Sunday, October 17, 2010

Arlington





After our visit and wreath laying at Arlington, we were welcomed onto the grounds of Fort Myer, which is home to the US Army and Us Marine Corps Honour guard. We were told there are no combat ready weapons on the base (but somehow I doubt that). We were able to go inside the stable and barracks of the Caisson unit. They are the funeral detail for Arlington. That is a picture of the horse who played the role of "the riderless horse" from Ronald Reagons funeral. He is the only non combat death to ever receive a riderless horse. The riderless horse is supposed to represent a soldier sitting backwards on his horse looking back at his fellow soldiers. There are 8 funerals a day at Arlington. The crews work a week on and a week off for 4 rotations, then the horses are brought to a large field off base and are set free to graze for a month. We were not allowed to take pictures of the Caisson unit, but I snuck a pic out the window of our bus when we were leaving.

Redskin time






While we were there, we got to tour Fedex Stadium. One of the Redskins was involved in a house fire when he was a kid and lost his little brother in the incident. He was nice enough to bring us around (he got in trouble for letting us on the field). While we were there, we got to meet Donovan McNabb and a couple other players. You can see his signature on the ball #5. And don't worry Mrs. Nozzle about the cheerleaders hitting on me, I blew them off!!

Washington





Well I am finally going to blog some pics from Washington. That is Patrick and I in front of the Washington Monument (he is the camper I escorted from NFLD). He and I posing with President Schaitberger inside the Capital Building, and the wreath we laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington.