Monday, May 9

After a long flight, we have arrived safely in Washington DC!  We had a fun filled and emotional day exploring many of the monuments detected to the brave individuals who made the ultimate sacrifices for our country, they gave up their lives.  We were all deeply touched and moved by what we were able to experience.

Upon arriving at Dulles International Airport, we met our guide and bus driver, had breakfast in Chantilly, VA and made our way to the Iwo Jima Marine Memorial.  Next we were off to Arlington National Cemetery to visit the grave sites of the Kennedy's, General Lee's house, and to honor the brave men who are buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers with a wreath.  Next, it was time to eat again so we made our way into DC to enjoy the many options provided by the Reagan Trade Center before heading by Luther Place Lutheran Church on our way to the Newseum to discover the role of the media in our history.  On our way out of DC we stopped by the Vietnam and Korean War memorials and were moved by their powerful images before heading to dinner in Arlington, VA.  Finally we stopped by the Pentagon 9/11 memorial for a time of reflection before making our way out to Alexandria, VA to our hotel.  We enjoyed singing a few songs with Pastor Larry, a time of reflection and devotion, and now have made it to bed, finally!

Personal Reflections on our day:

Iwo Jima Marine Memorial

The memorial was by sculptor Felix de Weldo and made of bronze.  It recreates the scene when 6 brave Americans raised our flag over Mt. Suribachi and is based on a photograph taken at the moment the flag was raised.  The memorial is 78 feet tall and it commemorates all the brave Marines who died in battle since 1775.  It was the Marine motto engraved as a reminder about who and what Marines stand for. 

--Alex

Arlington National Cemetery

Hello everybody!  Today we went to Arlington National Cemetery where we learned all about it.  The cemetery is HUGE and it has families of someone who served the country and people who served buried there.  Today we also saw the Changing of the Guard and Riley, Scott, Kalin and Maddy got to present a wreath to honor the soldiers buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.  The guards are very strict about their job and deserve the highest respect because they guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.  Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week guards pace 21 steps one way then wait 21 seconds then they march 21 steps the other way.  It was a really cool and fun experience that I would love to see again.

--Morgan

Kennedy Grave sites

While we were visiting Arlington Cemetery, we visited the Kennedy gravesites.  There, they had a memorial for the Kennedy brothers: John, Robert, and Edward.  At President John F. Kennedy’s memorial site, he is resting next to his wife and his children.  There is a natural gas burning flame that symbolizes eternal life because the fire never goes out.  The grave of Robert Kennedy symbolizes Psalm 23 because it has the green hills and still waters mentioned in the Psalm.  Both have part of famous speeches made by each of them.  Because Edward isn’t remembered for any of his speeches, his grave is bare.

--Kalin

Newseum Museum

There was news from the beginning of news until today.  There was a 4-D movie that brought you from past to present in important times in news.  There also was interactive games which allowed you to become a news reporter and broadcast your report.

--Ryan

Korean War Memorial

There are 19 statues, a fountain, and a slab with words “Freedom Is Not Free.”  This means that many people gave their lives for our freedom.  The memorial was dedicated in 1995.

--Michael

Vietnam War Memorial

The Vietnam War Memorial is very moving.  As you look at the wall of names, your jaw drops because you realize just how many young men and women died in the war.  The statues are powerful and symbolic, in that they show how they worked together.

--Scott

Pentagon 9/11 Memorial

At the Pentagon 9/11 memorial there are 184 people remembered.  The youngest was 3 and the oldest was 71 years old.  The monument says the names on the ends of benches, representing people who were killed, if you are standing facing the Pentagon, then that person passed away inside it.  If the monument shows towards the sky, then that person passed away in the hijacked plane.  Underneath every bench is moving water which to me symbolizes life.

--Garrett