OUR TRIP TO WASHINGTON D.C. ~ DAY 4, JUNE 6 ~ 2017

Ready to ride the Metro

Upstairs Downstairs

We visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum today

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me." Isaiah 43:10

Prisoner uniform

Nazi uniform--'Order Police'

Damaged Torah scrolls

"Know before whom you stand."

Cracow Synagogue window

Tarnow Cemetery gate

Remnants of military weapon and artillery shells excavated from the destroyed Warsaw Ghetto

"Work will make you free."

You stand inside the box car and imagine what it would've been like to be crowded together with a hundred other people

Prisoner badges in Nazi concentration camps

Jehovah's Witness prisoner uniform

The Nazi's took everything from the Jews at the concentration camps--their suitcases, clothing, shoes,  hair, eyeglasses, gold fillings, jewelry, their dignity and their lives. They took away their identity, their humanity, their personhood. 

If you don't believe there is a struggle between good and evil in this world, then take a walk through the Holocaust Museum.

Gas chambers

"You are my witnesses..."  Isaiah 43:10

This part of the museum is built to resemble a ghetto where Jews were confined before their journey to a concentration camp.

There were so many heroes who did whatever they could to help the Jews escape.

Death March

Soviet forces later liberate Auschwitz (January 1945), Gross-Rosen (February 1945), Sachsenhausen (April 1945), Ravensbrueck (April 1945), and Stutthof (May 1945). US forces liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar, Germany, in April 1945, a few days after the Nazis began evacuating the camp.

In all the museums in Washington, there is a lot to take in, a lot to see and read, and it can be overwhelming and sometimes just plain boring. This is not a fun museum by any standards. There are images you see that you can never unsee. By the end of it, you're more than ready to leave it behind. Of all the museums we visited, this is the one where we didn't bother to go into the gift shop. Shelby noted that what could you possibly want from a Holocaust museum gift shop. 

So happy to be outside in the sunshine again

Throwback to March 14, 1994 ~ Holly and Kelly standing in front of the museum with Neil in the bottom right corner ~ the museum had opened the year before this in April of '93

We grabbed some lunch in the museum cafeteria. Elijah finally got his giant pretzel.

Shelby looks like she's wondering what in the world I'm eating ....

.... Matzo ball soup! and pizza.


Our next stop was the Museum of American History. Seeing artifacts like George Washington's uniform thrill me to pieces.

Andrew Jackson's uniform from the War of 1812

Fun fact: Andrew Jackson is the only president who served in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

The top hat worn by President Lincoln to Ford's Theater on the night of his assassination. We saw this on our first trip to D.C.  25 years ago. At that time, it was in the Ford's Theater Lincoln museum.
 
Photos, weapon, and helmet from D-Day ~ we just happened to be here on June 6

Artifacts from WWII

G.I. Joe equipment in WWII

Mechanics uniform--even the mechanics are honored in the museum of American history. My dad wore one of these as he was stationed in England during WWII and was an airplane mechanic serving with the 100th Bomb Group 350th Bomb Squadron. He was stationed at an airbase in Thorpe Abbotts.

I appreciate this tribute to the WWII mechanics.

This was an interesting and fitting exhibit for the Vietnam War, as it was the first war literally fought in our living rooms on the nightly news. The videos on these screens cover the war from start to finish.

The Iroquois was originally designated HU-1, hence the Huey nickname, which has remained in common use, despite the official redesignation to UH-1 in 1962. The UH-1 first saw service in combat operations during the Vietnam War, with around 7,000 helicopters deployed.

There was so much to see in the museum that it was overwhelming. And I've never really thought about how the history of this country is the history of war from its very beginning. They say every generation has its war. You realize how true this is when you walk through American history here.

THE Star Spangled Banner--this picture doesn't do its size justice; it's huge! Another piece of American history right here in front of me that just blows me away.



The gift shops are always fun to browse through. Elijah zeroed in on this Uncle Sam hat and tried it on for size.

One size fits all?

I think Shelby urged him to pose like this. This is my favorite picture of Elijah from our whole trip. I love it! 😂

This was probably Elijah's most favorite artifact from any museum we visited. Finally something he could relate to. Indiana Jones's fedora and whip from Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc. It was pretty cool.



Sholes and Glidden typewriter, 1873--I've had a lifelong love affair with typewriters.

Not so much with computers, even though I'm blessed to have two or three and know how to use them. Things change. Time marches on.

If you watched All in the Family on TV back in the 1970's, then you'll recognize this iconic furniture--Archie and Edith Bunker's chairs. Archie was politically incorrect before it was cool to be politically correct.

The original Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street (rubber ducky, you're the one....)

Apolo Ohno's silver Olympic skates and Muhammed Ali's boxing gloves

Shelby looks good in it, too!

Yankee Doodle Dandy

Headed back 'home'

Navigator Neil--Google map is our friend

It's not easy sometimes getting around this town. Mostly it's locating the nearest Metro station or the closest food source.







Dinner. Want fries with that?

Grateful for the Mickey D's that was a short walk away from our hotel--one of the only fast food restaurants on this side of town. This was yummy stuff after a long day at the museums.

Just don't overstay your welcome.

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