A Visit to the World War II Memorial
In November of 1995 Ray and I took our children to Washington, D.C. While we were in town, the government shut down because of a budget controversy. We had begun exploring in the Smithsonian museums, but they closed with the shutdown. It was a time to make lemons out of lemonade. God blessed us with other opportunities. One day we went to see George Washington’s Mount Vernon. His home was open because the Mount Vernon Ladies Association owns it.
Even though we couldn’t visit the museums anymore, we got to see lots of famous people. All of the well-known Congressmen and Senators were at the Capitol because they were hurrying around trying to end the government shutdown. We sat in the galleries and walked the halls of the Capitol (you could do that more easily then since 9/11 was still six years in the future) and enjoyed spotting people who were regularly in the news. Government shutdowns are inconvenient for many people and extremely difficult for others, but if you are a homeschool family on your dream vacation to Washington, D.C., they can actually be exciting.
One day we were walking on the Washington Mall when suddenly we saw the President’s motorcade driving by. We saw President Clinton’s face through the presidential limousine. Seeing rows of chairs set up before a platform in the area between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, we investigated. President Clinton was about to dedicate the ground where the World War II Memorial was to be built. We went through the minimal security, sat down, and heard his remarks.
Except for brief stops on an Amtrak train, Ray and I had not been to D.C. since 1995, until we attended conventions in the area last week and this week. Last Sunday Ray and I, along with our Notgrass team member Josh, picked up our son John at Reagan National Airport. Then we spent a few hours in Washington.
One of our stops was the World War II Memorial. Of course it brought back memories of our surprise attendance at its dedication 23 years ago. Our main reason for going was to honor Ray’s dad and the other veterans of World War II. Ray’s dad never got to see it, but he believed in it and had made a contribution.
The sunny day with mid-70s temperatures was perfect. The memorial has two arches which represent the Atlantic theater of the war and the Pacific. The arch behind me represents the Pacific.
Each pillar represents one of the fifty states. Here are our World War II veteran’s grandson John and son Ray by his home state of Tennessee.
The memorial has several fountains. The sights and sounds of the moving water are comforting.
Many visitors were enjoying the World War II memorial last Sunday. Here and there loved ones had left items that honored a particular soldier. A sign beside the center pool and fountains reminded everyone to honor our veterans. The sign said that American soldiers enjoyed the fountains of Europe and that sitting with feet in the water was okay but that walking in the water was not. I didn’t see anyone ignoring the rules.
Ray’s dad was part of the Allied invasion of Europe. Before the soldiers crossed the English Channel, General Eisenhower told them:
You are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you . . . I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle.
The names of battles in North Africa and Europe surround this fountain. Ray’s father was in the Battle of the Bulge.
Washington, D.C., is a beautifully planned city. See how the Washington Monument stands between the Wyoming and Oklahoma pillars.
As we walked away from the World War II Memorial and walked down the Mall toward the Lincoln Memorial, I looked back. The memorial is so large that you have to take it in in small pieces. The whole is just too much. In that way it is a fitting representation of that horrible war.
Sometimes when I look back I think about Lot’s wife. I don’t want to look back to long for things that God wants me to leave behind. Sometimes looking back is exactly the right thing to do. Jesus told us to “look back” and remember Him in the Lord’s Supper.
Peter told Christians to:
remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets
and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. . . .
2 Peter 3:2
The father in Proverbs reminds his son:
My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments . . .
Proverbs 3:1
Remember those who led you,
who spoke the word of God to you;
and considering the result of their conduct,
imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7