Today’s Photo Friday theme is Somber. Although it was clear and sunny when I visited the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC in June, there’s something intrinsically somber about a memorial commemorating some 16 million U.S. troops who served and some 400,000 American souls who perished.
As if to bespeak to the solemnity of this memorial, the older gentleman walking toward the Washington Memorial in the following picture–himself old enough to be a member of the Greatest Generation–had tears in his eyes as he walked past.
In case members of the Youngest Generation, lured by the sight of a cool fountain on a hot day, were tempted to engage in merriment not becoming a somber war memorial, signs stood sentry by way of reminder.
And to their credit, the handful of tired tourists who sat near the cooling breeze of the memorial fountain took care not to dip even one wading toe.
Jul 29, 2005 at 12:33 pm
We have all these momuments honoring the dead; don’t you think we would ever learn not to have such a love of war?
Jul 29, 2005 at 12:47 pm
I *almost* posted several pictures I’d taken at the FDR memorial, where a pile of huge granite slabs is inscribed “I hate war” and a nearby wall carries a longer quote from FDR’s famous speech:
“I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men coughing out their gassed lungs. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen two hundred limping exhausted men come out of line-the survivors of a regiment of one thousand that went forward forty-eight hours before. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war.”
These inscriptions are stunning in person…but they didn’t translate well in my photos. So I posted the WWII images instead.
But yes, you raise a wonderful point. Where is the National Peace Monument to commemorate all those citizens who have dedicated their lives to peacemaking?
Jul 29, 2005 at 2:56 pm
Lorianne,
Very somber indeed. It seems the sky was the perfect shade of blue while you where there. I’m so close to these monuments and yet I haven’t been to see them. The trafic and the crazy drivers have kept me away. These pictures make me want to go and pay my respect. Thanks for sharing them.
Jul 30, 2005 at 6:16 am
Yet another monument to have sprung up in my long absence from my hometown. Will have to visit it when I get back.
Funky camera angle: I couldn’t help noticing that the lady in the green shirt appears to be doing a seated “Mannequin Pis” impression.
Kevin
Jul 30, 2005 at 6:18 am
Nuts, more ambiguity:
“Will have to visit it”
it = the monument
Grrrrrrrrrrr. I gnaw myself in anger.
Kevin
Jul 30, 2005 at 8:28 pm
You know, I’d never considered before whether throwing coins in fountains was a disrespectful, or at least informal, behavior. I guess now I know.
Aug 1, 2005 at 6:19 pm
Lillie, I can’t imagine trying to *drive* to any of the DC monuments: I was fortunate to stay with my aunt in Maryland, so I could take public transit everywhere. But yes, it’s typical for locals to avoid the usual tourist things. My aunt said I probably saw more of DC in a long weekend than she’s seen in more than a decade living there!
Kevin, to my eye the green-shirted girl looks like she has scoliosis…but maybe I’m being too clinical!
Bane, I’ve seen signs informing tourists that coins can *damage* fountains…but I’ve never seen a sign suggesting that coin-tossing is disrespectful. But in this setting, it was nice to have a more serious mood.