Sometimes you plan a visit to coincide with a key event.
Sometimes you don’t plan it, but get to experience a special day by random coincidence.
Last weekend I was in Washington DC to attend a frequent traveler conference and to spend time with a friend who was also visiting from Alaska.
After rainy, grey weather on Friday and Saturday, Sunday was a crisp, sunny day in Washington, so we decided to visit some of the sites I hadn’t seen on prior visits.
We started with the World War II Memorial.
We noticed all of the flags were flying at half mast, and wondered why.
When we reached this sign, we quickly figured out the significance of the day.
It was December 7th, 2014, the 73rd anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
This sign explaining the Gold Star Wall at the memorial puts the cost of the human sacrifice during World War II into perspective, with the 405,399 American dead and missing second only to the loss of Americans during the U.S. Civil War.
Next we walked to the nearby Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. I especially appreciated the quotes of Dr. King.
Our next destination, Arlington National Cemetery, was too far away to walk, so we scheduled a ride with Uber, which proved to be a terrific way to get around the metro area.
At the cemetery, we headed to the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.
While we were there, a group of veterans from the Austin Honor Flight presented a wreath at the memorial.
Later in the day, as I was waiting to board my flight to leave Washington, I learned that there were 13 Pearl Harbor WWII veterans from the Austin area attending a special Pearl Harbor Day ceremony at the National WWII Memorial in Washington D.C.
Once again in a random circumstance, I was on the same flight at these Pearl Harbor veterans. While waiting to board the plane, I chatted with one of the gentlemen, asking him how old he was on the day of the Pearl Harbor attack. “I was 21,” he answered. “I was blessed then and I’ve been blessed with good health my entire life.”
It was touching to be a part of the flight: everyone at Reagan National Airport cheered for the Veterans as they boarded the plane. We applauded them before takeoff, and once again upon landing in Austin.
I’ll always remember December 7th and those Pearl Harbor veterans.
Have you happened into an event during your travels? Please share in comments below.
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