Arlington Cemetery & Pentagon 9/11 Memorial

We caught the Metro bus at 7:10 a.m. right at Cherry Hill Campground. This stop is where the drivers take a break. We had noticed yesterday that quite a few people at the many bus stops didn’t tap to pay when they got on. We asked the driver why and he said that during Covid, there wasn’t a charge to ride. Now some people just won’t pay. He said they will even jump over the pay pedestals for the Metro trains. Unbelievable! He said it isn’t worth the Metro’s time to get them to pay. So bad! We found it easy traveling on the bus and trains. We switched to blue line train downtown and went to Arlington Cemetery. 

Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery, 05/24

Arlington Cemetery is very hilly. I mean, steep! I thought about the Union soldiers camped out around here; I think they would roll right down the hill.

A Wreath At The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery 05/24

We went right to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There wasn’t a lot of people and we got to stand in the very front in the very middle. Awesome views.

Precision; Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery 05/24

Then the Changing of the Guard. I am so glad we had watched a documentary on this years ago. We remembered that a lot goes in to it and the precision. It was so honoring and mesmerizing to watch. After that, we hung out to watch the next Changing, which is every 1/2 hour.

Marks On The Ground From Guard Shoes; Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery 05/24

We went down to the side and in the shade. So neat to be so close. Most everything done with the guards is 21. You can see the marks from shoes over the years where they walk, stop, turn, and click. Then the officials moved us and we knew something extra was going to happen. We went to the top platform and waited.

Hidden Heads Marching Up, Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery 05/24

Suddenly I saw hats bobbing along off the steps on the other side of the Tomb. Then we saw it was forty people in uniform. They cadenced up the stairs after a bit of time.

Next a military marching band came to the side. Then the flag honor guard to the left. Still later someone carrying a wreath on a stand and a drummer and someone else. Finally, after all those people had stood more than 25 minutes, 3 men in uniform walked down the stairs to the level of the Tomb. The people placed the wreath. This ribbon said “Presented by the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Army.” Taps was also played as well as one song by the band. The forty people that came up from the bottom didn’t do anything but stand guard. It was so great to see this; we had no idea to wait around for it. Awesome.

Ambulances, Police And Fire Trucks Responded To Incident, Arlington Cemetery, Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier 05/24

It was so hot and humid! Standing in the sun full on. In fact, right as we walked around the building we got held up because several ambulances, fire trucks and a ton of police cars were there. I saw a stretcher being taken to the other side of where we had been standing. 

Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial, Arlington Cemetery 05/24

Just across from the Tomb is the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial; it is small but nice. We saw Kennedy’s grave and  Arlington House. It was fun to remember that we had seen the original Kennedy Eternal Flame at the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, TX a few months ago. 

Kevin’s 3rd Cousin, Killed AT Pearl Harbor, Arlington Cemetery 05/24

We walked down a ways to find Eugene Victor Lish, Kevin’s 3rd cousin 3 times removed. He is buried here because he was killed at Pearl Harbor! We are so glad we found out about him from Family Search. We sat and talked about Eugene. He was 21 years old, Seaman 1st class, and part of the music. So grateful for his sacrifice. 

Washington Monument Seen From Arlington Cemetery 05/24

There are over 400,000 people buried here. We walked to the train and went one stop to Pentagon.

I had looked up tickets for tour of the Pentagon a long time ago. You have to have your representative get them for you. He still hasn’t gotten us tickets to the White House so we didn’t try for this. However, I thought it would be great to see the outside. You can’t take any pictures of the Pentagon but it was so neat to see!

Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, Arlington, VA, 05/24

And then, while researching, I found 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. This is a memorial for the 184 people who died here on Sept 11, 2001. The grounds are done so well. The edges follow the wing tips as the plane crashed into the Pentagon. It is zero-scaped.

9/11 Pentagon Memorial Unit, Arlington, VA 05/24

Rising out of the ground and in an arch that almost forms like a bench (but isn’t) with water running under it is the Memorial Unit for each person. Their name is on the end.

9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Arlington, VA 05/24

If the Memorial Unit is facing the sky, that person was on the airplane. If it faces the Pentagon, they were killed while working inside.

Old Ebbitt Grill, Recommended By Lucy & Our Campground, Washington, D.C. 05/24

We took the train back to downtown area and Kevin picked Old Ebbitt Grill for dinner. Very famous place. It is recommended by our niece and is the top restaurant recommendation from our campground. The place inside is very old, Speak-Easy, feel to us but started in 1856. I had Chicken Fettuccine and he had Steak & Fries. Rated: We See Why It Is So Highly Recommended. 🙂

White House; Can’t Get Straight On Pic Because Protesters Sitting In The Way, Washington, D.C. 05/24

We were right across the street and down a block or so from the White House so we went over there. Right along the front of the White House are protesters sitting next to the fence. They want their voices heard and visitors can’t get a straight on front direction picture of the White House. Kevin said it was loud with all sorts of different protests coming from different sound systems; sometimes it is nice to be deaf when things are noisy. HA

White House View With Fence, Washington, D.C. 05/24

The White House looks smaller than Kevin thought but of course a lot of the business goes on in other buildings. We never did get tickets for a tour inside the White House, even though we requested them from our representative as soon as the booking window opened. (90 days) It was nice to see the outside of the White House, the West Wing, and the Executive Office Building.

Kevin and I are always mindful but this day we felt such extra gratefulness to all who have served our country and sacrifices made. Thank you.