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Arlington




The group visited Arlington today. We had a tour guide who made it a point to walk us through the cemetery to graves that each offered stories about Normandy that we might not have otherwise known. Our trip there lasted about three hours, and I'm appreciative of how it gave me a much better sense of how large this cemetery is. Here are the graves we visited as part of the tour.

A black veteran of the Normandy Invasion. 

One of the first women ashore at Normandy. She eventually set up communications at the Potsdam Conference. 

Commander of some of the Airborne troops who served at Normandy. 

Eventually served as commanding general in Korean War. 



One of Eisenhower's architects for the invasion. 

Eisenhower's boss. 

One of America's Hispanic veterans of the Normandy campaign. 
He cut his normal tour short so as to permit stops at the graves of two grandfathers of our Normandy Institute students.

Lauren's grandfather. 

Zac's grandfather. 
Of course we went by some graves of other famous figures.

Famous boxer who took down Max Schmeling.

Supreme Court Justice

Civil Rights Movement Leader and Martyr
When I go to Arlington I'm usually interested in someone who was a towering hero for me when I was a kid, Audie Murphy. I didn't ask the guide to work in a visit to his grade. But I was embarrassed that I walked by the grave of this hero from my youth without recognizing it was there.

At the grave of a famous fighter pilot, one who flew my favorite plane from the war. 
The trip today meant a lot more. Of course the memory of soldiers like Bill are on the minds of students and teachers today. Some of us came with some other soldiers and sailors on our minds, too. After stumbling past Pappy Boyington's grave and almost missing it, I started to be more observant, looking for graves and markers that might have more relevance to members of the group.

I thought this might be Dylan's airman's group, but it wasn't (right Air Force, though). 
I'll close with two photos, one of the cemetery near the grave of Lauren's grandfather and another of the group as we posed near President Kennedy's grave.






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