Korean War Memorial

We have visited the Korean War Memorial many times. Our friends from the Midwest visited when we first moved to DC sixteen years ago. One of them had a husband who served during the Korean War. My dad also served after having been in WWII. The site has been under construction for quite some time to add some new features. It now has a memorial pool and a wall of remembrance - similar to the Vietnam Memorial. Today we took our morning walk starting by the WWII Memorial, then walked down the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. I was searching for water photos for the challenge this week and was hoping to find something interesting. Along the way we stopped by the Korean War Memorial to see what changes were made. The figures on the field were always captivating. It’s simply incredible how many names are engraved on the stone surround including both American and Korean names. There was a steady stream of visitors and it was a beautiful day otherwise. There are simply too many memorials in this town. It’s very sad to walk through it. 

Korean War Memorial

It’s been a while since we actually walked around or near the Tidal Basin. We have driven past it millions of times. Two weeks ago, before everything closed down - including the bridges, we took another ride over. I wanted to take photos of Fala at the FDR Memorial for the 52Frames photography challenge. After that, we walked over to the MLK Memorial, and then crossed over Independence Avenue to the other side. Before we reached the Lincoln Memorial, reflecting pool, and the Vietnam Memorial, we stopped in to see the Korea Memorial. There sure are a lot of memorials in this section of the city. When we lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years, the Capitol building was our main view, along with house and senate office buildings and the Library of Congress where I worked for ten years. In between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial is the National Mall with all the Smithsonian delights, Washington Monument, and WWII Memorial. My Dad was in WWII and Korean Wars, so walking through it reminded me of him. Obviously there wasn’t a lot of foot traffic due to the season and inaugural safety issues, but the groundskeepers were hard at work keeping things beautiful. When we decided to move to northern Virginia, we knew we would want to visit the city every once in a while. The pandemic doesn’t allow us to attend programs and events any more, but at least we can still drive in and see the sights. 

A Tribute to my Father on Veterans Day

I have thumbed through these scrapbooks many times. My dad meticulously kept memories of his twenty one years in the Coast Guard, including a 1939 letter from the Treasury Department requesting his father's authorization to join, his uniforms, all the ship passes, training certificates, and recognition awards for serving in WW II and the Korean War. He never discussed a lot of it, but there are internet accounts of his convoy in North Africa on the USS Newell. The engine room was not a good place to be with ships exploding around you. The doors below were shut tight, which would mean a certain fate. As a youngster, I do remember visiting the floating vessels when they were in port, and how he became animated when he saw Battleship Cove in Fall River on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. I know he loved the water. He traveled all over the world, and retired to Florida when I was in second grade. The funny thing is that there are photos of him and his buddy in Washington - where we live now, and he trained in Beloit and Manitowoc Wisconsin - we lived in Milwaukee thirty years. He loved the Coast Guard and the time he spent in it. He just turned ninety-five, and doesn't remember a whole lot any more. But when he hears the music of his day, he becomes animated all over again. Happy Veterans Day Dad.