Sunday

As stated earlier, we changed our schedule a bit. The girls have already told you a bit about Arlington Cemetery and the Pentagon Memorial. We came home to have some dinner, and now it appears that the rain begins, so I am glad to have gotten out today while we had the chance. Our time at Arlington in particular was beautiful - I'll try & get some photos uploaded here in a bit.

At Arlington, some of the cherry blossoms were budding and blooming. It really is a beautiful place, given the surroundings. We saw the JFK gravesite, and of course with him is his wife, Jackie. What's surprising, though, is the grave of a daughter who has only one day listed - I guess she died at birth? And a son who they named Patrick - who lived only 2 days in the same year JFK was killed. Near the eternal flame there is also Bobby Kennedy's grave, and just a little further on - but with much attention - is Senator Ted Kennedy - who passed just last year.

The House at Arlington - Rachel mentioned it was the home of Robert E. Lee - General of the defeated Confederate Army. The home actually belonged to his wife, Mary - who was a granddaughter or great granddaughter of Martha Washington - by Martha Washington's FIRST husband (she had a first??? The Father of our Country married a single mother???)

It turns out, the Union army took over this home and the surrounding area when they entered into Virginia. Robert E. Lee surrendered in this house, and the Union army used the area as a gravesite for fallen soldiers. The family who had long owned this land departed - and its rumored that when Mary came back for a visit - to the home she grew up in - the home she raised her own 7 children in - she saw the graves all around - what is today Arlington National Cemetery - and told her driver to "go on - don't stop"

Such a sad story... sadder still to think that Lee was offered a position in the Union army... to think "what might have been" - not only for Mary and her family, but for Gettysburg, for the war...

On our way out, we had just a few minutes to stop into the monument / museum dedicated to women in military service... including the women of WWII - the first to fly military aircraft - the Fly Girls! At the end, the girls were all able to sign a guest book and leave a thought for all the women who have served our country.

Kelsey told you it took us a while to get to the Pentagon memorial... I have a bone to pick with Mandy - our GPS "navigator". Its really not her fault - this city is a MESS to try & drive around. Our brilliant plan with today's limited itinerary to take the van instead of the metro was a mistake we don't intend to repeat.

It seems the youngest victim at the Pentagon on 9-11 would have been only about 3 years old. The next youngest appears to be her sister - and I think we saw her father with a memorial there as well. It made us all wonder out loud about that mother? The oldest person on that particular plane was in his 70's - a retired Navy Captain, who surely thought his days of putting himself in harms way at the hands of the enemies of our nation were long over. To realize these things with all these precious girls made me think about how lucky I am to take this trip with these young ladies.

Thank you again.

~JSW