The day after Christmas, I decided to make a sunrise pilgrimage to the United States Marine Corps War Memorial. My hotel was close, so it was a short walk.
I arrived before the sun, so the memorial was devoid of other tourists. It was serene, beautiful, and moving. I thought of Stan a lot as I walked around, silently thanking him for his service.
As the horizon began to light up, one could see the Washington Monument and the Capitol building in the distance. I braced for the sunrise.
Standing so close to the memorial, and mere steps from Arlington National Cemetery, one feels the incredible sacrifice which has been made to keep this country free.
Inscription on the west side of the memorial.Inscription marking the Korea conflict.Inscription marking the Vietnam war.View of the memorial from directly underneath.The inscription on the east side of the memorial.This panel describes the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945. The memorial is based on that famous photograph.The sun began to peek above the horizon.The memorial illuminated in the first rays of morning light.A closer view of the memorial.One can almost feel the effort of the Marines hoisting the colors.The morning sun at the base of the memorial illuminates the inscription on the west side with a light flare; “Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue.”The sun had risen above the trees enough to fully illuminate the memorial.A closer view of the memorial.The detail of the memorial is amazing to behold.The sunburst adds a nice touch to the memorial.The sun seems to be in the hands of the Marines.
On my walk back to the hotel, I walked through a bit of the Rosslyn area of Arlington to take some photographs. Once I returned to my apartment, I took a few more photos from my terrace. Then it was siesta time.
A very quiet Highway 50 beside the memorial.North Meade Street leading back into the Rosslyn area of Arlington.A dome on one of the buildings on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington.A wider view of the construction site and the surrounding area.A pile of rubble illuminated by the morning sun at a construction site in Arlington.Cupid’s Garden sculpture by Christopher Gardner (1994).A side view of Cupid’s Garden sculpture by Christopher Gardner (1994).Chair at Starbucks.A very pink trash truck in Arlington.An American Eagle jet over some of the buildings in the Rosslyn area on the final approach to Reagan National Airport.An early December morning visit to the United States Marine Corps War Memorial. The Washington Monument and the Capitol are visible in the distance.
