Sgt,
Got lot of pics to share, for those that haven't seen these monuments and maybe never will. I tried to take the pictures from a different perspective then the professional ones we've probably scene. There are so many I will break them down to several newsletters if you will allow.
The Air Force decided to no longer fund my job so I took advantage of being able to take an extended trip with the new girlfriend to Washington D. C. for Memorial day, and Rolling Thunder, by Motor Cycle. From Wyoming it is roughly 1900 miles one way via, US 30 and US 50 the OLD byway highways. and a short stint on the interstate.
Our second night on road we were in Burlington Iowa at a motel. I needed to go to the front desk, and as I turned the corner in a the hall, this guy got down on one knee in front of this woman, don't know why. But he said, "you know, I must of done something really wrong, to be down on my knees and that I
probably been there too!"
I replied, "No sir, the Marines do not have a tradition called the bended knee!" I of course was referring to General VandeGrift's 1946 speech to Congress! ended Knee strikes me as strange that as the flag was raised on Iwo Jima, Navy Secretary Forrestal proclaimed, "The raising of that flag, means a Marine Corps for another 500 years. But yet just over a year later the War Department tried to do away with us and others. And there has been talk of it several times since. Hope we still have dedicated current Marine Corps leaders Today as such as General VandeGrift.
Anyway on our trip to see Patriotic monuments and events. In Iowa about a mile south of I 80 about 40 miles west of Des Moines is a large granite rock. In 1999 a teenager started painting it with different patriotic scenes as a tribute to Veterans. One year a group of bikers were heading for THE WALL, in D.C. to leave some ashes of a veteran friend. they wanted to sprinkle some around the wall. Bubba (the artist) thought they would blow away and be wasted. told them to put some in the green paint he was using to paint a Huey on the rock in Vietnam. Now each year he repaints the Huey with paint that has ashes of veterans that are sent to him.
For those so inclined here is a link to the website and you may wish to leave a message of gratitude, as he does this all for free out of his own pocket, and what donations he gets. www.thefreedomrock.com
So here are a few pictures of the Rock from this year. Look close as in many pictures are some hidden details. Such as in the Sullivan's. The fighting Sullivan's is spelled out in the gray, shape of the ships tower.
Hope you all enjoy these. Next up will be some others we saw on the road, and then onto D.C.
Semper Fi
Choo Choo Sgt of Marines
68-74 and RVN 70-71