I could never grow tired of trips to Washington DC. As a veteran, visiting the memorials is always very special to me; particularly the Vietnam Wall, Iwo Jima and the Korean Memorial.
The Vietnam Wall is set up brilliantly – ESPECIALLY at night. You begin at an ankle-height list of names and as the wall grows higher, the horizon slips out of sight, and the names become etched higher than you can see, you descend into this feeling of realization. “This is a LOT of people.” The willing, the unwilling – all thrown together into an unfamiliar hell. As you turn the corner and start to resurface, a sort of relief and appreciation sets in as you see the Washington Monument: A light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.
The Korean Memorial, like the Vietnam Wall, is more of an experience than a memorial – which makes it unforgettable. During the day, it’s almost ‘pretty’. There are large displays of flowers, ribbons and a beautiful set of flags raised high above the soldiers. But at night, it bears an entirely different face. It is incredibly eerie and the lighting is unbelievable. The soldiers’ faces are so unsure and in some cases, horror-stricken. Their eyes pierce into you, almost as if they’re somehow relying on you to help them through this. As you circle around to the soldiers’ right side, there is a wall (not unlike the Vietnam Wall), adorned with KIA and MIA names. But there’s a catch. If you look closely, you can actually make out faces and scenes from the Korean War within the wall’s engravings. The lighting, scents, sounds, but most of all, the uneasy silence of its spectators, make this memorial an experience unlike any other in Washington DC.
The Washington Monument
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Iwo Jima: One of the most famous photographs ever taken has earned the envy of pro photographers for decades. It’s such an awe inspiring scene and the fact that it was captured in this moment is fascinating… It’s easily one of my very favorite images in existence.
