My cloudy Tuesday began with work from 8:30-1. I then made the quick trip home to change into my exploration clothes. A quick Metro ride took me to the other side of town to see the World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, and Vietnam War Veterans Memorial.
"FREEDOM IS NOT FREE" is inscribed on a wall of the Korean War Memorial. Inscribed by this wall are four statistics: Dead USA 54,246 UN 628,833. Missing USA 8,177 UN 470,267. Captured USA 7,140 UN 92,970. Wounded USA 103,284 UN 1,054,453.
4,048 gold stars adorn a navy blue wall at the World War II Memorial to pay tribute to the 405,399 American lives that were lost in WWII.
58,256 names are etched into the Vietnam Wall that stretchs 247 feet.
A 19 foot tall statue stands in the Lincoln Memorial to honor a national hero whose life was cut short six days after the end of the Civil War.
The cost of freedom from slavery and freedom from communism were the lives of President Lincoln and millions of soldiers. These numbers are not just numbers anymore since I have friends in ROTC. Each of those names is a friend from college, a guy someone dated once or twice, a best guy friend, or a football buddy. Each name is someone who should be treated with the utmost respect. It is those names that all Americans should be grateful for.
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