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The Wall!


USMCRECON
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My buddy Larry and I have been going down to the Wall together every Memorial Day since 1996. He always came up the Sunday before and we would go out for steaks and a couple beers. then we'd get up early and head down there so we could get there between 06-0630 to visit our fallen buddies and get out before all the posers, pretenders, rolling clowns, and media types showed up to tun the event into a circus.

 

After he passed away in later March, I was thinking I wouldn't be able to handle going down there this year but yesterday, my grandson told me he'd like to go with me so it's back on. It will give me a chance to talk to him about my buddies one at a time. I'm looking forward to it again!

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Jack's Son

I think this trip will be even more memorable!!

Now you will pass this important occasion on to a new generation! :bravo:

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memphismeister

Grandsons are wonderfull learners.

Take the stroll and remember all...........................................

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Robswashashore

Bill, thank you for sharing this sweet story with us.

 

And thank you for your service.

 

Jean

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Johnny Signor

Bill, sorry to hear of your friends passing , but glad that you can share it now with someone of the younger generation , too many of our younger people really don't learn the important history of our ealier and latter wars and know what scarifices were made that they enjoy the freedoms they have today because of them !

 

I thank you for your service as well as ALL those that served and are serving, you are all "THE BEST" and words can not extend how much what you did and are doing means to us all , HAND SALUTE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Johnny

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Thank you all for the kind words. Cameron got up at 0500 this morning to carry on the early arrival at the Wall tradition that Larry and I had been sticking to for the last 15 years or so. We got back from the Wall a little while ago and I thought I'd post a handful of pictures from the trip.

 

I'm glad Cameron went with me as I had a chance to tell him about my and Larry's buddies and what happened to them. I'm not always going to be here and I wanted him to know about them and to carry on the visitation so these men will never become just anonymous names on a black marble slab.

 

This is a shot of the Wall, taken from the area of the statue and the flagpole.

 

post-1107-1306766029.jpg

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Cameron at the entrance to the Lincoln Memorial. In the background is the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument. As you can see, the Reflecting Pool is empty and torn up.

 

post-1107-1306766540.jpg

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Another shot of the torn up Reflecting Pool. One of the Park Policemen told me that this is a year-long reconstruction effort to seal leaks in the bottom of the pool. The Park Service had been drawing (and paying for) water for the pool from the City of Washington and, especially with the leaks, that had gotten very expensive. In addition to fixing the leaks, the project will install a pipe from the tidal basin and a filtration system. Once finished, the water will be drawn directly from the tidal basin and the cost will only be the pumping and filtration of the water. It looks like a mess now but, when done, it will be a great cost, energy, and water saver.

 

Wishing you all a very meaningful Memorial Day.

 

post-1107-1306766754.jpg

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My buddy Larry and I have been going down to the Wall together every Memorial Day since 1996. He always came up the Sunday before and we would go out for steaks and a couple beers. then we'd get up early and head down there so we could get there between 06-0630 to visit our fallen buddies and get out before all the posers, pretenders, rolling clowns, and media types showed up to tun the event into a circus.

 

After he passed away in later March, I was thinking I wouldn't be able to handle going down there this year but yesterday, my grandson told me he'd like to go with me so it's back on. It will give me a chance to talk to him about my buddies one at a time. I'm looking forward to it again!

 

 

That is wonderful. More children should be like your grandson. I hope the two of you enjoy the experience. When I was a child back in the 50's, I had a special buddy who had been a Col in WW1. We used to go buy flags and go to the two local cemetaires in our town, and put flags on the graves of his WW1, buddies, and he would tell me their stories, then we would go back to the drug store and eat ice cream. I cherrish those memories.

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That is wonderful. More children should be like your grandson. I hope the two of you enjoy the experience. When I was a child back in the 50's, I had a special buddy who had been a Col in WW1. We used to go buy flags and go to the two local cemetaires in our town, and put flags on the graves of his WW1, buddies, and he would tell me their stories, then we would go back to the drug store and eat ice cream. I cherrish those memories.

They sound like great memories. I had a similar experience in the late 50s. My uncle (by marriage) was a WW-II vet. He belonged to the VFW in the south suburbs of Chicago. I would go with him every Memorial Day (I believe they called it Decoration Day then) and help him and the other VFW members to put small flags on the graves of the WW-I, WW-II, and Korean War vets buried there.

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Jack's Son

Thank you for sharing the Passing of the Torch.

The two of you will have many more visits and much more to talk about!!

Bless both of you.

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Bill,

 

That's Excellent and thank you for sharing the story's with us

and also for sharing the picture's with us aswell Very Nice :thumbsup:

 

Tomás.

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