Teacher Trekker

The Benefits of Visiting the National Memorials on Sunday Morning

On the way down to Washington D.C., my father and I discussed the smartest way to conduct our national memorials walking tour. Based on our schedule, it looked like it would have to be on Sunday morning. That,, as it turned out, was only a good thing. A few websites recommended going at this time, because there would be an ample amount of parking available if you arrive early enough. There is a limited amount of parking, but it was much more than I imagined. During the work week and Saturdays many of the spots are no parking zones, and those which are spots will be full instantaneously, making driving and parking extremely difficult. The exception to this rule is Sunday morning parking around the National Mall and West Potomac Park. If you arrive early enough, then you will be able to drive in and find a spot. We parked less than a 5 minute walk from the Lincoln Memorial. If you do not want to deal with the hassle of parking and are taking DC Metro, the closest stop to begin this walking tour is the Foggy Bottom stop.

Sunday Morning National Memorials Walking Tour

It was early on Sunday morning when my father and I checked out of the Georgetown Inn. It was less than a 10 minute drive to West Potomac Park, and we found parking without a hitch. We were on our way to the Lincoln Memorial and National Mall when I noticed a small statue in a circle at the intersection of Ohio Drive and Independence Avenue. The John Ericsson National Memorial was dedicated to the inventor of the screw propeller that revolutionized naval warfare. 

Ericsson was a Swedish engineer and designer of the USS. Monitor. The ship played a determining factor in the Union’s naval supremacy during the American Civil War. Congress authorized the project on August 31,1916 and was dedicated a decade later on May 29, 1926 by President Calvin Coolidge and Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden. It was built from pink Milford granite between September 1926 and April 1927 and stands 20 feet high with a base of 150 feet. It was sculpted by James Earle Fraser. The memorial’s centerpiece is a seated figure of John Ericsson. There are also three standing figures representing adventure, labor, and vision. There is an informational placard near the monument for visitors. The memorial is managed by U.S. National Park Service. I love stumbling onto things I didn’t expect to see. It was a nice history lesson and a sign that much more of the same was coming shortly.

The first major attraction we visited was the Lincoln Memorial. Built to honor Abraham Lincoln, America’s 16th President, the monument stands on the western end of the National Mall. In 1910, Congressmen Shelby M. Cullom and Joseph G. Cannon worked to push the Lincoln Memorial Bill through Congress that was later signed by President Taft in 1911. Designed by Henry Bacon, the structure’s exterior is that of a Greek Doric temple. It has 36 columns representing the states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. Inside contains a statue of a 19 foot tall seated Abraham Lincoln carved out of 28 blocks of white marble from Georgia. Originally, the memorial plans were to include a 12 foot tall bronze statue, but it was too small for such a large building. There are inscriptions on the walls of excerpts from two of his most well-known speeches. They include the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. In addition to the Lincoln statue itself, the site used stone from various states across the country to complete the project for its dedication on Memorial Day, May 30, 1922. The white marble for the exterior came from Colorado. The limestone for the interior walls was from a quarry in Indiana. The pink marble used on the floor came from Tennessee. Finally, the ceiling was made out of marble from Alabama.

The location has been the site to many rallies and speeches. The most important of them was Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which was delivered on August 28, 1963 following the Million Man March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The location was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966 and is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS). It is open to the public 24 hours a day. Many people suggest going at night to visit the memorial, which is not such a bad idea. It will be less crowded, and there will be the opportunity for some great night time photographs.

The Lincoln Memorial is an impressive structure both inside and out. The exterior is just another example of the impressive architectural designs that make Washington D.C. so visually striking. The inscriptions that cover the interior walls of the building are powerful reminders of Lincoln’s aspirations for American citizens. His words echo through the empty space as if they have been reverberating through time since. In many ways they have. Reading the quotes on the walls sent shivers down my spine. It reminded me of the successes and failures that America has had as a nation since Lincoln’s assassination. One can only ponder how the country may have progressed had Lincoln not been murdered. The entire experience was quite powerful.

Just northeast of the Lincoln Memorial in Constitution Gardens adjacent to the National Mall stands the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Actually, there are three parts to the memorial. They include the Memorial Wall, the Three Soldiers Statue and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. They stand as a testament to the members of the U.S. armed forces, both men and women, that fought and sacrificed so much during the Vietnam War, particularly those who were killed in action (KIA) and others who still to this day remain missing in action (MIA). Below are descriptions of all three parts of the memorial.

The Memorial Wall, commonly referred to as “The Wall” was designed by Maya Lin. In 1980, an architectural design competition was held to determine what kind of memorial would be built. Of the 2,573 entries that registered for the competition, 1,421 designs were submitted in 1981 for selection. The designs were put on display at Andrews Air Force Base for the selection committee. After all of the entries were examined by each juror, the choices were narrowed down to 232 entries, then 39. Finally, the jury selected design number 1026 by Maya Lin. The memorial was dedicated in 1982, and almost immediately there was controversy over the design, which eventually died down, but also resulted in additional statues being added near the Memorial Wall.

The Memorial Wall is made up of two gabbro (dark grainy rock) walls that are 246 feet 9 inches long. The apex of the two walls is 10.1 feet high and then the walls taper down all the way to a height of 8 inches at the far edge of the walls. The walls were made out of stone from India specifically because of its reflective surface. Observers at the wall will be able to simultaneously see themselves along with the engraved names of the fallen soldiers. This is meant to symbolize the conjoining of the past and present. Each wall has 72 panels, 70 of which have the engraved names on the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the conflict. Additionally, the names of MIA soldiers are included. The names are listed in chronological order. The eastern wall contains information from the 1950’s and ends on May 25, 1968. The western wall completes the list for May 25, 1968 working its way back to the apex finishing with 1975. Upon completion in 1983, the wall listed 58,191 names. By May 2011, there are 58,272 names, including 8 women. Over 1,000 of the names are listed as MIA or prisoners of war (POWs) and are denoted with a cross. If the missing returned alive, the cross is circumscribed by a circle. A diamond is superimposed over the cross for those who have been confirmed as killed in action. Additionally, due to poor record keeping, there have been names of soldiers who did not die during the conflict that were added to the wall. Near the wall are directories as large as telephone books located at nearby podiums so that visitors can locate specific names. Along the wall is a pathway that is used by visitors to observe the Memorial Wall. The memorial is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service.

For me,visiting the wall was a very humbling experience. My connection to the Vietnam War is plentiful. I have family who fought in the conflict and a part of them never came home from the jungles of Southeast Asia. In college, my primary concentration was the Cold War, with a specialization in protracted and proxy wars, specifically the Vietnam War. I visited Vietnam for approximately three weeks during the summer. It was like coming full circle. While I was at the wall, three former Army soldiers from the 101st Airborne were there laying a Christmas wreath for their fallen brothers in arms. Countless other wreaths, flowers and mementos of the past were laid out along the wall to honor family and friends. The entire time, I questioned the actions of politicians on both sides that perpetuated a war that ravaged both nations even to this day. One thing I did not see was anyone taking part in “rubbing,” where visitors, most of them family members, will take a piece of paper, place it over a name on the wall and rub a pen or pencil over it. If I had a family member who passed in the conflict, I most certainly would take part in this, but I do not feel this is something that just anyone should do. This is a memorial to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation and to simply “rub” out some names would be disrespectful in my eyes.

Close to the Memorial Wall stands a bronze statue named The Three Soldiers, also referred to as The Three Servicemen. Due to the controversy over Maya Lin’s design, a compromise was reached where Frederick Hart, the third place runner up in the design contest was commissioned to create a bronze statue to accompany the wall. Some wanted to place the statue at the apex of the conjoining walls, but Lin defended that it detracted from the original design. An additional compromise was reached placing the sculpture close by the wall. The sculpture was unveiled in 1984. It includes three soldiers of different ethnic backgrounds. They include a Caucasian American, African American, and Hispanic American. Based on its placement it looks as if the three soldiers depicted in the statue are standing in the direction of the Memorial Wall paying their respects to their fallen comrades.

Close by is a black granite memorial plaque honoring veterans who died after the war as a result of injuries suffered during their involvement in the conflict. The plaque is inscribed, “In memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.” It was dedicated on November 10, 2004 at the northeast corner of the plaza by the Three Soldiers Statue.

Finally there is the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, which was designed by Glenna Goodacre and dedicated on November 11, 1993. It goes without question that this is a memorial dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of female service members from the United States who served in the Vietnam War. It stands as an important reminder of the role that women played in the Vietnam conflict. The statue includes three uniformed servicewomen with a wounded male soldier. The Vietnamese glorify the role that women played in their defeat of the French, Japanese and finally American militaries with museums and monuments around the country. Comparatively speaking much of the academic literature I have examined over years of research about the Vietnam War does not demonstrate the importance of American women as much as their Vietnamese counterparts. This statue is one attempt at editing this often undervalued role played by female American service members.

Next we made our way across the National Mall towards the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The construction project was confirmed by the U.S. Congress on October 28, 1986. After some controversy and a court case about the design, it was eventually the product of a joint collaboration of architects and construction companies. Construction began after President George H. W. Bush conducted the groundbreaking ceremony on Flag Day June 14, 1992. On July 27, 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the conflict, President Bill Clinton and the President of the Republic of Korea, Kim Young Sam presided over the dedication ceremony. The memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and control was given to the U.S. National Park Service.

The main memorial is multiple parts. The main part consists of a walled off triangle containing 19 stainless steel statues designed by Frank Gaylord. The statues represent a squad walking in formation on patrol. They are wearing full combat gear, but there is variety among them. Most are carrying rifles, but others have radios, heavy machine guns and binoculars. The statues make sure to include members of each branch of the armed forces. There are 14 from the U.S. Army, 3 Marines, 1 Navy Corpsman and 1 Air Force Forward Air Observer. They advance in a field of juniper bushes and chunks of granite symbolizing the topography of Korea. I did not know that when you look at the statues against the granite wall they multiply to make 38 soldiers symbolizing the 38th parallel.

There are also a series of walls that create a portion of the perimeter of the memorial. Behind the soldier statues sits a large black granite wall that is 164 feet long and has been sandblasted with images of service members and equipment from the various branches of the military that were involved in the conflict. There is a walkway for observers to view the detailed imagery within the polished granite. It was designed by Louis Nelson. There is also the United Nations Wall which contains the 22 members of the United Nations that were involved in combat and medical support roles.

Then there is the Pool of Remembrance. It is a shallow black granite pool 30 feet in diameter. Around it are a number of trees and benches. My father took advantage of this while I was walking around taking photographs. The trees were supposedly designed to create a barrel effect allowing the sun to reflect on the water. Unfortunately, due to the cold weather, there was no water in the pool, and I was unable to view this visual effect on the pool. There are blocks inscribed with the total losses amassed of both U.S. and U.N. troops over the course of the war. The statistics included: Dead – U.S.: 54,246, U.N.: 628,833; Wounded – U.S.: 103,284, U. N.: 1,064,453; Captured – U.S.: 7,140, U.N.: 92,970; Missing – U.S.: 8,177, U.N.: 470,267. A nearby plaque read: “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.” Another wall read, “Freedom Is Not Free.” There were also supposed to be three bushes of the Rose of Sharon hibiscus plant, South Korea’s national flower. They were either not in bloom, or I missed them.

The statues were larger than life. I instantly recognized their formation and the different gear amongst the troops. A great deal of justice was done not only there, but at the rest of the memorial. The sandblasted wall was detailed with countless faces of people who endured the hardships of the conflict. The statistics were the most humbling. Comparatively speaking the U.S. was involved in Vietnam for basically double the amount of time and the casualty rates are very similar. To me this was another reflection of how the Korean War truly was the forgotten war. If it were not for the comedy M.A.S.H, I’m not sure it would have stayed in the collective mind of America. It was my first introduction to the conflict. Fortunately, this memorial stands to acknowledge the sacrifices made by many Americans and Allied troops including some of my own family. I’m sure it only would have been nicer during the summer with the Pool of Remembrance flowing with water.

We made our way back to the car and headed to the Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Memorial. We just as easily could have walked, but it was still early. There were parking spots still available. We parked and used the bathroom available connected with the gift shop. We didn’t notice a bathroom near the Lincoln Memorial concession stands, and this is a good midway point on the memorial walk/(drive). The monument and surrounding park sits along the northwest corner of the Tidal Basin near the Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) Memorial. The memorial was opened to the public on August 22, 2011. The dedication ceremony was scheduled for Sunday, August 28, 2011, the 48th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech that was delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 where I began my day. However, due to Hurricane Irene the event was postponed until October 16, which turned out to coincide with the 16th anniversary of the 1995 Million Man March on the National Mall.

In the center of the memorial stands a 30-foot statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The monument’s stonework was impressive. There are actually two large boulders. They began as one and symbolize the Mountain of Despair. The boulders are split in half to give way to the Stone of Hope, which Dr. King is carved into as he looks towards the Tidal Basin as if contemplating. This symbolism represents words from Dr. King’s famous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech. Carved into the Stone of Hope is a passage from the speech: “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” Surrounding the statue is the Inscription Wall, which contains 14 quotes of Dr. King’s. To be honest, I did not realize all of the symbolism until I did some research for this article. I was familiar with many if not most of the quotes.

Before I doubled back to the FDR Memorial, I made my way briefly to the District of Columbia War Memorial. I noticed it as I was leaving the MLK Jr. Memorial, and I like leaving no stones unturned. Compared to the rest of the attractions,it was very small. It was built to honor WWI soldiers. It is situated in West Potomac Park just off Independence Avenue. Congress authorized its construction on June 7, 1924. The project began in the spring of 1931, and was later dedicated by President Herbert Hoover on Armstice Day November 11, 1931.

The structure is a 47 foot tall circular domed Doric temple. On the cornerstone is a list of 26,000 Washingtonians who served in WWI, and on the base are the names of the 499 District of Columbia citizens who lost their lives. Eventually, a restoration project was undertaken following the federal stimulus package in 2010 and it was reopened in 2011. The National Park Service assumed responsibility in 2014 under its National Mall and Memorial Parks unit.

I made my way back to the car to meet my father. He decided to remain in the car and wait for me while I went to the FDR Memorial. It was designed by Lawrence Halprin and dedicated by President Bill Clinton on May 2, 1997. The memorial was designed to honor the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the long lasting legacy he has had on the United States. There are four sections to the memorial, one for each of his terms in office. It is a walking history tour that covers the 12 years FDR spent in office. There are countless quotes on the walls that embody each of the challenges the nation faced under FDR’s leadership throughout his terms in office. There were also bronze sculptures designed by George Segal throughout the memorial. Some depict tragic scenes from the Great Depression that were captured by photographers. Others include listening to the radio for one of his famous fireside chats and even his dog Fala. At the end of the memorial stands a bronze statue of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and a United Nations emblem. Interestingly, she is the only First Lady to receive such an honor at a presidential memorial. The end of the memorial leads you to a path along the Tidal Basin or you have the option to double back through the FDR Memorial.

At the end of the memorial stands a small Japanese Pagoda that sits among Japanese cherry trees. Originally Ryozo Hiranuma, the Mayor of Yokohama and a former visitor to Washington D.C. gave this pagoda to former District Commissioner Renah Camalier in 1957. Camalier felt otherwise and believed that the gift belonged to the people of Washington D.C. In April 1958 the pagoda sculpture was dedicated as a gift from Japan to the United States.

The site turned out to be much larger than I originally thought. It is actually over 7.5 acres and is more reminiscent of a park or walking history lesson than a memorial. I also somehow met a total stranger that I ended up talking with for longer than I realized. He was telling me about how he escaped from Eastern Europe across the Iron Curtain by swimming across a river filled with mines and soldiers hurling grenades at him from the shore. I burned up the clock more than I realized. I still had another section to walk though and by the time I made my way to the end of the FDR Memorial, I was closer to the Jefferson Memorial than the car. I called my father and asked him to pick me up at the Jefferson Memorial rather than make me double back for no reason. He had no problem with my suggestion and met me at the final attraction of the day, or so I thought.

In the distance was the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. I walked along a path that wrapped around the Tidal Basin towards the monument. Along the way I noticed the George Mason Memorial, which commemorates the contributions of this Founding Father. Some of his achievements include penning the Virginia Declaration of Rights and serving as a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. He was also influential in the development of what would become the United States Bill of Rights. He was also an Anti-Federalist and refused to sign the United States Constitution on the grounds that it did not abolish slavery. The memorial’s architect was Faye. B. Harwell who was responsible for the 72 foot long stone wall and the fountain. Along the wall sits an oversized statue of Mason sitting with his legs crossed that was designed by sculptor Wendy M. Ross. The memorial was authorized on August 10, 1990. Over a decade later the groundbreaking took place on October 18, 2000, and the project was not completed until its dedication ceremony on April 9, 2002. The memorial also falls under the jurisdiction of the NPS.

Finally I made my way to my last attraction, and this time I meant it. So did my father who was itching to leave and avoid any possible Baltimore Ravens related traffic. The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is dedicated to one of the most important Founding Fathers in American history. He was the main architect of the “Declaration of Independence”. He served as a member of the Continental Congress and later Governor of the newly independent Commonwealth of Virginia. He served as the American minister to King Louis XVI and the Kingdom of France. He was the first U.S. Secretary of State under the first President George Washington. He became the second Vice President of the United States under President John Adams. Following that term in office, he became the third President of the United States and served from 1801–1809. That is only a highlight of the achievements made over the course of Jefferson’s life. The building itself was designed by the architect John Russell Pope and was built by the Philadelphia contractor John McShain. It was designed in the neoclassical style. Construction began in 1939 and was completed a decade later. Inside the structure stands a large 19 foot bronze statue of Jefferson by sculptor Rudolph Evans. The statue was added in 1947. There are also a number of quotes on the walls of Jefferson’s writing, one example was an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. I later found out that some of the lines have been edited, and there are even criticisms by some that the quotes misrepresent the actual passage from which it is drawn. The Jefferson Memorial is managed by the NPS.

Perhaps I was tired from the night before and/or rushing around on what turned out to be a 2 hour 5 mile walking tour (yes yes plus a short car ride), but I was not as impressed with the Jefferson Memorial as I was with some of the other sites I visited earlier in the day. The overcast sky pierced through the large standing columns. It made taking photographs challenging due to the lighting, and I was getting frustrated. I made a few attempts at better angles and perspectives, but I eventually settled for the shots that I got. I made my way back to the car, and it was time to get on the road.

Roadtrip Back to New York City

Actually before we made it back to New York City, we did make one final stop. After making our way out of Washington D.C., we were both hungry and decided to stop at Waffle House. Many Northerners or foreign travelers who have not been on major highway systems throughout the South might not be familiar with Waffle House. The easiest way to explain it is that it is very similar to the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) but instead of pancakes they specialize in waffles. If that doesn’t help, essentially, it is a 24 hour,7 day a week diner that serves breakfast at any hour of the day. Waffle House is for anyone from a local to a long distance traveler, but it also has a place in the hearts of most hungry people who after a night of intense partying have a designated driver willing to take the ride there. At times I’ve waited longer for a table on Sunday morning at 2 a.m. than several hours later when you’re fighting the post-church crowd.

Overall, the food is greasy and fatty. They use the fake maple syrup made from high fructose corn syrup and add EXORBITANT amounts of butter on anything they can slather. I don’t think the waffles are the best I’ve ever had, but with that amount of butter, anything tastes great. It is definitely not for health conscious eaters. As deadly as it is for your cholesterol, for the same reason it is just so tasty. It’s reasonably cheap compared to other chain restaurants you may find at the same rest stop or highway exit. Waffle House is a southern culinary institution. It is the fast food any time breakfast diner of the south. In my family when we know in advance we are going to have pancakes, French toast or waffles, we BYORMP, that is bring your own real maple syrup! After stuffing our faces, it was time to head home. We managed to avoid all of the Ravens football fan traffic that we anticipated, and a few hours later we were back in New York, but before I made it home I noticed an art installation by Tom Fruin on the top of a building as we were on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.