Tag Archives: Washington DC

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

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After a lunch break at the Pentagon City Mall it was back on the tour bus for one final stop. We headed back to the Tidal Basin. Half way between the Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson Memorials we pulled over for a walk to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

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There are actually 2 memorials to FDR in Washington DC. The first, located in front of the National Archives was built to FDR’s specifications,  about the size of his desk.

When Memorial #2 (the one we were about to visit) was dedicated his granddaughter, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, made the shrewd comment, “Memorials are for us. They aren’t necessarily for the people they memorialize.”

The new Memorial consist of 4 open air rooms, one for each term of his presidency.

The Prologue Room

Enter the memorial at the visitor center on north side  off West Basin Dr. I don’t think I did that and it left me confused as to which room I was in from that point on.

You will know you are in the Prologue room because you’ll see a life size statue of FDR in his wheelchair. This room and the statue was added 3 years after the memorial was opened and following a great deal of debate. FDR never wanted to appear weak in public so did his best to avoid using the wheelchair except in private.

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Today the advocacy groups for people with disabilities consider FDR a role model and lobbied hard for the inclusion of the wheelchair statue.

Room 1

In room one we find a bronze bas-relief of the first inauguration. The single drop waterfall symbolizes the economic crash that started the Great Depression.

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Room 2

This room contains two very powerful statues…The Breadline which illustrates despair

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and The Fireside Chat which symbolizes Hope.

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The water fall in this room is  multi-tiered and controlled, a nod to the  Tennessee Valley Authority dam-building project.

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Room 3

Water crashes over boulders in all directions suggestion the chaos and destruction of the War years.

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Amidst this violence Roosevelt with his beloved dog, Fala, calmly presides over the world around them.

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Room 4 

Roosevelt’s death is symbolized by the silent pool of water. It’s still surface reflects  the Bas Relief called The Funeral Cortege. The carving represents a nation mourning following the death of the only  president many can remember.

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Eleanor Roosevelt also has a statue here. It the only statue to honor a First Lady. She is honored for her contributions not only as First Lady but as  one of the early delegates representing the United States at the newly formed United Nations.

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Throughout the Memorial the walls are etched with quotes from speeches and writings built on FDR’s 4 fundamental beliefs also called the 4 Freedoms:

  1. Freedom of Speech
  2. Freedom of Worship
  3. Freedom from Want
  4. Freedom from Fear

We would do well to remember those four Freedoms today.

 

 

Vietnam Memorial

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Vietnam !

We are now approaching a memorial that hits very close to home. This is my generation. This is the first War of which I have any remembrance. I remember the horrible news casts, the political unrest, the demonstrations to end the war, and the flag draped caskets being unloaded from the returning planes. This memorial was painful and I took the coward’s way out.

The Wall

At the entrance you’ll find  Three Serviceman’s Memorial. I can see the Wall from there. The Wall is actually 2 walls meeting . They are tallest where they meet and taper down, one toward the Washington Monument , the other toward the Lincoln Memorial. The configuration is meant to symbolize a “wound that is closed and healing. To my mind I wonder if it will ever heal.

While all of the memorials are moving in their own way,  I found this one, like Pearl Harbor, almost too much to bear. I spent my time with the Three Soldiers and avoided the Wall. Like I said I was a coward. I just could not bear to look at all those names, all those young lives, gone.

On the walls are the names of servicemen classified as KIA (Killed in Action), or MIA (Missing in Action) when the walls were constructed.

Those who died in action are denoted by a diamond, those who were missing (MIA’s, POW’s  and others) are denoted with a cross. When the death of one who was previously missing is confirmed, a diamond is superimposed over the cross. If the missing were to return alive, which has never occurred to date, the cross is to be circumscribed  by a circle.

The Three Serviceman’s Memorial

Back to the 3 Soldiers, the lead figure represents a Marine, identified as such by the body armor vest  he’s wearing.

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The man on the right is also wearing an armor vest but a different type that was used primarily by the army. Around his neck the  Soldier carries a GI towel, which served to absorb sweat and cushion heavy loads, and was a common practice of many Soldiers in Vietnam.

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The third soldier wears no armor but  he appears to be a U.S. Army Soldier, as he wears a Tropical (“Boonie”) Hat which was widely worn by Army combat personnel in Vietnam.

In order to identify the major ethic groups that served in Vietnam, the leader is depicted as a European America, the man on the right is African American and the one on the left Latin American.

This was enough for me. I had paid my respects, if from afar, and I returned to the bus to wait for our next stop.

 

Lincoln Memorial

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“In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.” These words are engraved above the statute of the president who save the Union, Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln Memorial is an enduring symbol of unity, strength and wisdom.

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Exterior Features of the Lincoln Memorial

Does the memorial look familiar? It should and not just because we’ve all grown up with it. It was model after the Parthenon in Athens which graced the cover of most of our history books.

Since the memorial was to a man who defended democracy then the design should echo the birthplace of democracy. The Memorial is 190 foot long, 120 foot wide, 99 foot tall constructed of marble.

There are 58 steps on the memorial and 87 steps from the memorial to the reflecting pool. There is an elevator for those who are not up to navigating that many steps. It was working when I was there.

The steps of the Lincoln Memorial have been witness to many great events and demonstrations over the past 100 years including he “I have a Dream” speech by Dr. King. The steps start at the edge of the reflecting pool on the National Mall. They rise to a plaza that was once a road and then continue on through a series of platforms to the entrance.

Columns

The 36 Doric columns that surround the Memorial represent each of the states that existed at the time of  Lincoln’s death.

Frieze

Above the colonnade inscribed on the frieze are the names of 36 states and the dates in which they entered the Union. Their names are separated by double wreath medallions in bas-relief.

Inside the Lincoln Memorial

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There are 3 chambers inside the memorial, north, south and central. The north and south side chambers contain the words of  of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and his Gettysburg Address carved into the marble.  Between the north and south chambers is the central hall containing the solitary Statue of Lincoln  sitting in contemplation.  Look closely at Lincoln’s hands. Proponents of ASL say he is signing and that the position of his fingers form A and L.

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The Views and Location on the National Mall

Standing in front of the entrance you will be looking out over the reflecting pool at the Washington Monument.

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Step to the side and look again,  there is the dome of the Capitol building peeking from behind the Washington Monument

One of the most well known of the monuments, the Lincoln Memorial does not fade with familiarity. It is still a beautiful memorial to our 16th President who gave all to see the new nation stayed intact.

https://www.nps.gov/linc/index.htm

“Freedom Is Not Free”

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Leaving the Martin Luther King Memorial we thought we were heading to the Lincoln memorial but Joey had another stop in mind for us first. After pouring out of the tour bus, we crossed a busy street while Joey stopped traffic only to approach a memorial of individual statues.

The Forgotten War

This is the Korean War Memorial. Often considered the “Forgotten War” Joey was determined that we would not “forget” to visit the memorial. These soldiers suffered terribly, spent much time unprepared, untrained for combat and under supplied. Even so, they managed to delay the advance of the North Korean forces until reinforcements could arrive.

Officially the Korean War was not a war, it was a “police action”, one of the early attempts by the United Nations  to provide a stabilizing influence on the affairs of the world.

The Symbolism at the Monument

The monument is hard for me to describe. I was struck by the lifelike statues of the soldiers and as Joey described the conditions the servicemen endured , my heart ached.

The first thing that caught my attention were the ghostly statues. Done  in stainless steel, their faces clearly visible, you can see the hardship on each visage. These 19 servicemen are surrounded by granite boulders and juniper bushes representing the harsh environment of Korea.

The figures represent a platoon on patrol. 14 figures represent the US Army, 3 represent the US Marines, 1 is a Navy corpsman, and one is an Air Force Forward Air Observer. They are dressed in full combat gear.

The Wall

A highly polished wall of “academy black” granite stands beside the field of Soldiers. More than 2,500 images representing the land, sea, and air troops who supported those who fought in the war are sandblasted onto the wall. When the light is right, the images of the soldiers reflect on the wall. There now appears to be 38 soldiers. The number 38 represents 38 months, and it is also representing the 38 parallel that separated the North and South Korea.

Pool of Remembrance

A visit to the memorial is not complete without a look at the Pool of Remembrance. This shallow pool is artistically surrounded by trees for the most visually pleasing reflections. Inscriptions list soldiers killed, wounded, missing in action and held as prisoner during the Korean  War.

Conclusion

A nearby plaque is inscribed: “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.”

Organized by the National Park Service, students of Tuscarora High School in Frederick County Maryland and students of CheongShim International Academy in the Republic of Korea interviewed Korean War veterans in their respective countries. The students shared these interviews with each other through the internet. The letters are moving and enlightening. I encourage you to take a moment to read some of these memories.

https://www.nps.gov/kowa/learn/historyculture/index.htm

 

 

I Had a Dream

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Introduction

“I had a dream” is  probably the most well know of Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s many speeches.

The Monument

Our next stop on the tour of the Tidal basin is the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. The memorial is 30 ft high, located between the Jefferson & Lincoln Memorials on the National Mall.

Dr. King appears to be stepping out of a mountain of stone. As you approach the Monument you pass through a cut between two large boulders.  It made me think of psalm 23, “Yea though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death”.

The boulders are meant to represent the Mountain of Despair which has been split in two. Dr. King’s likeness emerges as if stepping from a solitary boulder, the Stone of Hope. On the visible side the words “Out of the Mountain of despair, a Stone of Hope” is carved into the stone. The phrase comes from Dr. King’s “I have a Dream” speech.

Some History

  • It was 48 years after Dr King’s famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before the Dr. King Jr memorial opened. Originally scheduled for August 22, 2011 opening day was delayed by Hurricane Irene. It finally opened on October 16, 2011.
  • There is a lot of negative press today around Sororities and Fraternities, but the driving force behind Dr King’s memorial was Alpha Phi Alpha, the fraternity that opened its membership doors to Dr. King.
  • More than 900 applicants from 52 countries submitted bids to build the memorial.
  • The address for the memorial is 1964 Independence Ave., referencing the 1964 Civil Rights act.
  • The Cherry Trees are positioned so that it will appear that Dr King is gazing at them.
  • The memorial is the fourth in Washington, DC to honor a non-president and the first to honor a man of color.
  • Surrounding the statue of Dr. King is a 450-foot long Inscription Wall, which features 14 quotes from King’s speeches, sermons and writings. Quotes were chosen with Dr. King’s four main principles in mind: justice, democracy, hope and love.

Getting There

I reached the Memorial by taking a tour but if you are traveling on your own the site is accessible by either the Metro (subway) or Metrobus.  If traveling by bus, use the 32, 34 or 36 Metrobus routes. The closest Metro stop is Smithsonian, on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines.

Conclusion

The stone of Hope, with Dr. King’s image standing boldly from its depths, is a message encouraging  all citizens to forever strive for justice and equality. A message never more timely than today with violence in our cities, war in the world and rampart discrimination against immigration, especially Muslims.   To borrow from a 60’s ballad  (Where have all the Flowers gone), When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?