I Heart The Mudflats

From Forum Admin Deep Blue:

I recently attended a military funeral for an Army officer at Fort Myer in Arlington VA, with the burial held at the adjacent Arlington National Cemetery.  I know I can’t describe it adequately. It was deeply moving in a way beyond what I expected.

The death of my friend’s father was certainly a cause for grief, but somehow the amazing show of respect and unity that accompanied the event created an almost uplifting feeling.  It certainly gave me a feeling of pride in my country, and the sense that I was somehow part of something so much larger than myself.

After the funeral ceremony, the flag-draped casket was conducted to the gravesite on a horse-drawn carriage. Though I didn’t want to undermine the gravity of the procession, I could not resist snapping one picture just to help me remember it (I took this with my iPhone, through my car window, while driving, so please excuse the poor quality).

The Fourth of July is quite rightly a festive occasion. But I think it’s also appropriate to take a moment to consider the serious side of the holiday. I post this today as an affirmation of the freedom we enjoy in the United States, and to offer respect to those men and women in uniform whose job it is to defend it.

I hope many readers get a chance to one day visit Arlington Cemetery and acknowledge all those who have served honorably and even given their lives for this country, in a tradition started over 200 years ago. In my opinion, it is an indelible experience.

A safe and happy Independence Day to all.

This post was submitted by Deep Blue, one of the Administrators on the Mudflats Forum.

I loved Mudflats in the autumn too, and I’m sure I will continue to love it in the summer! I hope to add those photos to this blog in the months to come.

These photos were taken (with my iPhone!) from the terrace of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The idea for this photo originally took shape in my mind around the time of the Inauguration, after Mark Begich came to town as Alaska’s new Senator.

I pass by this scene often, and as someone devoted to the Mudflats, I really delighted in seeing the Alaskan flag with the Washington Monument as the backdrop. It was such a positive reminder of the change in the air, for Alaska and for the nation.

PS – I think I have also inadvertently discovered the REAL reason McCain picked Palin to be his running mate. Notice how their flags are next to each other in the lineup, which is done in alphabetical order. I mean, hey, it makes as much sense as any other reason he could have possibly had, right?