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fandomhigh2014-05-21 09:20 am
professor-lyman.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2014-05-21 09:20 am
These United States [Wednesday, May 21, 2014]
Today the class was meeting in front of the gates of Arlington National Cemetery. "Despite what commercials right now might be telling you, Memorial Day isn't a time to commerorate cheap mattresses and cars," Josh began, "or to celebrate the start of 101 days of drinking and summer debauchery until Labor Day. It's a time when we're supposed to take a moment and reflect on the fact that when our nation has needed them to, people have answered the call to take up arms in our defense, and not all of them have made it home. Not by a long shot. More than a million men and women have died while wearing the uniform of the United States, and the very least we can do before heading to a barbecue is to think about that."
He gestured around them. "This is Arlington National Cemetery. One hundred and fifty years ago this month, the first soldiers were buried here up in Section 27, which just happened to be General Robert E. Lee's front garden." He pointed up to the house at the top of the hill with the flag waving in front of it. "No one said we were being particularly nice about anything. Pvt. William Henry Christman was the first to be buried here, and he's been followed by more than 400,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. If you've served in the US military, you are eligible to be buried here, and they've been known to make exceptions for historically significant dignitaries, too. The cemetery is divided into 70 sections. Section 60 is where our most recent casualties from Afghanistan and Iraq are being buried, Section 21 is the Nurses' Section, which also includes the Nurses' Memorial and the Spanish-American War Nurses Memorial. Chaplains Hill includes monuments to Jewish, Protestant and Roman Catholic Chaplains."
He ran his hand through his hair. "There's a way to look up people's specific plots if you know anyone who's buried here--the Visitors Center over there will be happy to assist you--but even if you don't know anyone, the cemetery is still something everyone needs to see at least once." He glanced at his watch. "We're going to go up to the Tomb of the Unknowns now, then we'll do a little more exploring. I know I don't have to tell you this, but this is a cemetery, so please be quiet and respectful."
He gestured around them. "This is Arlington National Cemetery. One hundred and fifty years ago this month, the first soldiers were buried here up in Section 27, which just happened to be General Robert E. Lee's front garden." He pointed up to the house at the top of the hill with the flag waving in front of it. "No one said we were being particularly nice about anything. Pvt. William Henry Christman was the first to be buried here, and he's been followed by more than 400,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. If you've served in the US military, you are eligible to be buried here, and they've been known to make exceptions for historically significant dignitaries, too. The cemetery is divided into 70 sections. Section 60 is where our most recent casualties from Afghanistan and Iraq are being buried, Section 21 is the Nurses' Section, which also includes the Nurses' Memorial and the Spanish-American War Nurses Memorial. Chaplains Hill includes monuments to Jewish, Protestant and Roman Catholic Chaplains."
He ran his hand through his hair. "There's a way to look up people's specific plots if you know anyone who's buried here--the Visitors Center over there will be happy to assist you--but even if you don't know anyone, the cemetery is still something everyone needs to see at least once." He glanced at his watch. "We're going to go up to the Tomb of the Unknowns now, then we'll do a little more exploring. I know I don't have to tell you this, but this is a cemetery, so please be quiet and respectful."
Re: OOC
. . . aaaaaaaaaand tearing up at work now.
Re: OOC
Here we're watching American Forces TV and Memorial Day and the week leading up is just a nonstop sobfest. We're getting Band of Brothers followed by The Pacific, with a documentary on wounded vets somewhere in between.
This Friday's movie is about the Japanese internment camps.