. His overall design was based on the Parthenon, from Greece. How appropriate the intended ‘look’ should be from the birthplace of democracy. The selection of materials came from many states, brought together to represent a single purpose; reunification. Of the 98 steps leading to the top of the memorial the lower are made from Massachusetts granite, while Colorado Yule marble comprises the upper. Tennessee pink marble covers the interior floor, with Alabama marble tiles adorning the ceiling. Indiana limestone was selected for the interior walls and columns. The outline of the memorial has 36 fluted Doric columns, one for each of the Union’s 36 states when Lincoln died. They wrap around a building of 190 feet in length and 119 feet in width. Add to those dimensions the height of 100 feet and nothing short of massive can describe the monument’s size. To match the size of the building, the Piccinilli brothers used 28 slabs of marble to create the Lincoln sculpture. That is a lot of marble. 64 I stepped inside the interior, raising my head to look at Lincoln’s face. The statue’s white Georgia marble reflects well the impression of Lincoln’s commanding yet compassionate person. I turned to look at the south wall, then walked across to the north wall. Engraved on the walls are Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” and “Second Inaugural Address” speeches. Murals by Jules Guerin adorn the top of the engravings, speaking of Lincoln’s principles for Liberty, Freedom, and Justice. I obtained the Passport Cancellation stamps at the bookstore and turned out of the entrance to start down the steps. The view was spectacular. Ahead of me was the Reflecting Pool, then the World War II Monument, finally the Washington Monument. I was standing where Martin Luther King Jr had stood. Would Dr. King say the dreams of all our citizens have been met? I think not.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial memorializes a different human story; suffering of war. This memorial came 13 years after the Vietnam Memorial was opened. A similar concept was used, to build a marble wall and engrave it with etchings. No more than 200 yards from the Lincoln Memorial, I slowly walked on one of the two entry paths, along a small garden area with 19 stainless steel figures of soldiers plodding through a sea of short evergreen bushes, a platoon on patrol. The images of the faces of these men gave me the impression their patrols were grim experiences. The look of the ponchos made me think of the literature I have read of the war and the harsh weather, especially in the winter. I could see granite strips through the bushes, on the ground, separating the figures. These symbolize the rice paddies of Korea. Nine of the figures carry the M-1 rifle, while five others have carbines. Frank Gaylord, a World War II veteran, carved the statues (Tailix Foundries casted the sculptures). At the end of the path is the Pool of Remembrance, a 30 feet diameter shallow basin surrounded by granite. the memorial’s centerpiece. A stone nearby lists numbers associated with the war such as the those killed, wounded, missing in action, and held as prisoners-of-war. Then I walked along the Wall, made of Academy Black Granite from Colorado, forming a straight line that intersects at the Pool of Remembrance. Looking closely at a few of the figures I could make out different branches of our armed forces. This was intentional, to reflect the sacrifices made by the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marines, and the U.S. Air Force. Over 2500 photographic images were sandblasted on the surface. But when looking at the wall only 38 likenesses of soldiers, sailors, and airmen stand out. The number 38 represents the months of the war, and the 38th parallel between North and South Korea. Artist Louis Nelson was chosen to create the images. From a distance the images give the appearance of a mountain range, a fitting intent since much of the conflict was fought in mountainous terrain. Nearly 1.8 million U.S. servicemen and service women fought to repel the communist advance into South Korea. 5.8 million men and women served in the armed forces during the three-year conflict. Over 36,000 service members lost their lives. The monuments’ dedication was July 27, 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the armistice. President Clinton and Kim Young Sam, the President of the Republic of Korea, were present. There is a phrase, etched in the granite, inlaid with silver, which concisely represents the history of our country and the ideals we have stood and fought for, stated in just four words: “Freedom Is Not Free.” Ask those who fought in the Korean War and the families who lost fathers, sons, and brothers. Here is hoping our country never forgets.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His name is as famous as The Beetles, his message as great as Heaven itself. Dr. King’s legacy deserves to be publicly honored with a memorial placed among the West Potomac Park monuments and memorials. Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR, Vietnam Veterans, Korean War Veterans, and World War II Veterans had a new neighbor in 2011. Congress must give its blessing for a national memorial to be realized. That entity, in 1996, authorized the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, of which Dr. King was a member, to organize the effort for an MLK memorial. The organization received 906 entries during the design competition. ROMA Design Group was declared the winner after a lengthy selection process. One part of the design was to have Dr. King extending out past the side of a mountain, the “Stone of Hope.” This was intentional, to reflect the theme of his “I have a Dream” speech, “With this faith, we will be able to hew out the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” The two slabs of stone behind the middle stone portion represent the “Mountain of Despair.” The NPS website says this about the figure of Dr. King, “… serves as the forward element of the Stone of Hope, detached from the Mountain of Despair to reflect victory bourne from disappointment.” I would be hard pressed to think of any better words. Scrape marks are visible on the three pieces of stone. Any guess as to their significance? They remind us of African-Americans’ struggles since their arrival in the New World. The multiple entrances to the memorial plot are meant to symbolize the openness of democracy. The site itself sits on a line which connects the Lincoln Memorial with the Jefferson Memorial. In his “I have a Dream” speech, Dr. King stood at the Lincoln Memorial and mentioned our country’s Declaration of Independence, which was written by Jefferson. Well, it is great to have a design, but someone must eventually build the memorial. A group of international artists were in St. Paul. MN designing large sculptures to be placed around the city. That group recommended Master Lei Yixin from China. Lei settled on his final 58 design, after months of trial and retrial, resulting in a 30-foot fiberglass replica to use as his reference. Shrimp pink granite, 159 blocks in all, were shipped to his studio in China. The assembly and carving were 80% complete when all was disassembled and transported to the memorial site. Lei completed the last 20% on-site. The ever-changing sun’s lighting on this memorial is key if one’s intention is to snap a good photograph. The carved side of the “Stone of Hope” is facing east, towards the Tidal Basin. This equates to taking a photo in the morning if sunlight on Dr. King’s face is preferred. The “Mountain” sections behind run south to north, so once the sun is past its apex, their front sides are in shade and shadows. Dr. King was a consummate orator, putting the pain and hope of all men into memorable words. There are panels running north and south behind the “Mountain” sections, engraved with 16 of his most famous phrases. In common, they represent Dr. King’s unending efforts to see justice, love, and democracy to come to all men. I stopped to read a few. My favorite was from 1963, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." The engraving of the words was made by Nick Benson, a third-generation stone worker from Rhode Island. His company has an original font style, a mix of classical Greek and contemporary sans serif script (sans serif is a common style used by many people today in the age of computer programs). Two years to complete the lettering. Benson had experience with this kind of work, his workmanship on the World War II Memorial and the National Gallery of Art, among other landmarks. The memorial’s VC is across the street. I dodged out of the way of other visitors taking photos of the Stone and Mountain and headed over to get the Passport Cancellation stamp.
One can follow the line of cherry trees which border the concrete walkway around the Tidal Basin perimeter to take the short walk over to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial from the MLK Jr Memorial. Lawrence Halprin was commissioned in 1974 as the designer of the 7.5-acre memorial. He intended the park to not just be about FDR, but rather the man and his times. There are four sections across the grounds, representing the four terms served by our country’s 32nd President, covering 12 years of history. The third area has a waterfall, cascading water on top of scattered boulders and rocks, symbolizing the destruction of World War II. Walls of South Dakota red granite display 21 inscriptions, quotes by FDR. Twelve sculptures adorn the rooms. The bronze life-sized elements reflect the Depression and World War II, including the weekly fireside chats FDR was famous for delivering via radio across the land. My favorite piece is the “Breadline” sculpture, by George Segal. Five men are waiting in a line to receive food during the Depression. One scene, with a sculpture of a seated FDR, includes his dog Fala. This is the only First Dog to have been bestowed the honor of representation in a Presidential memorial. Another sculpture is of FDR sitting in his wheelchair, a powerful message for those with disabilities (FDR contracted polio in 1921, his legs were paralyzed). Even with a disability one can reach for the stars and find success. The memorial was the first NPS unit purposely designed to be wheelchair accessible. I loudly thanked the staff in the VC for having the Passport Cancellation stamp for the WW2 Memorial, since the kiosk over there had been closed and headed to the Jefferson Memorial.
Unbeknownst to me, the VC and museum at Jefferson were closed. Major renovations are underway. Thankfully, the FDR Memorial VC had a Jefferson stamp and I had placed it in my book. If you see a stamp ahead of time, get it because you never know what might happen. I kept looking at the Cherry Blossom trees as I walked to the George Mason Memorial which is where you turn to then head to Jefferson. One should try to visit D.C. when they are in bloom.
The Jefferson Memorial dome is one of the first sights coming into the District when crossing the Potomac River from Virginia on the 14th Street Bridge. The open-air structure’s 165-foot diameter makes for one big dome. Any wonder people never forget what it looks like. The memorial is designed in the neoclassical style, an architectural form Jefferson helped propagate across our country. The memorial’s colonnaded structure was designed by John Russell Pope (awarded by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission in 1935), to honor our country’s first Secretary of State and third President, and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. Ever seen photos of a large structure which reminds you of the Jefferson Memorial? Do a search on the Internet for the Pantheon, in Rome. Pope used the Pantheon as his reference. The shallow dome concept at the Pantheon? Yes, it is in the Jefferson Memorial. Jefferson included the Greek look in his Monticello residence and the University of Virginia buildings he designed. Jefferson could speak and read six languages (English, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Latin) in addition to his architectural prowess. He had to learn what all the text on those Roman structures meant. Many of us Americans have a hard time comprehending our native language, let alone trying to learn a second. The columns supporting the dome are spaced such that a visitor can clearly see the bronze Jefferson statue and the interior from the entire circumference. A walk around the exterior of the column circle confirmed that viewpoint. But on April 13, 1943, at the memorial’s dedication (the bicentennial of Jefferson’s birthdate) a plaster statute was installed. The war effort needed bronze for military purposes. The permanent bronze piece was affixed to the base after the war. I stood next to the Minnesota granite pedestal and noticed it is my height, 6 feet. The statue extends upwards for 19 feet. Rudulph Evans' statue shows Jefferson in his middle years, wearing clothes common to an 18th century gentleman; a waistcoat, knee breeches, and a long, fur-collared coat. Whether the document being held in Jefferson’s left hand is the Declaration of Independence or not, good enough for me to believe it is. As with many projects our Federal Government manages, a controversary started after Pope finalized his plan. He was going to remake the entire Tidal Basin, including reflecting pools and formal rows of trees. This did not sit well with the guardians of the city’s famous cherry trees. Pope died in 1937 allowing for others to tone-down his proposal. President Roosevelt approved the less ostentatious design. Construction began in 1938. At the dedication Roosevelt said, “Today, in the midst of a great war for freedom, we dedicate a shrine to freedom.”
The newest NPS park on the Mall was a good 1.4 miles away, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial. I passed the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, the Holocaust Museum, the Department of Agriculture, and Smithsonian buildings. Finally, I reached the memorial for one of the greatest American leaders of the 20th century. He was our 34th President and was Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in WW2 for the European Theater. Though the memorial grounds are open 24 hours a day, the VC is not. I arrived in time to get the stamps and a lapel pin. The memorial has a one-of-a-kind stainless-steel tapestry, depicting Pointe du Hoc at Normandy (a key aspect of the D-Day landings). The artwork is 60 feet tall by 447 feet long. That is a lot of steel. There are three groups of statues, one for his youth, one when he was a General, and one for his Presidency. There are plenty of WW2 artifacts across the street at the Air and Space Museum.
Next step was to find the L’Enfant subway station since it is on the GREEN line. What a long day.