I have visited Arlington numerous times. Long ago when I was flying charter out of Lynchburg, I often took passengers - usually Jerry Falwell or members of his staff - to Washington National and had a day to kill. Sometimes I went to the Mall and visited the museums and sometimes I went to Arlington. My most recent visit was in 2010. It …
I have visited Arlington numerous times. Long ago when I was flying charter out of Lynchburg, I often took passengers - usually Jerry Falwell or members of his staff - to Washington National and had a day to kill. Sometimes I went to the Mall and visited the museums and sometimes I went to Arlington. My most recent visit was in 2010. It was a pleasant place to walk around and look at the names. Contrary to popular belief, Arlington is NOT where American war dead are buried. There are some there although I don't know why since most families want their sons brought home to bury them in their family plot. It's only been in recent years that they set aside areas for current dead (Word War II dead were buried in cemeteries overseas although most of them were later dug up and brought to the States and turned over to the families for burial.) The vast majority of the dead buried at Arlington are military retirees, mostly lieutenant colonels and above, who were buried there when they died years after their retirement. Requirements for burial at Arlington are restrictive. You'll find few enlisted men buried there with the exception of Medal of Honor winners. Arlington is administered by the Army while other veterans cemeteries are administered by the VA or by individual states, such as the one in West Tennessee where I am considering having my remains buried if I don't direct that I be cremated and the ashes thrown out with the trash.
That there are restrictions on filming in the cemetery is news to me. I've taken dozens of photographs there and nearly everyone you see has a camera. The Tomb of the Unknowns is a popular photographic scene. The last time I was there I noticed that there is an area off to the side where they've been buring recent war dead, specifically Afghanistan and Iraq. It's away from the section where the generals, colonels and heroes are buried and most people never go there. Why it's even there is beyond me since most of those who died in those countries were flown to their homes just as they have been since Vietnam.
So what that Trump smiled or cracked a joke? I remember one time when I lived in Virginia when I took my young family to visit the New Market Battlefield where VMI cadets made a famous charge and routed Union troops. My son was a little boy, maybe five. He was happy and wanted to play. An old biddy who worked there chastised him for making noise. I almost blessed her out. Unlike her, I had actually seen war and watched men die and I knew that those young men who fought on that battlefield would have loved to see little boys playing. Incidentally, that little boy grew up, graduated from the US Naval Academy and went on dangerous missions in submarines that few Americans have any idea they were doing.
Kamala Harris is a politician. She doesn't give too hoots in a windstorm about veterans and American war dead. She's just taking advantage of the media false reporting to make a point. Incidentally, I know A LOT of veterans and darn near every one of them plan to vote for Trump.
My dad chose to be buried in one of the military cemeteries in his state. There are no restrictions on any photography or videotaping. In fact, his ceremony was videotaped by my niece.
I'm not aware of the backstory regarding whether Trump smiled and/or cracked a joke, but I fail to see why there has be any sort of restriction on any emotion in a cemetery. How many of us have ever cracked up or laughed at what seemed an "inappropriate" time? I think that this is, many times, a way for the brain to release some emotions. A wake is full of laughing and jokes, amongst other emotions. And a cemetery is welcoming to little boys who want to play.
In the case of my dad, we were encouraged to come up with a short saying for them to engrave on his nameplate. We chose this super funny saying he used to say upon leaving get-togethers. Even if someone doesn't know the backstory, the saying is funny. Who's to judge? He served his country but it wasn't all he was defined by and certainly those of us who remember him and visit him now have memories that encompass his entire being.
Why in the world would any veteran vote for anyone but Trump? The democrats are the ones who hate veterans and no doubt call them suckers and losers amongst themselves. Then again, it's not like they single them out, because they hate ALL Americans. Thank you for your service. Please thank your son for his service, as well. I've heard submariners are the bravest men going and I have no doubt.
When I visited Arlington about a decade ago the prohibition was on photographing funerals. I found my family member's grave, turned around and saw a caisson being pulled by horses arriving at a gravesite. We stood silent for a few minutes, then slipped away.
We never saw anything else in DC, Arlington was enough, and SO worth it.
I will bet my bottom dollar that Steven Cheung's account of the incident is very close to perfectly correct. And would bet that the female Army person who accosted the group votes D and heard Maxine Waters in her head - "anywhere you see them, let them know they are not welcome.........."
I have visited Arlington numerous times. Long ago when I was flying charter out of Lynchburg, I often took passengers - usually Jerry Falwell or members of his staff - to Washington National and had a day to kill. Sometimes I went to the Mall and visited the museums and sometimes I went to Arlington. My most recent visit was in 2010. It was a pleasant place to walk around and look at the names. Contrary to popular belief, Arlington is NOT where American war dead are buried. There are some there although I don't know why since most families want their sons brought home to bury them in their family plot. It's only been in recent years that they set aside areas for current dead (Word War II dead were buried in cemeteries overseas although most of them were later dug up and brought to the States and turned over to the families for burial.) The vast majority of the dead buried at Arlington are military retirees, mostly lieutenant colonels and above, who were buried there when they died years after their retirement. Requirements for burial at Arlington are restrictive. You'll find few enlisted men buried there with the exception of Medal of Honor winners. Arlington is administered by the Army while other veterans cemeteries are administered by the VA or by individual states, such as the one in West Tennessee where I am considering having my remains buried if I don't direct that I be cremated and the ashes thrown out with the trash.
That there are restrictions on filming in the cemetery is news to me. I've taken dozens of photographs there and nearly everyone you see has a camera. The Tomb of the Unknowns is a popular photographic scene. The last time I was there I noticed that there is an area off to the side where they've been buring recent war dead, specifically Afghanistan and Iraq. It's away from the section where the generals, colonels and heroes are buried and most people never go there. Why it's even there is beyond me since most of those who died in those countries were flown to their homes just as they have been since Vietnam.
So what that Trump smiled or cracked a joke? I remember one time when I lived in Virginia when I took my young family to visit the New Market Battlefield where VMI cadets made a famous charge and routed Union troops. My son was a little boy, maybe five. He was happy and wanted to play. An old biddy who worked there chastised him for making noise. I almost blessed her out. Unlike her, I had actually seen war and watched men die and I knew that those young men who fought on that battlefield would have loved to see little boys playing. Incidentally, that little boy grew up, graduated from the US Naval Academy and went on dangerous missions in submarines that few Americans have any idea they were doing.
Kamala Harris is a politician. She doesn't give too hoots in a windstorm about veterans and American war dead. She's just taking advantage of the media false reporting to make a point. Incidentally, I know A LOT of veterans and darn near every one of them plan to vote for Trump.
My dad chose to be buried in one of the military cemeteries in his state. There are no restrictions on any photography or videotaping. In fact, his ceremony was videotaped by my niece.
I'm not aware of the backstory regarding whether Trump smiled and/or cracked a joke, but I fail to see why there has be any sort of restriction on any emotion in a cemetery. How many of us have ever cracked up or laughed at what seemed an "inappropriate" time? I think that this is, many times, a way for the brain to release some emotions. A wake is full of laughing and jokes, amongst other emotions. And a cemetery is welcoming to little boys who want to play.
In the case of my dad, we were encouraged to come up with a short saying for them to engrave on his nameplate. We chose this super funny saying he used to say upon leaving get-togethers. Even if someone doesn't know the backstory, the saying is funny. Who's to judge? He served his country but it wasn't all he was defined by and certainly those of us who remember him and visit him now have memories that encompass his entire being.
Why in the world would any veteran vote for anyone but Trump? The democrats are the ones who hate veterans and no doubt call them suckers and losers amongst themselves. Then again, it's not like they single them out, because they hate ALL Americans. Thank you for your service. Please thank your son for his service, as well. I've heard submariners are the bravest men going and I have no doubt.
When I visited Arlington about a decade ago the prohibition was on photographing funerals. I found my family member's grave, turned around and saw a caisson being pulled by horses arriving at a gravesite. We stood silent for a few minutes, then slipped away.
We never saw anything else in DC, Arlington was enough, and SO worth it.
I will bet my bottom dollar that Steven Cheung's account of the incident is very close to perfectly correct. And would bet that the female Army person who accosted the group votes D and heard Maxine Waters in her head - "anywhere you see them, let them know they are not welcome.........."