DC Trip- Pauline Marting

I had been to DC twice before I our trip yesterday to our nation's capital. While my previous visits had been during sunnier weather, I was not overly concerned with the rain. At our first stop at the Lincoln monument, I was very surprised to learn that people don't really pay attention to anything other than Lincoln in the entire building. Granted, he has a very commanding presence:

Oh, Hello.

But, as we saw yesterday, he is certainly not the only thing worth seeing in the monument. The two speeches inscribed on the side walls, Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address and the Gettysburg Address, are two of the most important orations in our nation's history. Most people don't take the time to read and understand them, partially because I'm sure some of the visitors are too young or perhaps can't read english, but those who visit because they are aware of the importance of Lincoln's presidency during our nation's history should take the time to read the inscriptions. Nothing in the memorial is there by accident; every word that is carved has special meaning and is meant to evoke emotion and provoke sentimental thought. After a visit to the Vietnam Memorial, we hiked over to the WWII Memorial. Even when drenched in the pouring rain, this is still my favorite monument for a variety of reasons. I like the personal connection I feel to the site when I walk around and stand in front of the pillar dedicated to the soldiers from Ohio. Being from Cleveland, I'm usually on the receiving end of jabs directed at Ohio and at the north in general. However, yesterday when I visited the site I was ecstatic to see that someone had placed a large wreath at the foot of the Ohio pillar. It was one of the few things that had been left at the memorial that day as a result of the weather, and it made me feel a special connection to whomever had taken the time to purchase the wreath and set it at the foot of the stone pillar. 

O-H-I-O!

Another reason that this memorial is my personal favorite is that part of FDR's Pearl Harbor speech is written on a large granite block that forms the circle of stone pillars. I believe that this was one of the most powerful speeches ever delivered in United States history. When I first learned of it one day in AP US history my junior year of high school, I asked my professor to see if we could perhaps find a recording of it on youtube. Not only was the speech recorded, but there are also several videos of FDR standing and leaning against his podium for strength as he delivers the oration. FDR did not want people to know of his inability to walk, so he often stood when he delivered speeches and was rarely photographed in a wheelchair. However, standing for extended periods of time caused him extreme pain, and I believe you can hear that physical pain mixed with his emotional pain for the loss of life at Pearl Harbor in his speech. His voice is commanding yet gentle; it is the voice of a concerned father, not simply a government figure. I urge everyone to look up the video on youtube, and listen to it twice, once while watching the video and once with your eyes closed to take in the full effect of his words. You will not be disappointed. 

A date which will live in Infamy.