Vet’s to DC May 2022

  Our next station was the Viet Nam Memorial. This memorial was very hard for me.  I am not sure why.  If you asked me if I was a Viet Nam vet, I would tell you no.  I was in the service during the Viet Nam war, but I served in the Atlantic, half a world away.  I was pushing Charlie, a Korean vet, through the throng of people on the sidewalk at the memorial.  They were getting the Viet Nam vets together for a photograph.  And they were yelling at me.  Why? Because I was supposed to be in the group picture.  Yes, I am technically a Viet Nam vet, but since I did not fight in that war zone...  I jumped the fence and joined the group.  I will get a copy of the picture later.  Obviously, my phone was in my pocket. Too often we forget that this was not just a man's war.  These statues are there to remind us. The wall was a very sobering experience.  All those names.  All those lives. All those soldiers.  I just co...

  We don't think much about the Korean War.  But a number of our vets were from that era.      My step father Bob Greene served in the Korean war.  The only way I knew that was a picture that I found amongst my mother's belongings after she passed.  They had married after I had left the house and conversation about the war never came up.  I am including his picture to honor him. The memorial was under construction.  The Korean vets got their picture taken, but I was no where near to capture the moment.  Perhaps I will get a copy of someone else's photo. Next Post - WWII Memorial

  The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home.  The memorial has stones for every state and US territory involved in sending soldiers to the war.   The memorial consists of 56  granite   pillars , each 17 feet (5.2 m) tall, arranged in a  semicircle  around a  plaza  with two 43-foot (13 m)  triumphal arches  on opposite sides. We found Ohio without any trouble.  Not sure why, but a number of our vets were gathered around that pillar for pictures.  We were there to honor our WWII Vets.  We had one.  Think about ages.  If you entered WWII at 18 at the end of the war, 1945, in 2022 you would be 95.   The Washington Monument is beautiful from the WWII Memorial. Can you tell which one is mine?  iPhones can do some amazing things, but put in a setting su...

 Not Home Yet! Not yet.  We still have a ways to go.  We still need to stop and open that snack bucket.  But before that happens, we need to EAT!!! Yep, Vets2DC arranged for another meal on the road.  Washington PA American Legion put on a great meal for us and their members joined us for the breaking of bread.   The Navy guys didn't get to visit the Navy Memorial.  Protests downtown made the trip unadvisable.  So, we gathered around the flag post to see who salutes.  No picture as I was in the shot and the wife was back at the bus.  Terri took a picture.  I'll get a copy from her. And did they give us a send off. Motorcade escort from Washington PA all the way to the next town and entrance onto the freeway.  Thank you for honoring us. Honoring us even as we returned.  At many of the overpasses, emergency squad awaited our arrival.  Scott's overpass had their huge flag flying, although I missed the picture. Biker...