I have been super lazy about posting this week, so for that I apologize. Today's post relates to last weekend, actually. Last weekend was Memorial Day Weekend, which if you couldn't guess, is kind of a big deal. So I decided that, if I was going to do touristy things, like see monuments, I might as well do it on the weekend when the monuments are going to be going all out -- decorations, commemorations, etc. The following will be a chronicle of what I did and saw that weekend, mostly in picture form with some commentary.
Saturday:
On Saturday during the day, I did the monument tour. Having looked up "things to do in DC on Memorial Day weekend, I found that a lot of the war memorials would be decorated with special memorial ribbons and flowers, and that at the memorials for wars for which there are still living veterans (read: WWII, Korea, Vietnam), there would be little ceremonies. So I walked around. I managed to catch the tail-end of the WWII Memorial's service for those KIA and the few (now very old-- hard to think that the "greatest generation," and WWII are so on their way out, and in a few years very few will be left) veterans who were in attendance. I was fortunate to catch the national anthem singing and flag-unfurling. Here are some of the pictures from the various memorials:
So apparently every Memorial Day Weekend for like the last 20 or something years, something called "Rolling Thunder" happens. I had read about it online, that "Rolling Thunder" was going to sponsor a bunch of events in the District over the weekend, but I didn't pay much attention to what it is Rolling Thunder is or does. This last weekend, I found out who they are and what they do.
Apparently, "Rolling Thunder" is a group of Vietnam-era veterans (and their spouses/allies) who also happen to be massive, Harley-Davidson-type bikers. Specifically, it is a biker club for Vietnam veterans and friends, whose mission it is, is to raise awareness of and pressure politicians/the military on the issue of military troops who are still POWs and MIA, and whose cases have not been resolved/bodies not been recovered, etc. So every Memorial Day Weekend, they host a huge (and I mean huge) biker rally in DC, to bring awareness to the POW/MIA cause, and to remember those who served in and/or were killed in Vietnam (and by extension, other wars generally, although their focus seems to be Vietnam). You can learn more about their group and what they do on their website. So basically, for the weekend, DC was taken over by hundreds of aging, Vietnam veteran, leather-clad biker dudes, often with long hair. I did not know that the aging patriotic biker veteran was a demographic, but by the showing in DC, apparently it is. The whole of Constitution Avenue (the street that runs along the north edge of the National Mall) from about the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial was just strewn with hundreds of motorcycles. I have not seen so much black leather all in one place before, complete with very "'Merica"-type patches, a smattering of Jesus-y patches, and several "Jane Fonda is a traitorous bitch" patches (to be fair, if what I have read about some of the things she did in her more radical youth are true, then I can't really disagree with that assessment. Since Vietnam and all that craziness was well before my time, however, all I know is hearsay and what I hear on the internet, so I will reserve judgment as to the validity of these statements). It was definitely a glimpse into a different world.
Sunday:
Sunday I did not do much during the day; the big event was the annual Memorial Day concert on the Capitol lawn, which was an evening event put on by PBS. I like outdoor concerts, and the lineup (of both singers and hosts) had sufficient "name-recognition" appeal, that I thought, "hey why not?" The gates opened at 5:00PM, and the event started at 8:00PM. So, starting about about 3:30, I hung around the reflecting pool of the Capitol, waiting for the gates to open. I figured that if I did that, I could keep an eye on the line area, and get in line when it started to form, to ensure a good seat, since it was open grass seating. The highlight of waiting for the gate to open/to get in line, was seeing a Mama duck herd her 8 little ducklings all along the reflecting pool. It was kind of adorable, so see the poor put-upon Mama duck try to keep everyone together. They as a group made a lap around the reflecting pool, all the while getting much attention from the patrons milling around. I did not take a picture because I did not want to scare the baby ducklings, but trust me when I say that it was adorable.
The concert itself was very good, and surprisingly moving. It was basically about honoring fallen soldiers and veterans who have served. Interspersed with thematic music (one song of which was "Bring Him Home" from the musical Les Miserables, sung by the guy currently playing Jean Valjean on Broadway. It was a fitting piece for the part of the event honoring current military personnel, and it didn't hurt that it is one of my favorite songs from my favorite musical. And he nailed it.) were little vignettes that told soldiers' stories. One particularly poignant story involved an Afghanistan veteran's battle with PTSD after his tour, and ultimately his succumbing to the depression. The man's widow and children were in attendance, and I must admit I even got a little misty. Same for a vignette honoring Charles Durning, a well-known Hollywood actor who passed away this last year. Apparently prior to Hollywood, he served in WWII, and was quite decorated, having being with the first landing party on Omaha Beach at D-Day, as well as having liberated a concentration camp. Apparently in the past he had been a speaker at the concert, so they played video clips of past years where he described his experiences at D-Day and liberating the camp. He described in pretty stark detail, so it was definitely humbling and saddening to hear. I was also really happy to see that they specifically called some Korean War veterans on stage for recognition. For a long time, Korea was the "forgotten war," shoved between WWII and Vietnam, so veterans from Korea often didn't get as much recognition, attention or help as veterans from those other wars. It is nice to see them finally getting their due. As he does every year, Gary Sinise acted as co-host of the concert. Ever since playing Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump, I guess he has really gotten into the cause of wounded veterans, and does a lot of charitable work for them, including playing for them through his Lt. Dan Band. The concert is one of the things he is really involved with. Gary Sinise is a class act, both as an actor and a person.
Here are some pictures of the concert, which admittedly could be better. Unfortunately, while I had a good seat, we were still pretty far back as they had a separate section for veterans and family right in front of the stage (as it should be).
In all, it was a really good concert, full of talented singers (and the National Symphony Orchestra on accompaniment). It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go, so I am glad I went. The weather that day was mid-70s, totally clear skies, and low humidity, so you pretty much could not have asked for a more perfect concert-going day. I think the concert, even though some may think it a little hokey because of the hardcore patriotism, was a great event, and the highlight of my weekend (and stay here thus far). It was also what my dad would call a "cross-cultural experience," given that the event was a haven for, shall we say, the type of people that one does not often find in the "blue" cities and states in which I have lived. But I guess it takes all kinds.
Monday:
Monday, which was actual Memorial Day, I went to the DC Memorial Day parade. I didn't take any pictures because I was kind of in a bad spot, plus people's heads were all in the way. So while I was able to see, it was not a situation conducive to good pictures, and I think I was a little burned out by trying to get good shots while jostling between peoples' heads at the concert. Basically, the parade was your pretty standard parade: a lot of high school marching bands from around the country, playing a smattering of contemporary and patriotic music. I always wonder how the bands get selected to play, because you could definitely see a range, both in terms of geography, but also in terms of the demographics of the bands and their respective ability to pay for flashy (or not) instruments and costumes. But generally speaking, for high school bands, they were pretty good. Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna were present as well, in a float as honorary grand marshals. In between the bands, they had people dressed up representing pretty much every war the Americans have fought (Revolutionary,1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, our current wars), plus specialized groups representing different veteran groups or time periods (veteran groups for Japanese WWII veterans, Philippine veterans, Native American veterans; plus things like the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution), some boy scout troops, etc. It was a little awkward when it got to the Civil War, since it was a civil war, so all veterans of that war were technically American, so they had people dressing up as and people in affinity groups for both the North and the South. But, history is history, and it takes two sides to tango. But it is always a little strange (given where I am from) to see people flying flags with the stars and bars.
Mostly, I enjoyed the parade. There were a few people around me who were, for lack of a better term, assholes; I won't get into it, but people need to a) mind their own business and b) be respectful of those around them (by that I mean, don't scream babbling, incoherent, annoying nonsense into the ears of those around you). Which several people were not. I would have enjoyed the event more but for those assholes, but I tried not to let it ruin my experience. Note to world: don't be assholes.
That pretty much sums up Memorial Day Weekend 2013, highlight of DC 2013 so far. I still haven't been cleared to work, so I have just been kind of hanging out. Hopefully that will end soon.
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