Tag Archives: military

Normandy, France

14506191527_7833a0a1f0_kPer Wikipedia….During the Second World War, the D Day landings on the Normandy beaches, under the code name Operation Overlord, started the lengthy Battle of Normandy and resulted in the Liberation of Paris and the restoration of the French Republic. These landings were a significant turning point in the war.

The 172 acre cemetery contains the remains of 9,387 American military dead, who were primarily killed during the invasion of Normandy. We paused to visit the grave of Theodor Roosevelt, Jr., the son of president Teddy Roosevelt. One of President’s other sons, Quenton, is also buried there. Quenton died during WWI and his remains were reburied next to his brother at Normandy.

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The Wall That Heals

the wallThe Vietnam Veterans Traveling Wall is in the Auburn Veteran’s Memorial Park at 411 E Street NE this Veteran’s Day Weekend. The exhibit is a half size replica of the Washington DC Vietnam Memorial Wall which was designed by Maya Lin. It was really a very interesting exhibit. So many dead — 58,195 names are listed. And there is an iPhone App to help one find any name by panel number and line. The original wall is listed as number 10 for America’s favorite piece of architecture per Wikipedia. While I was at the park I snapped some photos of the rest of the park including mural art representing many of the major US wars.

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The VFW on Veteran’s Day

On Veteran’s Day it seemed appropriate to stop at the The Veteran’s of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Ladies Auxiliary, Eric G. Sandstrom, Post 969 (3510 McKinley Avenue East Tacoma, Washington 98404). There is a splendid mural on the building featuring a multicultural selection of men and women that have served in the US military.

http://www.vfw969.org/

 

 

Lakewood Veteran’s Memorial

I’ve driven past this sculpture in front of the Lakewood City Hall numerous times, but today I actually got out of my vehicle and took a good look at it. There is a lot going on with this piece, nine figures representing people in the military, a large globe, five benches, signage, inscribed bricks and landscaping. The sculpture honors veterans. Among the large metal figures are a Chaplin, a medical person, a foot soldier with his gun, a mechanic and others. The figures are stylized, but it is still apparent the jobs they represent. The primary construction materials are steel and bronze and the sculpture was completed in May 2003.

Per information provided by the Washington City/County Management Association, The project was spearheaded by the Lakewood Veterans Memorial Committee and reminds us of the sacrifices and services of the local military community. It also serves as a link between Lakewood and the large number of active duty, former and retired military personnel in our community. “More than 96,000 veterans reside in Pierce County with over 10,000 living in Lakewood. The memorial is the creation of Gig Harbor artist and military veteran Jim Mattern. (http://www.wccma.org/newsletter/0304wcmanews.pdf)

Here is the link to a story about the piece.
http://www.komonews.com/news/archive/4093906.html

Jim Mattern: Sculptor
Lakewood Veteran’s Memorial
6000 Main St. SW
Lakewood, WA 98499