Days 5-7 of My trip in Virginia

As you already know, I took a trip to Virginia for 10 days which started out with a bang.  by the time day five had come around, I had seen a naval base in Norfolk at Chesapeake Bay, Yorktown and Williamsburg.  Day five was yardwork day for my Aunt.  I volunteered. :)

Day six involved goin with my Uncle to see his base and a few cool airplanes.  Isn't it amazing that these machines give man levity to actually be upheld by something we cannot see, and seemingly weightless?

Standing underneath the wings of a Grumman A-6E Intruder

Next to a Blue Angel with my two cousins

On day seven, we left for D.C.  On our way up, we stopped at St. John's church where Patrick Henry gave his "Give me Liberty or Give Me Death!" speech.

Inside St John's Church in Richmond.  I wasn't quite as impressed with this church as I was with the church in Williamsburg due to remodeling and a few other differences.  I think the Williamsburg church was much prettier.

The story behind this church though is that when the house of burgesses was no longer allowed to meet, the founding fathers instead met here in secret as the continental congress, so that the king of England could not find out.

That day, we went to the Arlington National Cemetery where we saw the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier.  It was absolutely amazing the way it was perfectly timed and executed.

The tomb says: Here rests in honored glory an American Soldier, known but to God

Next we went to the Iwo Jima Marines memorial, a recreation of symbolic image taken of the Easy Company at the conquer of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima, one of the most bloody wars in the history of the United States.  Amazingly, the photograph was the product of an accident, recovered by men in the US when they processed the film.  The monument is a bulwark of the American soldier, and his fight for freedom.  On the monument, there are nine hands lifting the flagpole: the ninth hand is the hand of God.  The most striking thing about DC was the intense Christian symbolism among all the buildings, memorials and other landmarks there.

Standing in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial

Coming soon: look forward to tales of lost shoelaces, arguments with liberals, and good chocolate.