Museum of the U.S. Marines (177)

On my recent visit to DC with TogetherWeServed.com we were offered a very special time inside the Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico Virginia. On Friday after closing they reopened it just for our appoximately 160 some people for private viewing and banquet in the great hall in the center of the museum. It was a memorable time for all of us...Great open bar, great dinner and a few good speakers including our own Maj. Wes Prater the founder of our good web site and Gen Ron Christmas the man who has overseen the fund raising, construction and now operation of this hallowed place.

If ever you motor along I-95 on your way north or south try and take a couple hours out of your schedule to stop by and view what is offered free inside. You can not miss the place as it has a huge aluminum beam protuding into the Virginia sky. That encompassed with the architecture itself supposedly depicts the image of the flag raising moment of raising the flag over Iwo Jima in the Pacific during world war two...I guess that photo is no doubt not only the most published photo of the war but also the defining moment in time of the Marine Corps...But inside the museum you will find many many of these defining moments that make up the history of this great part of this nations defense forces. These forces and the people who served in them have made the USA unlike what we are told, but the most looked up to and envied nation ever to inhabit this God made world. We have without a doubt what it takes to be a solid citizen among nations of this world...We need appologize to no one, we have and still are the cop on the beat for this world and were we not there, well I think it would be a pretty scary world.

Inside this museum you will see life like displays that almost put you into the front lines with these events that they depict...My Picaso at the right is pictures from that night and if you click on it you will be able to make them larger or look at them individually... I hope you will take the time as the picaso is small and does not do them justice. The tatered flag on display there at this time has a very interesting story with it and lucky for me a volunteer from the museum was standing there and shared it with me.....During the early stages of the war the Japs were expanding their territory after the Pearl Harbor attack...We had Marine Corps forces protecting the Island of Wake in the Pacific. They wanted it and invaded and this flag was flying there that day. They killed every marine on that island that day, I remember seeing a movie when in high school about Wake Island...Anyway the commanding officer of the Jap forces claimed the flag as a personal souviner and took it home with him to Japan. No one knew of it until he recently died and his widow was very gracious and said, "this flag belongs to the Marines"...anyway the Marines of course treasure this flag and it is displayed in a rotation with other flags such as the Iwo Jima flags that were raised over that island during the war.

I joined the Marine Corps Association long ago because there was a dream of constructing this museum....And I have donated some funds from time to time to them for this purpose...I think the idea of building it completely with donated funds was a great idea....the work is still happening and more funds are needed so I hope any fellow marines that read this and maybe others who choose to will help out....They have bricks for sale to leave you mark there or to commemorate a loved one maybe. I did a brick in honor of my Boot Camp Platoon a few years back...It is along the sidewalk walking up the hill...I have another one still to be laid that I made in memory of my wife Linda who died a few months back of cancer....she was a trooper and accompanied me to the dedication of the museum on Nov. 10, 2006 just a few months before she died...If you go to the pictures on the right side of this blog and span all the way down, you will see one of my favorite photo's of her with a Marine Captain who honored us with his presents that day as we arrived at the ceremony....I will never forget him, he was a vet of both Iraq and Afganistan like my grandson Lucas. He met us at the Bus and told me I would need to clear security as the President was there that day, but that this fine lady would not have to because she was with him....he stayed with us for maybe 45 minutes showing us around before returning to his duties as a official greeter...Glad I am typing this as I still get a frog in the throat talking about it...But the placement of this brick leads to my final story for todays blog....

A Chapel overlooking the museum on a small hill was planned for the future...A former marine visiting from California toured the museum and learned of the proposed future chapel...I like this story about his generousity and the flexiblility that this museum exhibited after recieving it...
He of course is very successful in the food business there but does want to remain anonyomus but credits his success to his marine training and experiences. Anyway he and his wife upon departure from the museum gave a envelope with a check in side and simply stated that with this money they would like to see the chapel project accelerated....The check was for 5 million dollars....the museum started digging up on the hill before the end of that week....The Chapel is almost complete I looked it over and it will be dedicated next month. And Linda's Lahrman's brick will be there...

Semper Fi, one last story coming yet about the reunion that gunny Bill and I are setting up for next year...