My inadvertent trip to DC

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I was sent out to Baltimore on one days notice (typical) to do a repair on an aircraft. Me and the guy who went had the job finished by 9am this morning and with our return flight leaving at 7:15pm we snapped that DC was only a few miles away so we went down there to see the sights or as many as we could in a few hours. One thing of special interest to me was seeing "the wall" Vietnam memorial. My father was an Army ranger in Vietnam and also received 2 purple hearts during his duty there. He has pretty severe PTSD to this day and it has haunted him that during one of the times he was out injured that his whole squad was wiped out. Although he suffers pretty severely at this moment from alzheimer's. It is one of the few things I know he still remembers because when we have any type of conversation as difficult as it is to talk to him he can still speak semi clearly about his time there. Being that he is in his 60's it makes me pretty bitter about the whole thing because I feel that his time there and being exposed to the agent orange had something to do with this early onset of it. Anyways he did get a chance to make it there himself before he really got bad and had the chance to find his fallen brothers and get an imprint of their names from the wall. So even though I have no direct ties to anyone on the wall that I know of I still feel all kinds of emotion when I see it. Although my fathers name is not on it I cant help but feel that the Vietnam war has taken him from me at a later date.

[Darren M]

Great way to spend a trip! I'm in Nashville this week and can't find shit to do.... in Nashville!

[03trubluGT]

It makes me proud when a non-veteran can appreciate the honor, duty, and sacrifice of a veteran.

[talisman]

I want to see that some day. My dad had some minor scrapes, but made it out of 2 tours without anything really close happening to him. Or at least none that he has talked about. It was 20 years after the war before he would even discuss Vietnam. I remember being fairly young and it being a big thing to my sisters and mom when he finally started talking about it. I know he has quite a few friends on that wall.

[Downs]

Been there and most of the "big" sites in DC. It's really moving being there and seeing all the names. Me and my dad were able to find our MIA bracelets names on the wall. We had the panel info before we even got there.

If you ever get a chance check out the Korean war Memorial at night. It's down right creepy and humbling all at the same time. Only thing we didn't get to see was the reflecting pool because it was all torn up for renovation or something while we were there.

One of the most memorable spots I went to being a Marine and all. The Meausum of the Marine was awesome too.

[UserX]

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the memorials in DC

[KBScobravert]

I have been a few times to DC. There is enough to see there to last a week. Looks like you got to the most important spot of them all in your short time there.

Downs, the small hole in the wall pubs are probably the best after hours attractions down there. As a young Marine (many moons ago) we drank for free two nights in a row at Ireland's Own. First night was on my parents and the second night the bartender found out we active duty Marines and refused to take any money from us.

[SonicblueGT03]

Just the various museums took nearly a full week. To work in all the Memorials too, we spent almost 2 weeks there. Damn good trip though.

[SlowLX]

If you ever get a chance check out the Korean war Memorial at night. It's down right creepy and humbling all at the same time.[/img]

x2 The Korean Memorial is fucking hair raising at night.
DC is a shithole to live in, but I still love visiting there every chance I get.

[jw33]

Dc is a very cool place to visit. I thought the Holocaust Museum was one of the most memorable.

[Hmbre97]

There's a hefty fuckin' fee

[Downs]

Yeah me and my dad were doing a motorcycle trip all over the North East. We were only in DC for one day but got to see lots of stuff. Me and my dad are speed tourists. We get in there see what we want to see and the bounce to the next one. I think in one night we visited the big memorials, Korean, Washington, Lincoln, Vietnam Wall, Jefferson, ect. Then the whole next day we hit everything else we could think we wanted to see.

[SS Junk]

Dc is a very cool place to visit.

Exactly. I've lived here for 12 years now and have only been to those places twice.