Marine Corp Memorial

I have been late in posting on the blog, so expect a lot of posts from me this week.

Yesterday,  I woke up early on a Saturday morning.  Since everyone was sleeping in, I decided to explore a monument I still haven't been to, the Marine Corp Memorial.  About ten seconds after leaving the Congressional I was sweating bullets from the DC July temperatures.  I took the Blue line on Capitol South to the Rosslyn stop in Arlington Virginia.  I came out of the tunnel and felt like I was in a Midwest city again.  Big skyscrapers overlooking a beautiful river.  I walked a few blocks south to reach my destination

The memorial was so much larger than I expected.  Six larger than life men raising Old Glory in the most treacherous conditions.  The sky was dark and overcast with strong guests of wind, similar to that fateful day in WWII.  The statue is outlined with words naming the great battles and wars in which the Marine Corp fought.  The Marine Corp, founded in 1775, is older than our Nation herself.  Many marines, both men and women, have died in these battles defending our nation and our nation's ideals.  This really hit me when I read one of the side panels.  Of the six men you see raising the flag on Iwo Gima, three of them never left the island.  This memorial was a powerful reminder that when freedom is in danger, it is our duty to protect it, no matter what the costs.  The statement on the memorial reads: Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue.
- Jake Bradley