IN HONOR OF MEMORIAL DAY 2013

FLAGS 

OF THE HONOR GUARD 

WHIPPED 

IN THE WIND 

RLS FUNERAL 
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY 

IN HONOR OF HELEN ELIZABETH STEWART

for

HELEN ELIZABETH STEWART

whose birthday was December 6

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Lord, I told the undertaker,

"Undertaker please drive slow

For this body you are hauling,

Lord I hate to see her go"

"CAN THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN?"

EDWARD M. "TED" KENNEDY GONE TWO YEARS

EDWARD M. KENNEDY 

February 22, 1932-August 25, 2009 

Simplicity 

THE GRAVESITE OF 

SENATOR & FORMER PRIVATE 

"TED" KENNEDY 

Arlington National Cemetery 

The obituary and much more; 

multi-media stories of a life; 

from the Boston Globe, here 

PROMISES, PROMISES: OBAMA & THE WOUNDED WARRIORS' CAREGIVERS

PROMISES & 

PRETTY SPEECHES. 

OH, YES. 

RESULTS? 

OH, NO.  

OBAMA & THE 

WOUNDED WARRIORS' 

CAREGIVERS 

ROWS OF GRAVESITES 

IN 

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY 

WITH THE PENTAGON 

IN THE BACKGROUND 

Read more about it -- here -- and here -- 

Speaking as an Army brat, and a caregiver (not of one of the current Wounded Warriors; no direct personal "special interest"), I find this most unfortunate, even reprehensible, but as one who has seen Pentagon promises (and presidential promises) broken before, unfortunately not surprising. 

Speaking as a political scientist and student of leadership in organizations, I can even "understand" it. There will always be another war, hot or cold, and its needs will be -- or seem -- more pressing than combat/missions five or ten or twenty or thirty or more years in the past. And then there is always the need for more military hardware just to keep up with (and surpass! even more) the Joneses or the Wangs.... 

But shame! 

THEY LEFT OUT THE COLD WAR

THEY LEFT OUT 

THE COLD WAR 

WARS LISTED ON A GRAVESTONE IN 

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY 

The Washington Post has an article reporting on family members' protests of the inscribing of "propaganda" names for America's recent wars on the headstones at Arlington National Cemetery: "Operation Enduring Freedom"; "Operation Iraqi Freedom"; "Operation New Dawn." Previous names looked like those above: "World War II"; "Korea"; "Vietnam." (No "Cold War," however much it molded and warped so many lives, and deaths.) 

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY ESTABLISHED, June 15, 1864

ARLINGTON 

NATIONAL CEMETERY 

ESTABLISHED, June 15, 1864 

HONOR GUARD & BAND 

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY 

A detailed account, here 

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY REVERIE: FOR FLAG DAY

REVERIE 

FOR FLAG DAY 

LOST IN THOUGHT & CONTEMPLATION 

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY 

It is a sad day, a bad day, when the work of good people is besmirched by bad -- thoughtless? careless? -- ones; more on the recent disturbing findings here and here. 

MEMORIAL DAY: "After great pain a formal feeling comes."

For

MEMORIAL DAY

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

"AFTER GREAT PAIN,

A FORMAL FEELING COMES -- "

-- Emily Dickinson

(The text of the poem, here)

(Some discussion, here)

(Two pieces on the honor guard

at Arlington National Cemetery,

here and here)

FULL MILITARY HONORS

HE'S NOT HEAVY...

FULL MILITARY HONORS

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

IN HONOR OF MEMORIAL DAY