Visiting Quantico ... and Embracing Historic Tradition
A place every Marine should witness. The National Museum of the Marine Corps. I think if there had been a church inside, I could have made it a permanent dwelling. Truly a fantastic tribute to the entire CORPS, and certainly an honorable tribute to Marines of past, present, and even future.The museum just opened this past November, appropriately so since the Corps' birthday is November 10th. I heard of it a long time ago, and so was terribly excited to know that I could stop by for a visit on my way home from Washington, DC. The museum is located in Quantico, Virginia - just a few miles from the Quantico Marine Corps Base - which is also home to the USMC Officer Candidate School. Only a half hour south of DC, and worth every mile of road in between.
Every part of this place is inspiring. Actually, in the Corps they use the term, "motivating." I couldn't stop smiling. The Marine Corps has a sense of tradition like no other, and it's got a remarkable history to boot.
This is THE flag flown on Mt. Suribachi at the Battle of Iwo Jima. THE FLAG that made a few good men famous. The flag that is a hugely symbolic part of Marine Corps history. I couldn't believe it was here - but what better home for such 50 stars and 13 stripes?
This is a photograph of the side of an exhibit; this is meant to look like the bulkhead on a ship... when you get closer the 'bolts' are actually miniature EGAs and anchors. One for every Marine or sailor who died in the Vietnam war. And there were many.The museum was humming with visitors young and old. Many parents had brought their children along, as a way of continuing their legacy. A mother encouraged her children to line up on the infamous yellow footprints - just as she had done on Parris Island for USMC boot camp.
The older gentlemen walked more slowly through the exhibits. Wasn't hard to know who is still a Marine... they paused at photographs from Korea, Vietnam... as if they were seeing themselves in a mirror - and perhaps they were. When other visitors kept walking, these veterans stopped to remember... the way an M-16 feels in your grip... the way a heavy pack can throw your weight forward...the way an MRE actually tastes pretty good after not having much to eat.A very funny thing did happen while we were there. I was near the Medal of Honor wall - a tribute to every Marine who has ever won our nation's highest award for valor. Only one Marine has been awarded this medal in recent years - Corporal Jason Dunham. I have read The Gift of Valor, which tells this Jason's story, so I wanted a photograph of this tribute to him.
His photograph was posted high on the wall, since he was the first of this war. I stood on my toes and held my camera up above my head to take a picture. I tried a few times to focus the camera correctly, and to manage the flash... I was in the middle of my photography experiment when the lights went out. The electricity in the entire museum shut down. Every last light bulb, video clip, or audio segment was turned off as if by a giant switch. For an instant the power resumed, then went off again. A man's voice called over the loudspeaker and invited all the visitors back into the main rotunda, where natural lighting made everything visible.
We asked a nearby museum attendant if the power had ever gone out before - and she confirmed that this was, in fact, the very first time. A brand new museum, only a few months in operation, and the electrical system was failing on a clear spring-like January afternoon.
We chuckled then... imagining our Jason smirking next to a power switch as I tried to photograph another Jason. He did love practical jokes.
Jason's mother told me that when their family visited the oldest son at Camp Lejeune, Jason would walk all over the base on his own in an attempt to explore the USMC way of life and its history. He delighted in simple things, and would certainly read every single card or panel that belonged to a statue or museum exhibit. He wished to learn as much as could. I think he really would have enjoyed seeing this Marine Corps museum. The exhibits are organized by major wars in which the Corps participated, and the portion devoted to Iraq and its neighbors remains unfinished. Until the current war ceases, this exhibit is merely one of photographs - but these are pictures that speak volumes about the war.
Civilians have an opportunity to contribute to this unfinished exhibit. I brought paperwork home with me regarding a potential contribution to the museum, and I thought about it for a better part of the ride home. I have dozens of letters from Marines, some I've never even met. I have photographs and tokens from Iraq, and I have trinkets that were carried in the pockets of a very special Marine. I would like to someday be a part of the Marine Corps history. Jason was from the moment he stepped onto those footprints.
His photograph was posted high on the wall, since he was the first of this war. I stood on my toes and held my camera up above my head to take a picture. I tried a few times to focus the camera correctly, and to manage the flash... I was in the middle of my photography experiment when the lights went out. The electricity in the entire museum shut down. Every last light bulb, video clip, or audio segment was turned off as if by a giant switch. For an instant the power resumed, then went off again. A man's voice called over the loudspeaker and invited all the visitors back into the main rotunda, where natural lighting made everything visible.
We asked a nearby museum attendant if the power had ever gone out before - and she confirmed that this was, in fact, the very first time. A brand new museum, only a few months in operation, and the electrical system was failing on a clear spring-like January afternoon.
We chuckled then... imagining our Jason smirking next to a power switch as I tried to photograph another Jason. He did love practical jokes.
Jason's mother told me that when their family visited the oldest son at Camp Lejeune, Jason would walk all over the base on his own in an attempt to explore the USMC way of life and its history. He delighted in simple things, and would certainly read every single card or panel that belonged to a statue or museum exhibit. He wished to learn as much as could. I think he really would have enjoyed seeing this Marine Corps museum. The exhibits are organized by major wars in which the Corps participated, and the portion devoted to Iraq and its neighbors remains unfinished. Until the current war ceases, this exhibit is merely one of photographs - but these are pictures that speak volumes about the war.
Civilians have an opportunity to contribute to this unfinished exhibit. I brought paperwork home with me regarding a potential contribution to the museum, and I thought about it for a better part of the ride home. I have dozens of letters from Marines, some I've never even met. I have photographs and tokens from Iraq, and I have trinkets that were carried in the pockets of a very special Marine. I would like to someday be a part of the Marine Corps history. Jason was from the moment he stepped onto those footprints.
posted by Meredith at 10:46 AM
1 Comments:
Meredith, I have read your blog for over a year. I do not always post, but wanted to tell you that you do such an honor to Jason and to his family by loving him the way you do. Don't let anyone decide how you remember Jason and what you do to keep him memory alive. I thank God for men and women like Jason who have given their live so we might live in the free country.
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