LANCASTER – WASHINGTON DC – Arlington and Iwo Jima

Thursday – GOOD NEWS!  The Government has gone back to work – YAAAAAAY!  They must have realised that today I arrive in Washington DC, panicked and caved in! Amazing what an Aussie can do when she sets her mind to it!

We have decided to have breakfast at Huckleberry’s Restaurant at The Steamboat – that will save us the trouble of looking for somewhere along the road, and in any case we will dine in relaxed genteel surrounds instead of eating Maccas out of paper.

Looking at the menu – I order the ‘ Two Eggs any style’ which includes 2 eggs (of course) bacon, hash browns and toast – but I order without the two eggs.  I think I have confused the waiter about the no eggs bit.

Everything gets sorted out and my brekky arrives with an extra serving of bacon to compensate for the ‘no eggs’ – a great start to the day.  This along with pineapple juice and coffee and of course the vegemite for my toast puts me in a good mood.

Back up to our rooms to gather our belongings – automatic check out and once again we are on the way.  Today we will arrive in Washington DC to begin our search for Gibbs and NCIS.  The drive is not long – heading South around two and a half hours.  Beautiful scenery along the way with the trees all changing into their Autumn finery.

We have changed our itinerary around for today (no surprises there)  so our first stop will be Arlington National Cemetery.  There will now be a small lesson so that you fully understand the importance and history of Arlington and can relate as we wander along the pathways.

HISTORY LESSON (with thanks to Wikipedia) : George Washington Parke Custis, grandson of Martha Washington acquired in 1802, the land that is now Arlington National Cemetery and began construction of Arlington House.  The estate passed to his daughter  who had married Robert E. Lee.   Custis’ will gave a “life inheritance” to Mary Lee, allowing her to live at and run Arlington Estate for the rest of her life but not enabling her to sell any portion of it. Upon her death, the Arlington estate passed to her eldest son, George Washington Custis Lee.

When Virginia seceded from the Union at the start of the Civil War, Robert E. Lee resigned his commission in the US Army on April 20, 1861, and took command of the armed forces of the Commonwealth of Virginia, later becoming commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. On May 7, troops of the Virginia militia occupied Arlington and Arlington House. With Confederate forces occupying Arlington’s high ground, the capital of the Union was left in an untenable military position.

Although unwilling to leave Arlington House, Mary Lee believed her estate would soon be invested with federal soldiers. So she buried many of her family treasures on the grounds and left for her sister’s estate.  General Winfield Scott ordered Brigadier General McDowell to clear Arlington and the city of Alexandria Virginia of all troops not loyal to the US and McDowell occupied Arlington without opposition on 24th May.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, most military personnel who died in battle near Washington, D.C., were buried at the US Soldiers’ Cemetery in Washington or Alexandria Cemetery in Virginia, but by late 1863 both were nearly full. On July 16, 1862, Congress passed legislation authorizing the U.S. federal government to purchase land for national cemeteries for military dead, and put the U.S. Army Quartermaster General in charge of this program.

In May 1864, Union forces suffered large numbers of dead and an examination of eligible sites was made for the establishment for a large new national military cemetery. Within weeks, his staff reported that Arlington Estate was the most suitable property in the area. The property was high and free from floods (which might unearth graves), it had a view of the District of Columbia, and it was aesthetically pleasing. It was also the home of the leader of the armed forces of the Confederate States of America, and denying Robert E. Lee use of his home after the war was a valuable political consideration.

That will give you a bit of background – so let’s proceed.  We have made a list of graves and memorials that we wish to see but we have not planned on how much land Arlington occupies.  Maybe our listing is a bit ambitious?  We will see.  Of course first stop is the Visitor’s Centre where we obtain a map and can also check on the computer to mark our planned stops.   The first stop will be to pay our respects to John F. Kennedy and Jackie.  There is a small trolley that you can board (for a nominal fee) to take you up the steep hill but we decide to walk.

Arriving we see that yep, true to the travels of the trio – it is under renovation.  We can still see the plaques marking where they rest but the Eternal Flame (which is undergoing an upgrade) has been moved to the side and there is a huge wall behind the plaques so that new gas lines can be installed.  Yep, just our luck.  A very sombre few minutes before we descend the few stairs and overlooking Washington is part of JFK’s Inaugural speech – see photo right.  Who does not remember these words?  The appropriate time is spent and then around the corner to Robert and Teddy – there are more coins thrown on the markers – still have no idea why.

Robert Kennedy was yet another tragic event in the Kennedy family.  There has been so much sadness including the passing of John Jr.  Sometimes I wonder at the strength of Rose and Patrick Kennedy and just what they needed to survive.  Robert’s grave is very unobtrusive – at the bottom of the area near Arlington House.

There are many people wandering the paths and to their credit they are quiet and move in a very respectful fashion.  Time to move on so consulting our trusty map we want to visit a few more points of interest on our way to see the Changing of the Guard – but more about that later.  Some parts of Arlington are very hilly and it is an effort sometimes to actually reach the crest but we stop every now and again to take in the vastness of the place.

Below are three places we stop to reflect.  On the left is the Memorial to the Glenn Miller Orchestra – led by Major Alton Glenn Miller – the noted composer, arranger, trombonist, and Big Band leader. Glenn Miller, U.S. Army Air Corps has been missing in action since 15th December, 1944 and has his own memorial headstone in Arlington.   Behind a memorial plaque is planted an American Holly tree.

In the centre is the Memorial to the Space Shuttle Challenger. The Challenger was one of NASA’s greatest triumphs. It April 1983 it was the second shuttle to reach space and successfully completed nine milestone missions.  But Challenger was also NASA’s darkest tragedy. On its 10th launch, on 28th January, 1986, the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing the seven crew members. The accident changed the space program forever.

Above right is the headstone of Audie Murphy.  Who? I hear you ask. Audie Murphy was the most decorated US combat soldier of WWII, receiving every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. The 19-year-old Murphy received the Medal of Honour after single-handedly holding off an entire company of Germans for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition.

Throughout an acting career spanning 1948 to 1969, Murphy made more than 40 feature films and one television series.

In the Autumn/Winter months of October to March, at every hour there is a Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown – a sombre tribute to those who have died without their remains being identified including those who have no known grave on the battlefields of the world. In Summer/Spring the Change is made on the half hour.  The Tomb is guarded 24 hours a day – every day of the year.

The Guard change is very symbolic, but also conducted in accordance with Army regulations.

The Relief Commander or Assistant Relief Commander, along with the Oncoming Guard, are both required for a Guard change to take place. The Guard being relieved will say to the oncoming guard, “Post and orders remain as directed.”  The oncoming Guard’s response is always, “Orders acknowledged.”

A Guard takes an average of six hours to prepare his uniform – heavy wool, regardless of the time of year – for the next day’s work. In addition to preparing the uniform, Guards also conduct physical training, Tomb Guard training, participate in field exercises, cut their hair before the next work day, and at times are involved in regimental functions as well. Tomb Guards are required to memorize 16 pages of information about Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, including the locations of nearly 300 graves and who is buried in each one.

A special Army decoration badge is authorized for wear after passing a detailed test of 100 questions,  a uniform test and a test on the guard changing sequence.

After serving honorably for a period of nine months, and having passed the sequence of tests, a Tomb Guard is permanently awarded the Badge. Since the first award on February 7, 1958, fewer than 700 soldiers have completed training and been awarded this Badge, including three women.

The badge was designed in 1956 and first issued to members of the Honour Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns on February 7, 1958. The badge was first issued only as a temporary wear item, meaning the soldiers could only wear the badge during their tenure as members of the Honour Guard. Upon leaving the duty, the badge was returned and reissued to incoming soldiers. In 1963, a regulation was enacted that allowed the badge to be worn as a permanent part of the military uniform, even after the soldier’s completion of duty at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

During the ceremony there are also wreaths laid by several schools and committees.  Each is conducted with a silent reverence and is respected by everyone in attendance.   After the Guard has been changed and the Ceremony comes to a conclusion it is time to head back towards the Visitor’s Centre and then to the car park.

Every now and again we come across a statue hidden amongst the trees – this one is of particular note.  I am surprised to discover a British Field Marshall who became the British Chief of Staff during the early part of WWII, and who, from 1941 to 1944, headed the British joint staff mission to the U.S.   His name – Field Marshall Sir John Greer Dill.  After serving in the Boer War and in WWI, Dill advanced steadily, becoming director of military operations and intelligence at the War Office in 1934; he was knighted in 1937. Recognized as Britain’s foremost strategist, he was head of a corps in France at the beginning of World War II, becoming Chief of the Imperial General Staff in May 1940.

He was largely responsible for the decision to reinforce Egypt with 150 tanks in August in spite of the shortage at home and backed Britain’s intervention in Greece (March 1941).

His greatest service to the Allied war effort, however, was as Chief British Military Representative to Washington, D.C. (1941–44), where he helped coordinate the military policies of the two major western Allies. His friendship with the U.S. Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, did much to cement Anglo-U.S. solidarity.

Our day at Arlington at an end – we now head for the US Marine Corps Memorial – a depiction of the flag raising on Iwo Jima.   The afternoon has turned cold and the clouds above us hold the promise of rain at any moment – but we will not be put off so we press on.

HISTORY LESSON : This memorial honours the Marines who have died defending the United States since 1775.  The 32-foot-high sculpture of the Iwo Jima Memorial was inspired by a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of one of the most historic battles of World War II. (Who amongst us has not seen this most famous photo?)

Iwo Jima, a small island located 660 miles south of Tokyo, was the last territory that U.S. troops recaptured from the Japanese during World War II. The Iwo Jima Memorial statue depicts the scene of the flag raising by five Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman that signaled the successful takeover of the island. The capture of Iwo Jima eventually led to the end of the war in 1945.

The figures of the Marines in the Iwo Jima Memorial statue erect a 60-foot bronze flagpole from which a cloth flag flies 24 hours a day. The base of the memorial is engraved with the words “In honor and in memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775.”

There are not many tourists around so we take advantage of this and snap away to our hearts content – then it is time to reflect on this wonderful memorial.  It is much bigger than I thought it would be – strange how you get an idea formed in your mind and then you are surprised at what it is in reality.

Time to find our hotel so back to the car and into Washington traffic.  Kylie does take a liking to one particular roundabout.  Definitely a heart starter for all of us.  Arriving at the Holiday Inn Capitol – we unload our luggage and then have to find the hotel car park – no problems.

Our room (681)  is on the 6th floor – a King Suite with a pull out bed (yep that’s mine).  Room is spacious and clean and that is all that matters.  First impression of the view is not so good – the room overlooks the railway line so hopefully we will not be kept awake with train noises all night.

There is a Maccas about a 5 minute walk from the hotel – so we decide that dining at the Golden Arches will be OK for tonight.  Breakfast is not included in our hotel rate so I am sure that Maccas will see us for the morning feed.

Tomorrow is a big day – George Washington’s home at Mt Vernon – so we unpack; we are here for 6 nights and that can only be a good thing.

Highlight of the Day – paying our respects to the fallen