 |
| South Lawn from The Ellipse |
Our path to the mall the next morning was blocked by the Vice President's White House arrival. We then negotiated numerous barricades and construction areas, noticing significant preparations for the July 4 celebration. Despite high temperatures and humidity we enjoyed many monuments and tours, including the Smithsonian Air and Space museum and the National Art Gallery.
The final memorial visited was Arlington Cemetery - a sobering hike. Since leaving Utah, we wore our mission badges. Church members would approach us from time to time. This happened at the Tomb of The Unknowns. An LDS military veteran working on an airline flight crew explained the he often flew to Washington and that he always made the tomb his first stop. He insisted on this private act of respect prior to any other sight-seeing activities. It was interesting to watch public reactions to the formal ceremony. Many shared the veteran's reverence. Some acted as though they were attending a theme park attraction. I remembered my first view of the exchange during a conference trip ten years earlier. It was the dead of winter. No one else but the honor guard was present. The ceremony provoked solemn veneration.
No comments:
Post a Comment