Monuments and Memorials

(Warning: Today was a longgg day and this is a longgg post. Read at your own risk. I post all of this for our memories, not necessarily for your reading pleasure, so you may consider this a bore!)

Today we headed to the National Mall and did the monuments and memorials. I was a little concerned about the day because it would be so much walking, but I did great! We think we walked somewhere between 5-6 miles today, but we couldn't have asked for better weather. It stormed late this afternoon, so it was very overcast and breezy all day. I never really got hot, but I still was sweating something fierce because of the humidity!

This was our view once we hopped off the subway.

Already looking nasty...but the Washington Monument is in the background.

The Washington Monument

We learned that the stones are two different colors because they came from different places. The color on the bottom is what the original, but construction came to a halt when they ran out of money and all the workers became involved in the Civil War!

Once we got to the monument we sat down so I could rest and a lady came up and gave us her tickets to the top! There were tons of people in line, but the tickets she gave us were for 11:00, which is what time it was!

What you see when you enter the monument.

We rode all the way to the top (500 feet) and could take pictures. The view was amazing!

The view of the Capitol from the top.

The Ellipse with the White House in the distance.

White House zoomed in.

Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial

Jefferson Memorial and the Potomac River

After we left the Washington Monument, we headed to the WWII Memorial.

"You are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you and I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle." - Eisenhower

"We are determined that before the sun sets on this terrible struggle our flag will be recognized throughout the world as a symbol of freedom on one hand and of overwhelming force on the other." - General George C. Marshall

After leaving the WWII Memorial we headed to the Lincoln Memorial.

Mr. Lincoln himself.

Probably Lincoln's most famous speech...

We left the Lincoln Memorial and went to the Korean War Memorial.

From the Korean War Memorial we walked to the Vietnam War Memorial.

The wall.

A close up of the names on the wall.

I kept catching the reflection//reflection of Wesley and Eli : )

After leaving the Vietnam War Memorial we walked to the Ellipse and then to the White House.

Here's the National Christmas Tree! : )

This was my third trip to see the White House. I've seen it when occupied by the Bill Clinton, George W Bush, and now Barak Obama.

United States Department of Agriculture

After that we went to the Holocaust Museum. It was very moving. I wish you could have taken pictures in there, but I know I won't ever forget what I saw.

Once you entered, you were given an identification card of a real person who lived at this time. Wesley was given the identity of Miso Vogel - born in 1923 in Jacovce, Czechoslovakia. He was eventually deported to Auschwitz and given the job of sorting baggage for Jews who arrived at the camp and were sent straight to the gas chambers. Miso's entire family was gassed at Auschwitz. Miso was eventually transferred to another camp and later escaped into the woods as the U.S. Army arrived in the area in 1945. He emigrated to America in 1946.

I was given the identity of Manya Moszkowicz (Friedman) - born in 1925 in Chmielnik, Poland. Manya's family moved to Sosnowiec, located near the German border. Manya's father was forced to work for the Germans and her mother was arrested. In 1941 Manya was forced to work for a German company, producing their military uniforms. In 1943 Manya's family was deported to Auschwitz while Manya was sent to a labor camp. Manya was rescued by the Swedish Red Cross in 1945 and she emigrated to the United States in 1950.

While a lot of the things we learned about Hitler and WWII I knew, I learned so many extra details today. It's amazing/scary to think about how much Hitler was underestimated and not taken seriously until it was too late. Other nations had so many opportunities to step in before things reached the level that they did. I think the thing that impacted me the most today was seeing all the belongings (like their combs, shoes, etc., even their hair!) of the prisoners who were gassed. I can't even begin to explain what it was like to go through this museum, but I think that it's something everyone should do if they have the opportunity.