I can remember visiting Washington D.C. as a kid. I think I was 10. I remember the planes hanging from the ceiling in the Air and Space Museum, the view from the top of the Washington Monument and the overwhelming figure of President Lincoln as he sits stately in his place along the mall. I also remember the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame. I remember asking my brothers over and over again how they made that thing stay lit. My memories are scattered and broken and inspire me to return with my children now that they are old enough to appreciate it.

While browsing the internet, I came across another fan of America’s National Capital in Ben Stein. He also talks about the beauty and majesty of the place and it’s monuments, but he adds that the highlight for him is the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. http://www.uso.org/usoonpatrol/article_home-of-the-brave.html

“But if you want to see the very most spectacular display in our national capital, you should go as I do, many times a year, to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. This immense hospital complex has something that you cannot see even at Arlington National Cemetery: It has a living, breathing collection of the finest, bravest, most magnificent souls on the earth.” – Ben Stein

We are in awe at the bravery and dedication of our fighting men and women in the armed services who dedicate their lives to preserving the ideals of this country. We are also grateful for those in the public eye who take a moment and give a little of themselves to support and bring recognition to these selfless servants of freedom. Our hats are off to Ben Stein and his efforts. But more so, we honor, as he does, those who provide the blanket of security that allows all of us life, liberty and the pursuit.