Washington DC

Click to edit Master title style,,Click to edit Master text styles,,Second level,,Third level,,Fourth level,,Fifth level,,*,,*,Washington D.C.,Virtual Fieldtrip,“Nothing Is Dearer Than Life,,But Nothing Is More Precious,,Than To Live It In Freedom”,,,Soldier’s Farewell, Fort Bragg, N.C.,,Vietnam soldier, 3,rd,Brigade, 82,nd,Airborne Division,,“For your tomorrow, we gave our today.”,Wendall A. Phillips, vet China-Burma-India Theater,,Why Do We Need Memorials?,,The purpose of visiting the memorials is threefold:,,that we remember,,that we acknowledge the cost,,that we are moved by the experience for “Freedom is not Free”,,,,Most battlefields leave little record of events as nature reclaims the land. It is therefore up to man to preserve the sacrifices and heroic deeds before they disappear from our collective memory forever.,,,Someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, daughter or son paid the price for the freedom we enjoy today.,,,,Memorials are works of art that evoke emotions.,,,What Is The Purpose of Our Power Point?,,To help monuments tell their story,,To ensure we learn what the artists wanted to convey,,,You already know a lot about the heroic deeds of brave Americans throughout the 20,th,century. Those who fought in epic struggles want us to remember not just the outcome, but the cost of victory and those who paid the price for the freedom we enjoy today.,,,,,Let us now remember and reflect!,,Arlington National Cemetery,Since 1864, over 300,000 people have been buried in a little corner of Northern Virginia. This plot of land is considered by most to be the most sacred square mile of soil in America.,,By the end of the Civil War, 16,000 graves sprawled over 200 acres of land confiscated from the Confederate commander, Robert E. Lee; thus, permanently punishing the Lee family as they would never be able to return to their home.,,Four and a half million people a year visit Arlington in order to pay homage to veterans of every war since the American Revolution.,,Since 1864, more than 300,000 people, nearly all of them American military personnel and their families, have been buried here.,,The dead need perpetual care:,,Subsidence requires refilling up to 10,000 graves each year.,,Each day crews mow 130 acres and reset dozens of leaning headstones, and power-wash a thousand being careful not to destroy the soft marble. The government adopted white marble in the 1870s and the slab used today was designed by a board of officers from WW I.,,Replace the white-painted headboards used during the Civil War every 5 years,,Twenty-four inches above ground, thirteen inches wide, and four inches thick, each marker accommodates only the sparest biographical details and brief terms of endearment, all within a maximum of 12 lines, 15 characters per line. Each stone can also carry a spiritual symbol.,Many of today’s military funeral traditions were born of expediency during the Civil War:,,There was a shortage of caskets, so flags were draped over bodies. Today the funeral flag is boxed – folded 13 times into a trim triangle, stars out – in one minute and 54 seconds, precisely the duration of the hymn played by the band. The interment flag is given to the next of kin at the end of the ceremony.,,There was a shortage of ambulances which necessitated the use of caissons (a 2-wheeled vehicle for artillery ammunition). Officers and the most senior noncommissioned officers of each service are still entitled to the caisson.,,Rituals:,,Hour by hour, year by year, ritual and ceremony at Arlington link yesterday to today, providing a rhythm that dignifies death and consoles the living.,,4am Soldiers of Old Guard shine their brass, clean the equestrian tack and wash the horses to be used in the day’s funerals,,Horse teams are in matched colors, all blacks or all grays.,,Six horses pull a 1918 artillery caisson that bears either a casket or an urn with cremated remains, placed on a tray that slides out of a mock casket.,,Soldiers in dress blues ride postilion style on the left mounts.,,Deceased Army or Marine Corps colonels and generals may also be honored with a caparisoned (“cap”) horse – a riderless mount tacked with a saber and cavalry boots fitted backward in the stirrups to signify a fallen warrior looking back at his troops a final time.,,Caparison an ornamental covering for a horse, trappings, adornment,,An ancient ritual, the cap horse was used in Lincoln’s funeral but most famously in Kennedy’s cortege, where the handsome, spirited Black Jack, seemed representative of the slain President’s vigor.,,By midmorning, honors are under way and shots ring out across the cemetery. The seven soldiers in a firing party pull their triggers three times successively so that each volley of blanks sounds like a single shot, a particular challenge given that acoustics vary from section to section. The goal is to make the movements look mirrored, like you cloned one guy.,,No ritual is repeated more often, nor carries more enduring emotional power, than the playing of “Taps” at the end of a ceremony.,It too has Civil War origins, having been composed in July 1862 during the Peninsular Campaign on Virginia’s James River by Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield, who supposedly whistled a new tune for his brigade bugler to replace the bland “lights out” call previously used.,,Again, the most memorable rendition came during Kennedy’s funeral when an Army bugler, numb from standing outdoors for nearly three hours, cracked the sixth note. It was “like a catch in your voice, or a swiftly stifled sob.”,,There are 50 military buglers that play in Arlington.,,At 24 notes, “Taps” also has the virtue of brevity in graveside services that often conclude in ten minutes or less.”,,,The first Decoration Day – now called Memorial Day – was on May 30, 1868.,,President Andrew Johnson gave all federal workers they day off for what was described as “the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades.”,,Kennedy’s death transformed the national cemetery into a national icon.,,Requests for burial in Arlington abruptly swelled, a demand soon aggravated by more than 58,000 American deaths during the Vietnam War.,Space is an enemy, or rather the lack of it:,,Grave dimensions were reduced, from 6 by 12 feet to 5 by 10 during World War II,,Caskets were stacked like bunk beds in the same hole starting in the early 1960s,,Controversial new regulations that sharply curtailed eligibility were imposed in 1967, including:,,those who die on active duty,,those honorably retired after a career in the military,,those highly decorated for valor, and their spouses,,Parcels of land were acquired,,At the current rate of internment, Arlington will be at capacity around 2060. Arlington’s superintendent would like to purchase land abutting the existing cemetery which is mostly owned by federal agencies which would provide another 125 acres. But topography is also an issue because steep slopes are the gravedigger’s bane. (800 graves per acre is the optimum.),,Each grave that is opened yields roughly one and a half cubic yards of excess dirt, and that spoil is now used to build up the final few acres of an new swatch.,,Roughly one in every ten soldiers killed in Iraq is buried at Arlington, a higher percentage than from any previous American war.,,Few national calamities remain uncommemorated at Arlington.,,The monuments and memorials in Arlington are too numerous to do justice here so we have selected a few to parallel our 10,th,grade curriculum:,,TO THE GLORY OF GOD ANDIN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCEOF THE MEN AND WOMEN OFTHE ARMED FORCES WHO INTHIS CENTURY GAVE THEIRLIVES FOR OUR COUNTRYTHAT FREEDOM MIGHT LIVE,THIS TABLET IS DEDICATED BY THENATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMESOF AMERICAOCTOBER 11, 1964,Guarding the Tomb,Did you know . . .,How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?,,21 steps,It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.,How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?,,21 seconds,It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute again.,Why are his gloves wet?,,His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.,Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time, and if not, why not?,He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, and executes an about face, and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.,How often are the guards changed?,,Guards are changed every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.,What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?,,For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5’10” and 6’2” tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30”.,,Other requirements include:,Must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb,Live in the barracks under the tomb,Cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives,Cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives.,Cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way (including fighting),After 2 years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.,,Uniforms:,The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet.,There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.,There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform.,Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.,Every guard spends 5 hours a day getting his uniform ready for guard duty.,First 6 Months:,Guard cannot talk to anyone.,All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.,A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.,,,The Creed of the Sentinels,Those Who Guard the Tomb of the Unknowns,,My dedication to this sacred duty,Is total and wholehearted,In the responsibility bestowed on me,Never will I falter,And with dignity and perseverance,My standard will remain perfection.,Through the years of diligence and praise,And the discomfort of the elements,I will walk my tour in humble reverence,To the best of my ability.,It is he who commands the respect I protect,His bravery that made us so proud.,Surrounded by well meaning crowds by day,Alone in the thoughtful peace of night,This soldier will in honored Glory rest,Under my eternal vigilance.,The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.,"Here Rests,,In Honored Glory,,An American Soldier,,Known But To God",,The Memorial Amphitheater,,Authorized in 1913 and then dedicated in 1920, it serves as a place to assemble in order to honor the American defenders.,,There are three major annual memorial services that take place: Easter, Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Modeled on ancient Greek and Roman,A box was placed in the cornerstone with a copy of the following items:,,,The Bible,,The Declaration of Independence,,The U.S. Constitution,,U.S. Flag (1915),,Designs and plans for the amphitheater,,L’Enfant’s map design of the city of Washington, D.C.,,Autograph of the amphitheater commission,,One of each U.S. coin in use in 1915,,One of each U.S. postage stamp in use in 1915,,1914 map of Washington, D.C.,,The Congressional Directory,,Boyd’s City Directory for the District of Columbia,,Autographed photo of President Woodrow Wilson,,The cornerstone dedication program,,The Evening Star newspaper account of the ceremonies, and the campaign to build the Amphitheater,,,The names of 44 U.S. battles from the American Revolution through the Spanish-American War are inscribed around the frieze above the colonnade.,The names of U.S. Army generals and U.S. Navy admirals prior to World War I are inscribed on each side of the amphitheater stage.,The following three quotes are also inscribed:,,“When we assumed the soldier we did not lay aside the citizen” General George Washington’s letter to the Provincial Congress in 1775 (inside the apse),,“We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain” President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (above the stage),,“DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI” Horaces’s Ode III, 2, 13 (West entrance) “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.”,President John F. Kennedy Gravesite,The President during a visit to Arlington earlier that year, had unwittingly selected his own grave site. Surveying the serene vista below the original plantation house he said “I could stay here forever.” Jacqueline Kennedy stated that her husband “belongs to the people” and wanted to model her husband’s funeral after ceremonies rendered for Abraham Lincoln. She approved the location the day after his assassination, and a grave was opened through the hard clay and oak roots. Since the solid mahogany casket weighed 1,200 pounds, military pallbearers in the small hours of November 25 practiced carrying a duplicate casket filled with sandbags and further dead-weighted with two soldiers sitting on top. The President’s burial, a somber pageant of grace and dignity, was watched by a worldwide television audience,.,Eternal Flame:,Mrs. Kennedy had expressed a desire to mark the president’s grave with an eternal flame similar to that of the French Unknown Soldier in Paris. The Institute of Gas Technology of Chicago installed an Eternal Flame as a beacon of remembrance. Mrs. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy used a torch to light the eternal flame which burns from the center of a five-foot circular flat-granite stone at the head of the grave. The burner is specially designed with a constantly flashing electric spark near the tip of the nozzle which relights the gas should the flame be extinguished by rain, wind, or accident. The fuel is natural gas and is mixed with a controlled quantity of air to achieve the color and shape of the flame.,Within three years, 16 million visitors paid homage to the site in section 45, which was soon expanded to a three-acre sanctuary paved with Cape Cod granite and softened with sedum plants to give the appearance of stones lying naturally in a Massachusetts field.,,,Two deceased Kennedy children were reburied in Arlington in 1963 and Jacqueline Kennedy was buried next to President Kennedy in 1994.,,,Note:,,There are only two U.S. presidents buried at Arlington: JFK and William Howard Taft (1930). Woodrow Wilson is the only other president besides JFK and Taft to be buried outside his native state. Wilson is buried at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.,Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (32,nd,President),,FDR created the first modern presidential library at his home in Hyde Park, New York and since then every president has followed his lead, and presidential libraries have become the dominant form of presidential memorials outside of Washington, D.C.,,Located along the famous Cherry Tree Walk on the Western edge of the Tidal Basin near the National Mall, this is a memorial not only to FDR, but also to the era he represents.,Consists of four open-air galleries, framed by granite walls, containing flowing water, carved quotations, and bronze sculptures.,,The memorial traces 12 years of American History through a sequence of four outdoor rooms – each one devoted to one of FDR’s terms in office.,Considering Roosevelt’s disability, the memorial’s designers intended to create a memorial that would be accessible to those with various physical impairments,One aspect of Roosevelt’s life that the sculptures do not reveal is that he could not walk or stand unaided.,,FDR is not shown in a wheelchair but rather in a chair with a cloak obscuring the chair which upset disability advocates; nor were his cane or braces depicted,so casters were added to the back of the chair which can only been seen if one looks behind the statue, making it a symbolic wheelchair,In 2001, an additional statue was placed near the memorial entrance showing FDR seated in a wheelchair,,Tactile reliefs with Braille writing for the blind,,but was criticized as some of the Braille and reliefs were too high for anyone to read,,,Sculptures inspired by photos depict FDR alongside his dog Fala,,,Prologue room = statue with FDR seated in a wheelchair much like the one he actually used,,,10 foot statue of FDR in a wheeled chair,,,Bas-relief of FDR riding in a car during his first inaugural,,,Scenes from the Great Depression:,,Listening to a Fireside Chat on the radio,,Waiting in a bread line,,,Bronze statue of Eleanor Roosevelt standing before the U.N. emblem honors her dedication to that organization and as a First Lady,Running Water:,,Important physical and metaphoric component to the memorial,,Each room as a waterfall,,As one moves from room to room, the waterfalls become larger and more complex, reflecting the increasing complexity of a presidency marked by the vast upheavals of economic depression and world war.,,No longer allowed to enter the water as Parks Service unable to get insurance.,,Smaller water falls and a reflecting pool located between the rooms lend to the continuity to the water theme.,Symbolism of the five main water areas are:,,A single large drop =,crash of economy that led to Great Depression,,Multiple stairstep drops = TVA dam-building project,,Chaotic falls at varying angles = WWII,,A still pool = FDR’s death,,A wide array combining t,he earlier waterfalls = a retrospective of Roosevelt’s Presidency,The Controversy:,,Whose wishes and needs should be observed in the making of memorials?,,What constitutes historical accuracy?,,Roosevelt claimed he wanted nothing more than a plain block of stone the size of his desk erected in front of the National Archives which wad built in the 1960s.,,Would Roosevelt be upset if the disability which he worked so hard to conceal was depicted in his memorial?,,Does it matter what FDR would think?,,Does it matter what his family wants?,,,,Would we be forcing present-day attitudes toward disability on the past – “rewriting history” --- if FDR’s disability were depicted in the memorial?,,Are the memorials for the living or the dead?,,Should they reflect the concerns of the generation which builds them or the concerns of the generation which they honor?,Iwo Jima, The United States Marine Corps Memorial,The small pacific island of Iwo Jima 660 miles south of Tokyo was a strategic objective during WWII due to its airfield which was used for kamikaze attacks and the possibility of an Allied base which could be used by B-29 Superfortresses to attack the Japanese mainland. The battle of Iwo Jima lasting from Feb 19 to March 16 was one of the bloodiest in the war, with more than 6,000 American and 23,000 Japanese casualties.,One of the first objectives was to capture Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the island which was achieved Feb 23, 1945. A small American flag was raised atop the mountain but later a much larger flag was raised by five Marines and a Navy corpsman. On the fifth day of the battle, the raising of the flag was witnessed by Joe Rosenthal whose Pulitzer prize winning picture of the flag raising would become a symbol of the war in the Pacific. It was soon used by the American government to sell war bonds and to promote the war effort. Of the six soldiers, only three survived the war. The other three were killed during further battle at Iwo Jima. Approximately one-third of all Marines killed in WWII were killed on Iwo Jima, making the Battle of Iwo Jima the battle with the most casualties in Marine Corps history.,Although this memorial depicts one of the most historic battles of World War II, it is dedicated to all marines who have given their lives in battle.,,Read: A Tale of Six Boys by James Bradley.,,Located near Arlington Cemetery and paid for by donations, stands a bronze model of the 。