Yesterday Thom’s mom, nephew, and some other relatives, along with their church group, came to D.C. on a day trip to visit the monuments. They spent the morning and early afternoon on the Mall, and Thom and I had planned to meet up with them to tour Arlington National Cemetery, which is close to where we live. We had arrived there a bit early, so with some time on our hands before meeting up with the group, he and I looked around the Women in Service to America Memorial. I’ve been to the cemetery once before, but neither of us had been to this particular memorial. (The photo above shows Thom on the rooftop terrace.) It’s a neat work of architecture, blending an existing historic facade with a modern building behind it. Neither of us was prepared for what was inside.
Currently on view is an exhibit called “Faces of the Fallen,” made up of over 1,300 portraits by several artists honoring U.S. servicepeople who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq. These portraits, which vary in style and medium from simple drawings to elaborate carvings, line one entire wall along the vast semi-circular building. It is a really moving experience, looking at all of these faces, and at one point I started to cry. Like not just mist up, but break down and cry. That so many have died (and continue to die), especially so young, in this uncertain war, and that others have expressed their memory in art so beautiful and creative. Many of the portraits have notes, flags, and other items left by loved ones.
Later on Thom’s mom and the others arrived (it felt like all of Covington had come along to visit our neck of the woods), and we took the Tourmobile tour of the cemetery. It was definitely heart-warming to see Thom’s folks again. My photo set, which also includes photos from Aug. 2004, is up on Flickr.