Grandad Remembers

We stepped off the bus and started towards the path that would lead us to the World War II Memorial. The path was lined with trees and squirrels darted back and forth in front of us as we made our way. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in his mind as we got nearer. Known to many as “The Greatest Generation” my Grandad was a hero in his own right. A hero to the nation, to his soldier companions and to his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  They all were/are heros. Upon his head he proudly wore his World War II Veteran hat and I fought back tears thinking how thousands of these great Americans are leaving our world each day. My heart ached even harder knowing my children wouldn’t get the opportunity to get to know them and learn from their wisdom.

I had been to the World War II Memorial before, back in 2006, and it was one of my favorites. So beautiful, clean and new, declaring remembrance and paying homage to those who had fought and sacrificed so much for this country, our country. I had dreamed of this day to actually come and experience it with my Grandad but never thought I would actually get the opportunity. He shared stories, tears and wisdom.  A few people came up to him and shook his hand and thanked him for his service, I can’t thank you enough, I know it made his day. He quietly read all the quotes saying few remarks. Then we reached the Atlantic side and he sat near the battles he had fought in. He gingerly touched one and mentioned he lost his first soldier here. That’s where it became real- where Grandad turned into 1^st Lieutenant Gibson of the 361^st Infantry. This is an experience that I will never forget.

Handsome young man

If you have never been to the World War II Memorial, it’s stunning. It sits right in the heart of the national mall in between Lincoln and the Washington Monument. It is the newest national monument, dedicated in May 2004 and is an oval shape with two 43-foot arches, representing the war’s Atlantic and Pacific theaters. Fifty-six pillars represent the states, territories and the District of Columbia at the time of the war. Two bronze wreaths adorn each pillar. Small fountains sit at the bases of the two arches. Waterfalls surround a wall of 4,000 gold stars, each one represents 100 U.S. deaths in the war.

Although it breaks my heart my children won’t get to hear these stories first hand, I am so grateful I will be able to bring them here someday and sit them down and tell them what the stars mean, what the quotes say, and more importantly about the people. The people who fought, the people back home who waited, and the lessons learned and cherished. Somedays we forget, as video games and movies glorify war and the lives and loved ones that were(are) lost, but it’s important to remember the people and the sacrifices they made(make) for our freedom.  Happy Memorial Day!

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Tags: Washington DC, WWII Memorial

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 6:25 am and is filed under My Life, My Trips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.