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| Photo credit – morganhowarth.com |
An unplanned thing happened today. Gracie and I found ourselves in the parking lot of the National Museum of the Marine Corps this morning after we had dropped off Aaron who was part of a group of Congressional staffers who were invited to tour the Museum and spend a day being a Marine. Since we wanted to avoid traffic and never ones to pass up an opportunity to explore, Gracie and I stayed and spent some time walking through the place. And, boy, am I glad! I checked off another thing on my DC Bucket List! This place was amazing! It increased the respect and admiration I had for so many who volunteer their time and sacrifice their families to serve this amazing country and protect its people. Each exhibit was meticulously planned and highlighted things in a way that helped us get the whole picture.
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| Taken from Wikipedia |
You will notice that the first two pictures were borrowed from other sites. This is because I only had my 50mm lens on my camera and wide angle shots were not possible without having to leave Gracie in one corner of the vast room and walking clear across the hall to the other side of the building. Without further ado, here are some of the exhibits that we were able to see and experience.
These were cool, little displays that had almost life-like figurines set up to almost accurately depict each scene. It was pretty neat!
Gracie was obviously more interested in a plastic lid than she was about the displays.
This was a depiction of when they stormed Harper’s Ferry and attacked John Brown and his men.
45-star U.S. National Color. The first flag raised at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Marines on 10 June 1898.
The main hall was breathtaking! The sheer magnitude of this space was incredible and the displays that surrounded the space were life-sized and life-like. The Marines who posed for these sculptures and to spend hours staying still and used a straw to breathe so their facial structures wouldn’t have any movement.
So real, right? Even up close, it is hard to tell it is a fake.
It was a wonderful morning on a spontaneous trip to see an amazing place. Proud to live in America and continue to learn of and appreciate the freedom we so enjoy. Thank you to those who serve in the Marine Corps and all other arms of the military! I was moved today by your dedication, commitment, sacrifice, and love for this country and its people.
