My family & I just got back from visiting Washington, DC, a trip I think every American should make. Besides the incredible (and free!) museums, the monuments and landmarks strike me as something to behold. Feelings of love of country bubbled up inside me while standing in nearly Lincoln's presence and reading his words of "The Gettysburg Address." The names on the Vietnam Memorial continue on & on in the polished marble where I could see my reflection so clearly I took pictures of my family reflecting back from the Memorial. I wished I could have been in Washington on a Tuesday evening at which time the Marine Corps demonstrates drills at Arlington National Cemetery. Folks bring picnic suppers, spread out their blankets and watch the Marine Corps perform their routines.
The World War II Memorial is awe-inspiring with giant bronze wreaths and a beautiful fountain. However the Memorial that affected me the most was dedicated to the Korean War. Larger-than-life soldiers wearing plastic ponchos over heavy back packs patrol the Korean landscape covered with low brush. The soldiers are on the look-out, discussing what lies ahead, what they've just seen; warning each other of dangers. Their guns are heavy, some slung over their backs, others poised in front, each one different. For some reason I am deeply moved by this; perhaps because of the way the statues are designed. The sculptures convey the soldiers' fears & uncertainties about their situation and the dangers lurking nearby and I feel for them.
Walking back to the car my family & I discovered a "new" monument, meaning one we had not noticed on previous visits. Memorials are hard to miss because of their size, but this one is tucked away on the right side of the Mall, heading from the Korean War Memorial to the Washington Monument. It is a white marble gazebo-like structure without any statues and is dedicated by the people of the District of Columbia to the veterans of World War I. My daughter pointed out something quite poignant about this Memorial and that was that it was not labeled with a number one, the way we think about that war, but rather as simply "the World War". What a stark reminder that when that memorial was built people were not expecting another war of that magnitude. When will we start learning from history and stop making the same mistakes over and over again?
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When Nature and Technology Dovetail
Princeton's new wind towers are becoming something of a local attraction. Tour the wind farm on Saturday, May 15 at 9:00am and stay for the commissioning ceremony at 10:00. The event will be posponed in the case of stormy weather .
To reach PMLD's web page, click on the windmill.
State Representative Lew Evangelidis, Candidate for Sheriff of Worcester County
Click on Lew to visit his website.
The Hall of Flags
State Senator Scott Brown is shown with Charlie Baker, candidate for Governor and Faith Pistrang. To visit Scott's website, click on the picture.
Representative Lew Evangelidis spoke on NECN's "Broadside: Political Hot Topics" Friday, July 31
To watch Rep. Evangelidis debate George Bachrach on "Broadside," click on the picture, taken earlier this year in the Hall of Flags at the State House.
Four Republicans Having Fun Under a Canopy
Mike Pantos, Dick Callahan, State Representative Lew Evangelidis and Bonnie Prescott pose for the camera at the Republican booth at Rutland's Annual Chowder Fest. To visit Representative Evangelidis' website, click on the picture.
1 comment:
**posted by M**
I too have been surprised by the presence of the "World War" memorial. As you say, it is not proudly showcased like the other monuments. Instead it stands hidden in the quiet shade of sparse evergreens. While the main point of it being labeled the "World War" memorial may haunt us by its inevitable inaccuracies, its remote location transforms it into a memorial with real feelings.
The Lincoln Memorial is awesome in all aspects, but swarms of people take away from what could be an even more powerful monument. The World War monument, while unacknowledged by most, finds the right way to express itself. Out of every monument I went to with my family, that monument stands out the clearest in my head. The only sound that surrounds you is that of summer birds, slowly chirping a eulogy to those who sacrificed their lives for the benefit of the Great War. This quiet allows for reflection and contemplation, of why after the first World War there had to be another to follow.
While there was no evidence of any maintenance work within the past few months, or even a year, this on-the-side monument struck me in the most profound way. It is not a garish memorial covered with excessive trimmings. It is a monument not of epic proportions, but of great significance. I suggest visiting this monument if you are in D.C., and thinking about why this monument was not the last one ever made. You will be able to hear your thoughts over the birds, I promise.
Thank you Faith, for this installment of your blog-it really hit home.
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