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Revisiting the War Above the Trenches at the National Air and Space Musuem

September 4, 2025Posted in World War ITagged aircraft, Albatross D.VA, Arthur Raymond Brooks, Aviation, Birth of Military Aviation, history, military, military history, NASM, National Air and Space Musuem, Smithsonian Institute, Snoopy, Sopwith Camel, Sopwith F.1 Camel, SPAD XIII Fighter, travel, Washington DC, World War I aviation, World War II AviationLeave a comment

Lieutenant Arthur Raymond Brooks, US Army Air Service, knew he was in for a fight.

In the skies above Mars-la-Tour, France on September 14, 1918, Brooks and his squadron of six SPAD XIII fighters encountered four squadrons of German Fokker D.VIIs. As the fighter planes engaged each other, Brooks flew directly into German machine gun fire. He then quickly pulled away from his main formation with eight German fighters in pursuit.

Brooks next used all the maneuver capabilities the SPAD could provide to avoid being caught in a Fokker’s line of fire. He did barrel rolls. He flew in loops. He quickly climbed, then rapidly dove.

As the melee continued, Brooks fired on multiple Fokkers as they all weaved through the sky, downing two. German fire shattered his windshield and damaged one of his two machine guns. His SPAD was riddled with bullet holes. Yet he stayed in the fight. Brooks anecdotally shot down four German fighters that day (although he was only credited with two) and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions.

A SPAD XIII Fighter at the National Air and Space Musuem

The SPAD XIII Fighter – Built by the Société Pour L’Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) company, the SPAD XIII was preferred by French aces. The US Army Air Service also flew SPADs. Ray Brooks flew this SPAD in October 1918.

Ray Brooks is just one pilot whose aerial exploits are recounted in the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum’s (NASM’s) redesigned World War I aviation exhibit entitled World War I, the Birth of Military Aviation.

This is NASM’s third exhibit dedicated to the aircraft and aerial warfare of the First World War. The earlier exhibit, entitled Legend, Memory and the Great War in the Air, closed in 2018 as NASM prepared for a musuem-wide refurbishment. The new iteration explores the twin themes of how “the Great War” defined the on-going nature of military aviation as well as the remarkable experiences of World War I aviators.

There is much to see in the new gallery, but the meticulously restored World War I aircraft are the main attraction. Many of the World War I airplanes previously displayed are back. Greeting you from overhead as you enter the exhibit hall are the French Voisin Type 8 nighttime bomber and the German Albatross D.VA, a fighter that debuted in 1917. Other aircraft include the Fokker D.VII German fighter, Ray Brooks’ SPAD XIII fighter and the DH-4 Liberty Plane.

A German Albatross D.Va Fighter – These fighters were introducted in 1917.

A German Albatross D.Va Fighter at the National AIr and Space Musuem

The latest exhibit occupies a smaller footprint than its predecessor, but NASM’s designers have filled the space with a wide range of intriguing artifacts, vintage aircraft, airplane models and other displays.

The exhibit timeline from 1914 through the post-war period is arranged in a counterclockwise manner around a beautifully restored Sopwith F.1 Camel (the last surviving Camel fighter produced by the Sopwith Aviation Company). Once a pilot mastered the British-made aircraft’s finicky controls, the Camel was a highly versatile fighter. It is credited with downing more enemy aircraft than any other Allied plane.

Unlike other aircraft on display, the Sopwith Camel is placed on the floor making it the easiest to see and admire.

Adjoining the Camel is a large movie screen surrounded by a tent-like frame, suggesting an early aerial hanger. A four-part narrated film plays on a loop showing period aircraft in flight. The film provides a wonderful sense of motion to these beautiful but otherwise static aircraft.

A Sopwith F.1 Camel at the National Air and Space Musuem

The Sopwith F.1 Camel – This aircraft is the last surviving F.1 Camel built by the UK’s Sopwith Aviation Company.

Through the war years, three distinct types of military aircraft evolved–reconnaissance planes, fighters and bombers–reflecting the three original mission areas of military aviation.

To battlefield commanders, the airplanes’ most critical function was reconnaissance and observation. Trench warfare had ended the traditional scouting role of horse cavalry, but aircraft could find, fix and observe the enemy from above. Reconnaissance aircraft were built to direct artillery fire, track troop deployment, assess damage and relay messages over long distances. Planes were fitted with cameras and communications equipment, essentially becoming the commanders’ eyes and ears. Pilots and observers risked their lives to take photographs, which were now an important element of military planning.

A Kodak A-2 Oblique Aerial Camera. A 4″x5″ glass plate was changed out each time a picture was taken.

A Kodak A-2 Oblique Aerial Camera at the National Air and Space Musuem

Fighter aircraft were first developed to protect the reconnaissance planes. Ultimately, the fighters would engage each other to control the airspace over the trenches. Later in the war, Britain and Germany formed special fighter squadrons to directly attack troops on the ground.

Airships also conducted reconnaissance as well as bombing missions. However, their large size and slow speed made them susceptible to attack by fighters. They were generally replaced on bombing missions with specialized aircraft capable of flying further and higher while carrying heavier bomb loads.

Cross insignia from a German airship – This design was the official emblem of the German Air Service until mid-1918.

World War I gave rise to the military aviator as a distinct specialty. Some aviators, especially pursuit (later called fighter) pilots, took on a mythic status in their home countries. Flying high above the mud and blood of the trenches, these pilots were heirs to the chivalrous legacy of knights in armor. Pilots were written about in newspapers, appeared on magazine covers and made public appearances.

Prominent pilots included in the exhibit include Eddie Rickenbacker (America’s most decorated WWI ace), Manfred von Richtofen (The Red Barron), Eugene Bullard (African-American pilot flying for the French), Raol Lufbrey (a French-American ace), and Snoopy. (OK, Snoopy was not a real pilot, but he does have his own display, which is, of course, by the Sopwith Camel).

Among all the aircraft and artifacts, there are many interactive features as well. You can use a light table to analyze period photo imagery from a reconnaissance aircraft, learn how a synchronizer allowed machine gun bullets to miss propeller blades, and take the controls of a Sopwith Camel to experience the sounds of this highly maneuverable fighter. An immersive exhibit on trench warfare at first seems rather two dimensional. However, a look through trench periscopes provides some basic context on the infantryman’s view of aviation.

Snoopy first imagined himself flying his doghouse in 1965. Through the comic pages, as well as books, games, cartoons, and toys, Snoopy has been a consistent reminder of World War I aviation.

A collecton of artifacts celebrating Snoopy, the World War I ace.

At the beginning of the war in the Summer of 1914, the airplane was still a novel invention, a little more than a decade old. Very few aircraft were designed for any military purposes. As the war progressed, rudimentary flying machines quickly became faster, more maneuverable and better armed.

Airplanes were also needed on a large scale. Over 215,000 aircraft were built between 1914 to 1918. A myriad of new products were developed or adapted for use in aviation such as specialized cameras, radios, and aerial bombs. Many items first developed in World War I are still used in modern aviation, like the artificial horizon instrument, flight suits, and oxygen masks to name just a few. This sudden and sustained demand for combat aircraft and accessories gave rise to a new industry filled with highly skilled workers, an industry we rely on today.

A collection of World War I aircraft propellers

American, British and French propellers

Although World War I ended over a century ago, its impact is still very much felt today. World War I, the Birth of Military Aviation provides valuable insight into an important but not altogether well understood period in the history of aviation. The gallery’s opening is also an important and welcome step toward the completion of NASM’s comprehensive, multi-year renovation.

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Route Recon

The Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM) is located on the National Mall bordered by Independence Avenue, Jefferson Drive, and 4th and 7th Streets, SW. The entrance is on the north side of the building facing the National Mall. You cannot access the museum from the south side along Independence Avenue. Free timed tickets are required for entry into NASM. Tickets can be acquired through the NASM website. Ticket holders will line up near the entrance on the Mall side of the Museum building prior to their entrance time. Entry prior to the time on the ticket is not allowed, but ticket holders can enter after the ticket time.

Parking – Very limited metered street parking is available around the museum. Parking is available in several commercial parking lots in the neighborhood.

Public Transportation

Metrorail – The closest Metro station is L’Enfant Plaza, along the blue, orange, silver, and green lines. From the L’Enfant Plaza Station, take the exit for Maryland Avenue and 7th Street.

Metrobus – Bus stops are located on Independence Avenue, SW, and along 7th Street, SW. Visit the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for more information.

Command Reading

Capt. Arthur Ray Brooks, America’s Quiet Ace of W.W.I by Walter A. Musciano – Originally published in 1963, Musciano’s concise work provides a brief overview of Brooks’ life with some straightforward accounts of World War I aerial combat. It also includes an interesting assortment of historic World War I photographs of Brooks and his fellow aviators as well as detailed informaton on the aircraft Brooks flew.

They Answered the Call to Arms

July 4, 2025Posted in Revolutionary War, UncategorizedTagged american-revolution, Call to Arms, Continental Army, Fort Belvoir, George Washington, history, military history, National Museum of the United States Army; NMUSA; Fort Belvoir; Ft. Belvoir; US Army; Army, Revolutionary War, tourism, travel, Washington DCLeave a comment

As the smoke cleared at Lexington and Concord on that fateful April day in 1775, supporters of American independence relished in the successes of the brave militia forces.

But they well understood the cause for independence would take a well-trained regular army capable of defeating the British on an open battlefield. Furthermore, this army needed to represent all of America and not dominated by a single colony or region.

On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander in chief. In recognition of the Army’s 250th Anniversary, the National Museum of the US Army, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia has opened a special exhibit entitled Call to Arms: The Soldier and the Revolutionary War.

A pair of epilettes belonging to Jeddidiah Huntington of Connecticut.

This pair of major general epilettes belonged to Jeddidiah Huntington of Connecticut. Huntington had encouraged George Washington to adopt this design for general officers’ epilettes.

To tell their stories, museum curators sought and received an abundance of unique and important Revolutionary War era pieces from state governments, private collectors and international organizations. The resulting assemblage of weapons, uniforms, colors and everyday articles includes items that have not before been on public display in the United States.

The 5,000 square foot exhibit is laid out in roughly chronological order. Two innovative topographical battle maps–one of Bunker Hill, the other of Yorktown–bookend the exhibit representing the first and the final battles for the Continental Army. Similar to the twinkle light maps of the past, these three dimensional representations depict the operational plans and troop movements of each battle, accompanied by slick videos providing additional context.

Other battles and campaigns are briefly described with corresponding artifacts, maps and illustrations to connect the visitor to the period. The early struggles in New York and Pennsylvania, the successes in New Jersey, the turning point at Saratoga and the Southern Campaign are put in context and placed in a timeline. Videos enhance these displays describing aspects of 18th century warfare, such as weapons and battlefield tactics.

These displays with brief summaries are a reminder that these battles were fought by soldiers from across the new country. In an era when few people traveled very far from their homes, New Englanders fought in South Carolina and Virginians fought in Pennsylvania. The seeds of our national identity were planted on the battlefields of the Revolutionary War.

A British 3-Pounder gun tube captured at the Battle of Saratoga

Those interested in 18th century weaponry will not be disappointed in their visit. There are many splendid muskets, rifles, carbines, pistols, swords and bayonets. However, the real focus of Call to Arms is the lives of Continental Army soldiers, their motivations, successes, experiences and how they emerged as an effective fighting force.

The lot of a soldier in the Continental Army was a difficult one. Living conditions were challenging, pay was inconsistent, rations and supplies were usually in short supply. These rigors of military life were shared by soldiers from every state.

Still, Americans from the north and south, coastal cities and frontier homesteads answered the call. Then, as now, soldiers enlisted for different reasons. They fought for independence, but also for their communities, comradery, pay, a sense of adventure or because other family members or friends also enlisted.

A plaster casting of Anna Maria Lane, wife of Private John Lane. She followed her husband to camp when he enlisted in the Continental Army in 1776. She took up arms herself and was wounded at the Battle of Germantown in 1777.

Over the eight years of Revolutionary War, about 231,000 men (and some women) served in the Continental Army. Enlistments would ebb and flow based on any number of factors, such as the time of year, local economic conditions and success of the army in the field. The maximum size of the army at any one time was about 48,000 troops.

A portion of the exhibit entitled Camp Life explores the life of the Continental Army soldier away from the battlefield. What soldiers ate, where they lived and their daily activities, such as drill, guard duty and the building of fortifications, are all examined.

A notebook belonging to British Major John Andre. His capture in 1780 led to the identification of General Benedict Arnold as a traitor.

One of the more intriguing group of artifacts are a display of powder horns. These hollowed-out animal horns were essential kit for 18th century soldiers, allowing them to quickly add gunpowder to the flashpans of their flintlock muskets. Soldiers often decorated their powder horns or used them to record important dates or locations.

Accompanying the display is a video screen where digitized images of the complete powder horns can be viewed by visitors to more clearly see the intricate designs. Information about the original owner is also available. The richly decorated powder horns remind us these early soldiers were more than faded names on yellowed muster rolls, but real people fighting for something they believed in.

A powder horn belonging to Private John Bond of Massashusetts.

A powder horn belonging to Private John Bond of Massachusetts. Bond enlisted in the Continental Army on July 4, 1775 and served for five years. He fought at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.

Also included in the exhibit are several very detailed cast figures representing specific individuals who served with the Continental Army. There is southern aristocrat, a Native American tribal chief, even a married couple who served together. They add an important human element to the exhibit’s interesting array of artifacts, well-designed graphics and use of technology.

Continental Army soldiers met many struggles during their service. Sadly, they encountered more upon returning home.

At the end of the exhibit is a collection of documentation which mark the beginning of the process well known to today’s veterans and their families, applying for benefits. At the end of the war, many soldiers went home with promissory notes in lieu of their pay and they struggled economically. Legislation to provide pensions to veterans was slow in coming.

Congress did not pass legislation providing pensions to common soldiers until 1818, thirty-five years after the end of the Revolutionary War. By this time, many veterans had died or lost important records that proved their service. This display though shows pension applications and examples of the documents that Continental Army veterans or their survivors would provide, such as muster roles, discharge papers, and pay records.

The discharge document of Drummer Benjamin Loring of the 2nd New York Artillery.

Call to Arms artfully tells the story of the Continental Army, with its wonderful artifacts and state of the art technology. It reminds us of an important lesson first demonstrated by the Continental Army and continued in today’s United States Army.

George Washington reflected on it in his farewell message to his troops as he wrote: Who that was not a witness would imagine … that Men who came from different parts of the Continent … would become but one patriotic band of Brothers.

Washington well understood the unity forged among his soldiers was crucial for achieving their shared goal of victory.

250 years later, it is still a lesson to remember.

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Route Recon

Call to Arms is on display at the National Musuem of the United States Army until June 2027. The musuem is open daily from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM except on Christmas Day. Visit the museum’s website for free entry tickets.

The musuem is located in a publically accessible portion of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The museum address is 1775 Liberty Drive, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060, but be aware not all GPS systems recognize the Museum’s street address.

You can download a map with directions here.

Military History on the Mall

May 22, 2025Posted in UncategorizedTagged American HIstory Museum, Civil War, history, Korean War, military history, museums, National Mall, National Musuem of American History, Revolutionary War, Smithsonian Institute, The Price of Freedom, travel, Viet Nam War, Washington DC, Washington DC travel, World War IILeave a comment

For the past 250 years, Americans have consistently answered the call to war.

To answer that call, they often left behind civilian lives, families, and communities. Wars are never fought in a vacuum. With each conflict, there are corresponding impacts on American life and society.

On Veterans Day, 2004, the Smithsonian Institute’s National Musuem of American History, located on the National Mall, opened an ambitious military history exhibit to explore not just battles and campaigns, but rather the many ways wars have physically, culturally and economically shaped America throughout its history.

A French four pounder field cannon, a gift to the Americans from the Marquis de Lafayette

Entitled The Price of Freedom, Americans at War, the exhibit was designed to be extensive, occuping over 18,000 square feet and examining 16 conflicts in nine different galleries. Visitors follow a maze-like path through these chronologically arranged galleries, from the French and Indian War through Iraq and Afghanistan.

In designing The Price of Freedom, curators stayed away from displays comprised largely of weapons and uniforms (although there are still plenty of those). Rather, they identified over 800 unique artifacts from the Smithsonian’s extensive collection. Some of the more notable items on display include George Washington’s sword and scabbard, the chairs used by Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee at Appomattox and a Willys Jeep from World War II.

A melt resistant chocolate bar developed by the Hershey Company and provided to US servicemembers in the Pacific Theater during World War II

However, head curator David Allison sought a symmetry in the selection of the artifacts. He wanted to display noteworthy items along with more common articles reflecting the service members and their times, such as rations, books and playing cards.

In addition to the artifacts, exhibit designers use photographs, contemporary illustrations, videos, interactive stations, and other features to help interpret the wartime experience and immerse the musuem visitor in the time.

The most unique display is in the Vietnam War gallery where 16 different 1960’s-era television sets show contemporary footage and commentary depicting how Americans experienced the Vietnam War at home. The viewing area for the televisions is reminiscent of a mid-century living room, complete with a blocky couch and chair covered in thick clear plastic as your grandmother or aunt might have had.

The Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War II and Vietnam War galleries are the largest. These spaces immerse you in the story of the war and how it impacted soldier and civilian alike.

The Wars of Expansion Gallery is smaller, but provides important context and accounts for a series of 19th century conflicts, such as the Battle of Little Bighorn and the Spanish-American War, which may be less familiar to many visitors.

The mix of artifacts and displays broadens the appeal of The Price of Freedom to a wider audience. Those with less interest in military subject matter should still enjoy viewing some of the more unique items while serious students of history are sure to come away having learned something new.

General George Custer’s buckskin coat

While in most cases The Price of Freedom achieves its aims, there are a few shortcomings.

Unfortunately, the exhibit space for World War I is too limited. The display misses or minimizes some important themes, such as the rapid expansion of the Army, the mobilization of the American economy, the changing role of women in the military, and the emergence of the United States as a world power.

The Gulf War display is similarly small, seemingly limited to uniforms worn by Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf.

There is also an unfinished feel to the exhibition space for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is understandable as the original exhibit opened in 2004 before those conflicts ended. However, there is space for a more complete examination of both those conflicts than is currently provided.

Chairs used by Grant and Lee at Appomattox.

The chairs used by Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee at Appomattox.

At the conclusion of The Price of Freedom is a short film with veterans reflecting on their motivations and sacrifices of their service in the American military. The film concludes with scenes from U.S. military cemeteries showing orderly tombstones and listing the number of interments.

There are also recurring references to casualites throughout the galleries in keeping with the intent of the exhibit principal funder, Kenneth Behring. He desired the exhibit specifically to recognize the ultimate sacrifices made by American men and women who died in wartime.

Even with a few flaws, two decades after its opening, the Price of Freedom remains true to its original mission. As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniverary, this important exhibit gives visitors a thorough synopsis of America’s military heritage and its significant influence on our national character.

Washington's sword and scabbard — **George Washington’s sword and scabbard from the American Revolution**

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Route Recon

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is located at 1300 Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20560

The nearest Washington DC Metro Stations are Federal Triangle and Smithsonian. Both stations are on the Metro Blue, Orange and Silver lines.

There is no public parking facility for the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. A limited number of city-operated metered parking spaces along adjoining streets are available.

The Musuem is open daily (except Christmas Day) from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM.

Consult the Musuem’s website for more information about other exhibits.

Please note: The Price of Freedom, Americans at War exhibit includes some graphic images of war and casualties.

A guide to the exhibit is available here.

The National Native American Veterans Memorial, A Welcoming Place

April 13, 2025Posted in UncategorizedTagged Code Talkers, Harvey Pratt, military history, National Mall, National Museum of the American Indian, National Native American Veterans Memorial, travel, Washington, Washington DC, Washington DC travelLeave a comment

In 1942, the US Marine Corps recruited Chester Nez, and twenty-eight fellow members of the Navajo tribe for a special mission. After basic training, they were sent to Camp Elliot, California where they developed a cipher code for transmitting radio messages based on the Navajo language. Each member committed the straightforward code to memory.

With the code complete, the platoon members then deployed to units in the Pacific Theater. Nez was assigned to the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal. His first encoded transmission led to an artillery strike which destroyed an enemy machine gun nest.

Nez would later see combat at Bougainville, Guam and Peleliu, all the while relaying messages in a radio code the Japanese could never crack. For their contributions in developing such an unbreakable code, as well as their bravery in the field, Chester Nez and his twenty-eight fellow Marines were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001.

A stone wall with the seals of five of the armed forces marks the entryway to the National Native American Veterans Memorial. — **Native Americans have served in all branches of the American military throughout our history.**

The code talkers, as these men were known, are today one of the better known examples of Native Americans serving in the American military. However, Native Americans, Alaskans and Hawaiians have long served in the Armed Forces, from Valley Forge through Iwo Jima to Iraq and Afghanistan. Today there are approximately 140,000 veterans of Native heritage.

In 2013, Congress amended legislation to direct the National Museum of the American Indian to build a memorial so all Americans can learn “of the proud and courageous tradition of service of Native Americans”.

As part of a nationwide competition, a design committee selected a proposal entitled Warrior’s Circle of Honor submitted by Harvey Pratt, a self-taught artist and Marine veteran from Oklahoma and a member of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Tribes. As the name suggests, the circle is the prominent shape of the memorial’s features.

The focus of the memorial is a vertically oriented stainless-steel circle, situated on a carved stone drum surrounded by circular seating area and gathering space.

The circle is relevant in many Native American cultures. It represents the cycle of life, as well as the four seasons, the sun, the moon and the orbits of the planets and stars. Native communities also gather in circles for ceremonies, festivals and storytelling.

The memorial design is about more than the circle of course. Pratt also sought to create a space for servicemen and women, veterans and their families to heal by combining the elements of water, wind, and earth into the memorial’s design.

Water glistens as it flows over the carved stone drum at the National Nafive American Veterans Memorial.

Flowing water glistens atop the carved stone drum at the National Native American Veterans Memorial

Water pulses across the surface of the stone drum and flows down its side creating a central fountain. The stone work around the drum contains a visual echo of the water, with concentric rings in the stone walkways around the drum. The depiction represents the beating of the drum, hearkening all to gather in the space.

Around the seating area are four spears pointed skyward. The spears hold prayer cloths visitors have tied to the base of the spears allowing the wind to carry the intentions of the prayer cloths to the heavens.

Finally, a park-like setting is built around the memorial combining hardwood trees and a wetland pond. The setting is intended to provide privacy for visitors while a soundtrack of Native American veterans songs aids in reflection.

Two spears, pointed toward the heavens with prayer cloths tied to their bases.

The memorial is located to the east of the main entrance plaza of the National Museum of the American Indian. A large stone marker with the emblems of the five branches of the Armed Forces marks the way.

Within the museum, an exhibit entitled Why We Serve provides background, rationale and compelling examples through history of the military service of Native Americans, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians to the United States. The exhibit is also available online.

The memorial is above all a welcoming place. Welcoming to Native Americans and their families to heal and reflect. Welcoming to other visitors as well to learn, to rest and also to consider the meaning of service to country and community.

**A white ribbon prayer cloth tied to the base of a spear.**

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Route Recon

The National Museum of the American Indian is located on the south side of the National Mall at the intersection of Fourth Street & Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20560. The main entrance faces east toward the US Capitol Building.

The nearest Metro stations are L’Enfant Plaza and Federal Center SW.

The museum does not have parking. There is limited metered public parking on the surrounding streets. There are also several commercial parking garages nearby the museum.

The National Native American Veterans Memorial is accessible 24 hours a day.

Learn more about Chester Nez and his fellow Navajo Code Talkers from the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress.

Mess Call

The Mitsitam Cafe, located within the National Museum of the American Indian offers a very broad menu of entrees, sandwiches and desserts reflecting Native American cuisines from across the country, such as grilled salmon, bison burgers and lobster roll. The cafe offers some of the tastiest food to be found on the National Mall.

Command Reading

Why We Serve by Alexandra N. Harris and Mark G. Hirsh. Why We Serve was published by the National Museum of the American Indian to commemorate the opening of the National Native American Veterans Memorial in 2020. The book explores the complex history of Native Americans serving in the US military with intriguing photographs, maps and artwork combined with compelling first person accounts.

Hancock, the Superb

February 14, 2025Posted in Civil WarTagged Archives-Navy Memorial, Civil War, gettysburg, history, Lewis Armistead, military, military history, Penn Quarter, travel, Washington DC, Washington DC travel, Winfield Scott HancockLeave a comment

Statues of military leaders on horseback are a common site in plazas and squares around Washington, DC. While the statues might seem ordinary, the men featured on them are usually not. This is certainly the case with the statue of General Winfield Scott Hancock in the Penn Quarter neighborhood near the Navy Memorial.

It is hard to imagine a military career today as the one experienced by this 19th century Army leader.

As the Union Army was quickly expanding to meet the grim realities of the Civil War, Major General George McClellan, Commander of the Army of the Potomac, promoted his long-time acquaintance Hancock from captain to brigadier general and assigned him to brigade command.

Hancock would go onto distinguish himself during the war, earning the nickname “Hancock the Superb”. He ultimately served 42 years on active duty and 25 years as a general officer.

The equestrian statue of Winfield Scott Hancock. — **The statue of General Winfield Scott Hancock**

In 1896, the equestrian statue was dedicated to Hancock portraying the famous general in his more senior years. But the simple monument does not tell the full story of this highly respected Union Army general.

Hancock hailed from Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania. He was the son of a lawyer in a locally prominent Democratic family. His parents named him after Winfield Scott, the Army’s most senior officer at the time. His name was apt. From an early age, the young Winfield demonstrated a keen interest in military affairs. He could often be found leading young boys in a “youth militia company” on marches through town.

At the age of 16, he was accepted at West Point, graduating in 1844.

Assignments followed in the west and in Mexico during the Mexican-American War. After the war, Hancock often received Quartermaster assignments which taught him important lessons in logistics, organization and how to navigate the Army’s bureaucracy. His affable nature, technical proficiency and dashing good looks earned him an excellent reputation among his soldiers, colleagues and superiors.

A photograph of General Winfield Scott Hancock taken sometime between 1861-1865 by Brady’s National Photographic Portrait Galleries

-Library of Congress

Militarily, Hancock is probably best remembered for his actions as a corps commander in the Union Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. In the prelude to the fighting, Hancock arranged Union troops in a broad defensive position along high ground south of the town. Once the fighting began in earnest, Hancock led from the front, quickly maneuvering his troops to reinforce positions along the Union line. On the third day of the battle, Hancock was severely wounded in the thigh during Confederate General George Pickett’s famous charge against the Union center.

Hancock would not leave the field until rebel troops had been repulsed. He would take five months to convalesce and would never completely heal from the wound.

Early in his career, Hancock became very good friends with a North Carolina-born officer named Lewis Armistead. However, in 1861, while both were stationed in California, they said their good-byes and headed east, destined to fight on different sides. The two faced each other on the final day of Gettysburg when Armistead led a brigade as part of Pickett’s Charge against troops commanded by Hancock. Armistead was fatally wounded during the battle and died two days later.

A photograph of Lewis Armistead, taken between 1861 and 1865, by an unknown photographer.

Both Hancock and Armistead are portrayed in Michael Shaara’s historical novel The Killer Angels and his son Jeffrey Shaara’s similar novels The Last Full Measure and Gods and Generals, as well as the films Gettysburg (1993) and Gods and Generals (2003).

There is scant historical evidence to support some of the depictions and dialog of the friendship between Armistead and Hancock portrayed in the novels and films. However, Captain John Bingham, an officer on Hancock’s staff, spoke with Armistead before he died. He would later write to Hancock with Armistead’s parting words to him: “Tell General Hancock for me that I have done him and done you all an injury, which I shall regret the longest day I live.”

In July of 1865, it was Hancock who supervised the execution of several of John Wilkes Booth’s conspirators in the assassination of President Lincoln. He would later be assigned as military governor of Louisiana and Texas during Reconstruction. His Democratic leanings, including his endorsement of the quick return of civil authorities, put him at odds with Republicans in Washington and with his former commander (and later President) Ulysses S. Grant.

A commemorative handkerchief featuring the images of Democratic Presidential candidate Winfield Scott Hancock and Vice Presidential candidate William English

-Library of Congress

While remaining in the Army, Hancock tested politics several times. After two attempts, he secured the Democratic nomination for president in 1880, but lost to a Republican (and former Union General) James Garfield.

Hancock died at age 61 in 1886 from an infection and complications of diabetes while serving as Commander of the US Army’s Department of the Atlantic. His death surprised the country as the condition of his health was unknown to most everyone.

$2 Silver Certificate with portrait of Winfield Scott Hancock. — **Following his death, Hancock was placed on the $2 Silver Certificate bill**

Tributes to Hancock poured in from military, civic and political leaders from across the country. Perhaps the most stirring came from a political rival and former president, Rutherford B. Hayes:

“If, when we make up our estimate of a public man, conspicuous, as a soldier and in civil life, we are to think first and chiefly of his manhood, his integrity, his purity, his singleness of purpose, and his unselfish devotion, we can say truthfully of Hancock that he was through and through pure gold.”

Hancock’s statue is made of bronze, not gold, but he was the gold standard of an officer and a gentlemen.

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Route Recon

The Statue of Winfield Scott Hancock is located just south of the Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metro Station.

Command Reading

Armistead and Hancock: Behind the Gettysburg Legend of Two Friends at the Turning Point of the Civil War by Tom McMillan. This dual biography of two leading Civil War generals provides new scholarship and analysis of their lives and careers and specifically details their friendship from its earliest days up to the Battle of Gettysburg.

The Grand Army of the Republic: the Legacy Lingers

January 19, 2025January 19, 2025Posted in Civil WarTagged Benjamin Stephenson, Civil War, Grand Army of the Republic, Grand Army of the Republic Memorial, Grand Army of the Republic Washington DC, history, military, military history, Penn Quarter, Washington DC, Washington DC travelLeave a comment

The latter half of the 18th century saw a heyday for fraternal organizations in the United States. These associations provided their largely male memberships with opportunities to share common cultural, occupational, and religious backgrounds while often hosting social and recreational events for members and their families.

One of the most prominent and powerful of these organizations was known as the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). Membership in the GAR was open to all honorably discharged personnel, both officers or enlisted, from the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Revenue Cutter Service (forerunner of the Coast Guard) who served during the Civil War.

The GAR was founded in 1866 by Dr. Benjamin Stephenson who served as a surgeon with the 14th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. After the war he established a medical practice in Springfield, Illinois. Working with several veteran colleagues, he helped organize the first GAR post in nearby Decatur.

The Grand Army of the Republic memorial in Washington, DC — **A Union soldier and sailor represent Fraternity on the Grand Army of the Republic memorial at Indiana Plaza**.

The GAR Memorial

One of the GAR’s principal activities was building and dedicating monuments to the sacrifices of Union forces and to the work of the GAR itself. As Union veterans aged, the GAR stepped up their efforts to build such memorials. In Washington DC, a GAR monument is located in Indiana Plaza in Washington’s Penn Quarter neighborhood. Several historic buildings frame the plaza and the Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metro Station brings consistent foot traffic to this busy area.

The GAR Memorial, also known as the Benjamin Stephenson Memorial, is triangularly shaped to reflect the GAR’s motto of Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty. Each side of the 25-foot high sand colored granite block has a bronze sculpture, featuring a weathered green patina.

The southern facing side reflects Fraternity with a sculpture of a Union soldier and sailor standing side by side. Below the sculpture is an oval image of Dr. Stephenson in his Army uniform, also rendered in bronze, surrounded by a laurel wreath carved into the granite.

A statue of a woman with a sword and a shield represents Loyalty on the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial.

Charity is portrayed on the northwest side by a woman wearing a robe and protecting a young child. Unfortunately, a thick coat of urban grime makes viewing this statue more difficult. Finally, Loyalty is represented on the northeast side by a statue of a woman bearing a sword and holding a shield.

The monument was dedicated on July 2, 1909 in a ceremony attended by President William Howard Taft and hundreds of aging Civil War veterans. The GAR Members in the crowd that day may not have realized it, but they were part of one of America’s earliest and most powerful single-issue advocacy societies.

The Legacy of the GAR

When Dr. Stephens founded the GAR, the original focus was to raise money and organize relief efforts for wounded veterans, as well as surviving widows and children. But in short order the GAR would move to lobbying State and Federal officials for expanded pensions for Union veterans, hiring preferences for government jobs, and the building of veterans homes and hospitals. Membership soared, reaching its peak in 1890, when the GAR boasted more than 400,000 members.

A woman and small child represent Charity on the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial.

The statue depicting charity on the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial in Washington, DC.

The GAR grew politically prominent and was especially influential within the Republican Party. In the second half of the 19th century, five Republican GAR members were elected to the presidency. Many more GAR members were elected to Congress, governorships and state legislatures.

One reason the GAR was so politically effective was its formal structure of organized components across the country. State level units were known as departments and local bodies were known as posts. Every state had a department and posts were found in communities nationwide. GAR posts were also found in US territories and international locations.

The national headquarters, state departments and local posts operated under a common set of by-laws and had an established chain-of-command. Each year from 1868 through 1949, the GAR organized national reunions known as encampments. These encampments were so well attended they grew larger than the political conventions of the day. Encampments were moved from state to state and localities welcomed the gatherings for the positive economic impact they provided.

The bronze relieve figure of Dr. Benjamin Stephenson, founder of the Grand Army of the Republic.

The bronze relief of Dr. Benjamin Stephenson, founder of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Locally, posts raised money, built memorials, organized commemorations and ceremonially buried deceased veterans. They also assumed important civic functions not always tied to veterans, directing fundraising to local causes, organizing the broader community to address local issues, and sponsoring recreational events open to all. The GAR’s organizational model and many of its practices were later adopted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (founded in 1899) and the American Legion (founded in 1919) and are still in use today.

At at time when membership in fraternal organizations was often limited by race, GAR membership was open to all veterans, including the African Americans who fought as U.S. Colored Troops or had enlisted in the other services.

Membership in the GAR was exclusive to veterans and therefore only open to men. However, there were at least three female members: Kady Bromwell, who served along with her husband in two different Rhode Island Infantry Regiments; Sarah Edmond, who disguised herself as a man and fought with the 2nd Michigan Infantry Regiment; and Dr. Mary Edward Walker who served as a Union Army surgeon.

The GAR formally disbanded in 1956 upon the death of its last member, Albert Woolson. Woolson, whose father had died of his combat wounds, enlisted in the 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Company as a drummer boy in 1864. He was about 14 years old the time. After his death, Life magazine ran a seven page story about his life.

While the GAR has been gone for over seventy years, its legacy remains. Many patriotic acts we practice today, such as placing flags on veterans graves, observing Memorial Day each May, standing for the National Anthem and saluting the flag all originated with the GAR.

While the GAR may only be seen today through its monuments, its boot steps still echo through our stadiums, cemeteries, Legion posts and veterans homes.

* * *

Route Recon

The memorial is located at Indiana Plaza in the Penn Quarter neighborhood. The small public plaza, located across the street from the Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metro station, is bounded by 7th Street to the west, Indiana Avenue to the north, and Pennsylvania Avenue to the south.

Over 100 Years Later, DC’s World War I Memorial Is Now Complete

November 24, 2024November 24, 2024Posted in World War ITagged A Soldier's Journey, First World War, history, John Pershing, military, military history, Pershing Park, Sabine Howard, tourism, travel, Washington DC, Washington DC travel, Willard Hotel, World War I, Young Soldiers Do Not SpeakLeave a comment

Each day, shortly before 5:00 pm, an individual in a First World War U.S. Army “Doughboy” uniform exits the stately Willard Hotel and crosses Pennsylvania Avenue, bound for the Washington DC area’s newest memorial, the National World War I Memorial.

The Doughboy carries a bugle, and positions themselves under the memorial’s flagpole. Precisely at 5:00 o’clock, the bugler plays the mournful notes of Taps. The bugle notes echo through the plaza inviting all who hear to pause and remember the 4.7 million American men and women who fought in World War I and especially the estimated 126,000 Americans who gave their lives in the “war to end all wars”.

Bugler in World War I uniform - World War I Memorial - Washington DC

A bugler in his World War I uniform

In a bit of irony, for over a century there has not been a national memorial in the capital city to World War I. There are other important World War I monuments in and around Washington, but not a single, focused and comprehensive national memorial to the war that shaped so much of the 20th century and America’s role within it. Yet that changed in 2021 when a partially constructed memorial was dedicated and opened to the public. Three years later, the final and dramatic piece of the memorial was installed capping a years long effort and bringing Washington, DC’s National World War I Memorial to fruition.

Pershing Park

The National WWI Memorial is located in what was formerly known as Pershing Park, a parcel of land originally laid out as part of the redevelopment of Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1970s. Located between 14th and 15th Streets and Pennsylvania Avenue, the park was dedicated to General of the Armies John J. Pershing and the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) and formally opened in 1981.

The park featured an eight-foot-tall statue of Pershing standing straight and surveilling the horizon with his binoculars in hand. A wall perpendicular to the statue displayed maps and details of the AEF’s operations in Europe.

The statue of General of the Armies John J. Pershing at the National World I Memorial

General John J. Pershing statue - National World War I Memorial - Washington DC

Also included were a fountain that could be converted to a skating rink during the winter months, a glass concession stand and sitting areas. Abundant landscaping was added to provide a natural setting within a busy urban corridor. Earthen berms covered with grass surrounded the park on three sides, shielding the grounds from traffic noise.

Unfortunately, maintenance funds for the park’s unique features were scarce. Some aspects of the park fell into disrepair, trash accumulated and the landscaping neglected.

However, when the World War I Centennial Commission went in search of a venue for a national memorial to World War I in the nation’s capital, it ultimately decided on a redesigned Pershing Park as the best location.

Visitors walk through an open plaza at the National World War I Memorial.

With the clock ticking on the 100th Anniversary of the armistice, the commission expedited the truly lengthy process for approving new landmarks in Washington. The approach was not without controversy. Community and architectural groups grew concerned the new designs abandoned the original intent of an open green space in the middle of the city.

Ultimately, in 2016, a design submitted by architect Joseph Weishaar was selected. His approach was to use the existing footprint of the 1.76 acre park situated in a busy downtown area just southeast of the White House. Weishaar retained Pershing’s statue, the AEF Wall and the earthen berms but planned new features that expanded the interpretation of World War I.

One new addition is known as the belvedere, a raised, enclosed circular area located near the northeastern entrance of the park. The belvedere serves as the memorial’s orientation center. Interpretive signage installed along the interior of the wall familiarizes the visitor to “the Great War” and the roles played by American forces. The belvedere’s elevation provides clear lines of sight to the memorial’s features.

Willard Hotel in the background of the belvedere at First World War Memorial.

The circular wall of the belvedere is inscribed with the campaign names of the First World War. In the background is the Willard Hotel.

A Soldier’s Journey

Across the plaza from the belvedere, over a shallow reflection pool is the most prominent aspect of the the new memorial, a large relief sculpture entitled A Soldier’s Journey by Sabine Howard. The sculpture’s installation in September of 2024 completes the National World War I Memorial.

The sculpture stretches 58-feet long and includes 38 separate statues. Designed to be viewed from left to right, the sculpture tells the story of an American soldier’s experience across a series of tableaus.

Howard and his team followed a meticulous process beginning with over 12,000 drawings and photographs of models in various poses, which he used to create foam models. These foam models were then covered in clay so accurately that every uniform crease, garment wrinkle, weapon detail, and facial expression were painstakingly rendered. The clay-covered models were then used to create the molds in which the bronze statues were cast.

Sabine Howard - sculpture - A Soldier's Journey — **Sabine Howard’s sculpture “A Soldier’s Journey”**

Howard used combat veterans as his models, believing their faces would more accurately portray the effects of war. All the uniforms and equipment used by the models were century-old artifacts, not reproductions. Through this extensive detail, Howard invites the viewer into the story.

The effort took about eight years to complete.

The story begins with the soldier receiving his helmet from his young daughter. He then joins fellow soldiers as they march off. The next scene shows them charging at the enemy through no-mans land. The costs of war, both physical and psychological, are shown next as nurses comfort the afflicted while our soldier looks blankly at the viewer with a harrowing gaze.

In a dramatic scene from the sculpture entitled the Ordeal, American soldiers charge the enemy.

A dramatic scene from the sculpture A Soldier's Journey at WWI Memorial in Washington DC

The soldier then returns home as part of a victory parade. In the last scene, the soldier hands the helmet back to his daughter. Rather than depicting a joyous scene, this one is foreboding. The soldier has a look of deep resolve on his face. The daughter stares into the helmet, wearing a troubled expression. She represents the Greatest Generation, who would soon take up the mantle once again and fight another war.

Howard’s work is powerful and thought provoking, but the story told through the sculpture is a familiar one. With some changes to the uniforms and equipment, the story could be about any war.

This was Howard’s desired effect. He wanted a sculpture that asks the questions any war memorial should ask: Was it worth it? What did we gain? What did we lose? What did we learn?

Other Features

On the reverse of the sculpture wall, water gently cascades over an inscription taken from a haunting poem entitled The Young Soldiers Do Not Speak by Archibald MacLeash. MacLeash’s poem is written from the perspective of deceased soldiers who tell the living that it is up to the them to give meaning to the lives the soldiers lost. MacLeash was a veteran of the First World War who became a noted writer, poet and editor. President Roosevelt appointed MacLeash as the Librarian of Congress in 1939. He wrote a poem in 1940 in honor of the Library of Congress staff who died in World War I.

“We were young, they say, we have died, remember us”

– From The Young Soldiers Do Not Speak by Archibald MacLeash

A unique aspect of the memorial are the circular benches arrayed around the southern and western edges of the memorial plaza. Unlike similar war memorials in Washington, the inclusion of these sitting areas provides an appointed space available for rest and reflection, a gathering spot for friends or even an area for discussion about World War I. Trees and ornamental grasses around the memorial plaza provide a peaceful sense to aid in reflection.

Additionally, the live playing of Taps daily adds a human element to the stone and bronze of the memorial. The daily bugler initiative is coordinated by the Doughboy Foundation. Through the foundation’s website, members of the public can sponsor each day’s rendition in remembrance of an individual. The name of the day’s honoree and the scheduled bugler can be learned by scanning a QR code on a sign near the memorial’s flagpole.

Bugler - Doughboy Foundation - bugler playing Taps

Taps is sounded daily at the National World War I Memorial.

The evolution of Pershing Park into Washington DC’s National World War I Memorial has brought new life and purpose into this downtown space. The area is now more inviting and interesting, drawing more people in to learn about the American role in World War I and to remember those who fought and died.

At the dedication ceremony for the sculpture, Architect Joseph Weishaar remarked: “We don’t build memorials for the dead. They are for the living. We build them to protect and preserve our memories and our stories.”

While it seems so long ago, World War I continues to impact issues of the 21st century, such as the geopolitical situations of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the immigration system we know today, defense spending, women’s rights, and the role of America on the world stage to name only a few.

However, as World War I moves deeper into history, maintaining the stories and learning its lessons becomes imperative. For if we lose them, we lose a big piece of who we are.

Route Recon

The World War I Memorial is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The memorial is located in downtown Washington, DC between the intersections of 14th and 15th Streets Northwest and Pennsylvania Avenue.

The closest Metro Station is Federal Triangle, located about three blocks away on the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines. Metro Center Station on the Red Line is located about flour blocks away to the north.

What’s Peace Got To Do With It?

December 31, 2023December 31, 2023Posted in Civil WarTagged Admiral David Porter, Capitol Grounds, Carrara Marble, Civil War, David Dixon Porter, David Porter, Franklin Simmons, history, military history, National Mall, Navy Monument, Peace Monument, tourism, travel, united-states, US Capitol, Washington DC, Washington DC travel1 Comment

In a city abundant with statues, monuments and memorials, a few stand out for their uniqueness. One of these sits to the northwest of the US Capitol in the middle of a traffic circle formed where Pennsylvania Avenue terminates at First Street, NW. It is one of three pieces of statuary, along with memorials to Ulysses S. Grant and James Garfield, that form a visual connection between the US Capitol Grounds and the National Mall.

Dedicated to the sailors and Marines who died during the Civil War, the statue is known as the Navy Monument or Peace Monument. Unlike its neighboring statues which feature American statesmen cast in bronze, the Peace Monument mixes a variety of classical figures arrayed around an upright bloc, all captured in Italian marble.

**The Peace Monument from the National Mall**

At the top of the 44 foot high monument are two robed figures facing the National Mall to the west. One is Grief, who buries her head in one hand, while resting her other on the shoulder of History, who stands bearing a pen and scroll inscribed with the words: They died that their country might live.

Midway down the monument, Victory holds her laurel high in her right hand, while a very young Mars (the god of war) and Neptune (the god of the sea) sit at her feet.

On the reverse side of the statue, the figure of Peace looks towards the US Capitol. At her feet are a collection of items symbolic of the benefits of peace. There is a cornucopia and a sickle representing agricultural bounty while a gear and a book represent industry and the pursuit of knowledge.

Four large marble spheres on their own bracket-shaped pedestals are found on the corners of the monument along with classical adornments, such as wreaths, scrolling and scallop shells. Below the monument, jets of water shoot into a giant basin. On the west side an inscription reads: In memory of the Officers, Seamen and Marines of the United States Navy who fell in defence [sic] of the Union and liberty of their country, 1861–1865.

While it looks as if it might have been designed by a committee, the statue was the idea of one man: US Navy Admiral David Porter.

Admiral Porter was the scion of a distinguished naval family. His father, Commodore David Porter, was a hero of the War of 1812 and his adopted brother was David Glasgow Farragut (of “Damn the Torpedos” fame). Admiral Porter first served as a midshipman at age ten under his father. He would serve in the Navy for over sixty years.

Admiral David Dixon Porter

-Photograph by Mathew Brady, Library of Congress Collection

Porter sketched the original figures of Grief and History as early as 1865, then raised money from private sources for its construction. Porter was likely inspired by his father, who undertook a similar project. Commodore Porter commissioned a statue dedicated to the lives of six naval heroes who died fighting the Barbary Pirates in the early 19th century. At one time this statue was displayed near the US Capitol; it was ultimately moved to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1860.

For his monument, Admiral Porter worked with Franklin Simmons, an accomplished sculptor known for his work in sculpting political and historical figures. Simmons carved the statues at his studio in Rome, working with another team of Italian sculptors to carve the monument’s shaft. He consulted frequently with Admiral Porter on including additional figures and embellishments.

After its unveiling, an art critic remarked, “Porter knows more about the high seas than high art.”

While that may well have been true, Porter’s conglomeration of figures and mixed symbology seems quite appropriate for a monument to the U.S. Navy during the Civil War.

Close-up of the Statue of Mars. Note the erosion on the fingers of right hand where he grips his sword, and on nose.

In April of 1861, the Navy had but 42 commissioned ships. It needed to expand quickly and it required many new and different types of vessels for the missions it now faced. Specialized ships were necessary for enforcing President Lincoln’s blockade of Southern ports, defeating the Confederate Navy in open waters, supporting US Army ground operations and patrolling interior rivers. This was also a transitional period as wooden sailing ships gave way to ironclads powered by steam.

The Navy set about a massive program of refitting current naval vessels, building new ones and acquiring civilian ships, which were converted for military use. By war’s end, the Navy had over over 600 vessels, some very distinct in design and purpose.

During the Civil War, the US Navy also rewrote doctrines focusing on flotilla operations rather than single ship actions, adopted new combat tactics, and revised its command structure.

Admiral Porter was on the forefront of some of these developments. He commanded a flotilla of ships in the Union capture of New Orleans. He transported Ulysses S. Grant’s army down the Mississippi River prior to the assault on Vicksburg. He also commanded naval forces in the attack on Fort Fisher, North Carolina. After a two-day long bombardment of the fort, Porter contributed a force of sailors and Marines to join US Army soldiers on a multi-pronged ground attack.

The Bombardment and Capture of Fort Fisher, N.C. Jany. 15th, 1865. [Published by Currier & Ives, between 1865 and 1872] Library of Congress Collection

While historians devote more attention to land campaigns and the Army’s epic battles, the Navy made significant contributions to the Union victory in the Civil War. During those years, 4,523 sailors lost their lives. The Marine Corps played their role as well, participating in some major land battles, enforcing blockades and conducting patrols along the rivers. During the Civil War, 148 Marines were killed in combat.

After his Civil War service, Porter served as the Superintendent of the US Naval Academy where he implemented a number of reforms to better prepare midshipmen to become naval officers. He originally intended the monument to be placed at Annapolis as was his father’s. However, the Secretary of the Navy at the time disagreed.

Congress though did approve of the statue being placed near the Capitol. Funds were appropriated for the construction of the monument’s platform and a basin for the fountain, which were made from Maine blue granite.

The monument was shipped in pieces to Washington in 1876. The next year, the monument was assembled and installed at its current site. The last statue of Peace was added in 1878. A formal dedication ceremony was delayed until the statue was completed. Dolphins were also to be incorporated as were bronze lamps, but these were never added and no formal dedication was ever held.

The Statue of Peace facing the US Capitol.

The statue was built of Italian Carrara marble, which unfortunately has not stood up to the weather or the pollution in Washington, DC. Erosion of the faces on different figures is clearly evident and various features have broken off. For example, the young Neptune is missing his trident.

Additionally, protestors have repeatedly climbed the Peace Monument during demonstrations on the Mall, further damaging the statues. A major restoration effort was made in 1991, where the marble was carefully cleaned, strengthened and missing pieces replaced. Similar work was conducted in 1999 and 2010.

Close up of the Statues of Grief and History. Note the erosion on History’s face and the missing pen from History’s right hand.

It is easy to be dismissive of the Peace Monument as something antiquated–or not related to peace at all–since it memorializes war dead. Indeed, the monument may not work as “high art”. But the monument’s story is compelling and offers some rich analogies to peace worth considering.

Like this monument’s creation, peace may take a long time. Peace might look different from what you expected. Peace may never be complete. Peace is fragile and needs constant tending. Peace may not be heralded with a formal ceremony, yet it exists nonetheless. Peace may flabbergast some, but it can endure.

* * *

Route Recon

The Navy Monument or Peace Monument is located within a traffic circle at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street, NW, to the northwest of the US Capitol building. The best way to get to the monument (and the Capitol) is by taking Metro.

Three Metro stops are within walking distance of the memorial and the Capitol:

Union Station – Located at First Street, NW, and Massachusetts Avenue.
Capitol South – Located at First Street between C and D Streets, SE.
Federal Center, SW – Located at the southwest corner of Third and D Streets, SW.

Additional information on riding Metro, is available at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

The DC Circulator, a public bus system with routes through Washington’s downtown area includes stops near the Memorial. Find more information about Circulator busses at www.dccirculator.com.

There is very little public parking available near the Capitol. The nearest public parking facility is at Union Station, to the north of the Capitol. Very limited metered street parking is found along the Mall to the west of the Capitol.

Keeping Alexandria National Cemetery “A Sacred Grove”

June 30, 2023Posted in Civil WarTagged Alexandria, Alexandria National Cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery, City of Alexandria, military history, Montgomery Miegs, National Cemetery, Old Town, Old Town Alexandria, Old Towne, VA, Virginia, Washington DC, Washington DC travel, Wilkes Street, Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex1 Comment

In late April 1865, a manhunt was underway across the Mid-Atlantic for John Wilkes Booth. To prevent President Lincoln’s assassin from crossing the Potomac River into Virginia, the US Army’s Quartermaster Department contracted a coal barge, the Black Diamond to augment a larger river flotilla hunting for Booth.

In the very early morning of April 24, the Black Diamond tragically collided with another private vessel, Massachusetts, which was contracted to transport soldiers from Alexandria, Virginia to Fort Monroe in the Hampton Roads area. Eighty-seven men were lost. This included four civilian firefighters employed by the Quartermaster Department who had volunteered to help crew the Black Diamond on its important mission. As they died in service to their country, the four civilians from Alexandria, Virginia, were conferred the honor of being buried alongside deceased Union soldiers in a new type of burial ground, the Alexandria National Cemetery.

Today, the Alexandria National Cemetery is found within the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex, an expansive 82-acre area encompassing over a dozen different community cemeteries in Old Town Alexandria. A red sandstone wall, stately iron gate and nearly uniform white stone gravestones arrayed in neat lines distinguish this cemetery from its neighbors.

While national cemeteries are not unique to the United States, for over one hundred fifty years our government has devoted significant resources and attention to the dignified burial of its war dead and military veterans. The advent of national cemeteries in the United States came at the beginning of the Civil War as the need for the Federal Government to maintain its own cemeteries became apparent. Large numbers of men were quickly joining the Army’s ranks. Equally fast, the terrible cost of war was realized. Soldiers were lost in battles or died of combat related wounds. Diseases and accidents killed even more. Past practices of local burials in private cemeteries or returning soldiers’ remains to families were no longer feasible.

As a first step, in September 1861 the Quartermaster Department recorded where soldiers were being buried and provided wooden grave markers. In July 1862, Congress directed the president to acquire appropriate grounds for “a national cemetery for the soldiers who shall die in the service of the country”.

The Alexandria National Cemetery was established in 1862, two years before Arlington National Cemetery.

The early cemeteries were established near Army camps and training centers. At the time, Alexandria was an important logistical hub, supply depot, and training area for the Union Army. The city also anchored the southern defenses of Washington, DC, (as seen today at nearby Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site) and operated multiple Union Army hospitals around the city. In 1862, the Army established a cemetery on four acres of local land already accommodating other graveyards, one of the first fourteen national cemeteries. Sadly, the cemetery filled quickly, even after a small expansion. By 1864, the Army began looking for other grounds for burials in the Washington area, leading to the establishment of today’s well known Arlington National Cemetery.

Following the war, the Quartermaster Department began a massive multiyear project for identifying, excavating and reinterring soldier’s remains in additional newly established national cemeteries. By 1871, there were approximately 300,000 reinternments into more than 70 national cemeteries across the United States. This was the first time any nation undertook such an effort to bury its war dead. At first, only those who died on active service were allowed burial in a national cemetery. However, Civil War veterans wanted to be buried with their deceased comrades and Congress ultimately authorized burials for all honorably discharged veterans.

Successive Congressional legislation authorized funds for marble headstones, walls, gates and structures to be built on cemetery grounds in an effort to keep the cemeteries simple yet stately. The famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted recommended a national cemetery be kept modest with “permanent dignity and tranquility … a sacred grove”.

Today, the Alexandria National Cemetery remains a fine example of an early national cemetery aligning with Olmstead’s vision. Despite the cemetery’s urban location, it remains a quiet setting, save for airplanes coming and going from Reagan National Airport. A handsome brownstone building stands to the left of the main entrance marked by the ornate cast-iron gate found at the end of Wilkes Avenue.

The lodge was originally built as a cemetery superintendent’s home and office.

The building is based upon a design by architect Edward Clark and approved by Montgomery Miegs, the Quartermaster General of the Army during the Civil War. The design became known as the “Miegs Plan” and the buildings were intended for use as a superintendent’s home and office. Clark designed these lodges in the French Second Empire style using locally quarried Seneca sandstone to resemble other fashionable dwellings and office buildings built during this time.

Only about twenty of these structures remain in national cemeteries today. The building currently houses office space and meeting rooms. A paper bound directory on the building’s porch assists visitors in locating specific graves. A redbrick annex at the back of the building is a converted restroom from the 1880s.

Approximately 4,000 white stone markers spread out in orderly rows over the carefully manicured acres. The cemetery is currently closed to new internments (save for veterans or family members to be buried in an existing grave).

A paved roadway circumvents a central flagpole, flying the US flag. The graves of the four civilian firefighters who perished aboard the Black Diamond lie near the flagpole; a granite monument to their memory was added in 1922.

A marble platform with a podium and seating area replaced an older cast iron version in the 1940s. Meant for internment ceremonies, it is often used today for Memorial Day services. It is a convenient spot for pausing and contemplating the stories and sacrifices of those buried around you. After spending some time on the grounds, it is clear that while the Alexandria National Cemetery is not as large nor renowned as its regional neighbor in Arlington, it is still a very active civic space for the people of Alexandria.

The grounds are perpetually cared for and remain neat and tidy. Walkers, joggers and bikers respectfully traverse the grounds, sometimes personally cleaning and tending to the stones. Visitors seek out specific graves, paying respects and leaving the occasional memento. Veterans groups meet at the lodge, planning their activities. Each Memorial Day, US flags are dutifully placed on the graves. Each December, evergreen wreaths grace the headstones.

Through successive wars, the American custom continues of providing war dead, veterans and certain family members with a dignified burial in well-arranged cemeteries. Much of this work is done through volunteers who devote time and energy to enhance their community’s national cemetery. You can help keep this tradition alive and ensure your local national cemetery remains and active part of the community.

There are currently 171 national cemeteries in the United States and its territories managed by various federal agencies. All of them welcome volunteers to maintain these “sacred groves” as dignified and respectful burial grounds. Duties vary by location and range from administrative support, attending funerals, planning events and grounds work.

Volunteering At A National Cemetery

Of the 171 national cemeteries in the United States and its territories, 151 are administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 14 are managed by the National Park Service, and two by the Department of the Army. Internationally, 26 national cemeteries are managed by the American Battlefield Monuments Commission.

More information on volunteering at national cemeteries can be found here:

Department of Veterans Affairs

National Park Service (NPS)

Visit individual NPS National Cemetery websites for specific volunteer information.

Arlington National Cemetery (ANC)

ANC routinely looks for volunteers to collect wreaths following the the annual Wreaths Across America observance. Check the ANC website each December for more information. Other volunteer opportunities may occur through the year.

Route Recon

By car:

The Alexandria National Cemetery is located at 1450 Wilkes Street in Alexandria, Virginia. The gates to the cemetery are located at the end of Wilkes Street.

There is parking along Wilkes Street.

By public transportation:

The closest Washington DC area Metro Stop is King Street Metro Station. Take the DASH Bus #31 towards Braddock Road Metro. Exit the bus at the corner of King Street and Fayette Street. The cemetery gates are a .6 mile walk from this bus stop. Walk south on Fayette Street, then make a right onto Wilkes Street. The cemetery is at the end of the street.

Alternatively, take the King Street Trolly from the King Street Metro Station. Disembark at West and King Streets. Walk one block east on King to Payne Street. Walk four blocks south on South Payne Street to Wilkes Street. Make a right on Wilkes Street. The cemetery is at the end of the street.

Something is Missing at the National Air and Space Museum

March 12, 2023Posted in AviationTagged Aviation, Aviation History, military history, National Air and Space Museum, National Mall, Smithsonian Institute, tourism, travel, Washington DC, Washington DC Tourism, Washington DC travel2 Comments

It was August 1961 in the hot California desert. Jacqueline Cochran was strapped into her Northrop T-38A Talon, flying a nine mile closed loop aeronautical course. She was followed by Chuck Yeager, flying an F-100. Cochran kept the aircraft in perfect alignment around the course and topped out at 844 miles per hour, setting a new speed record for that distance. That was only one of the eight speed records the fifty-five year old Cochran would set that summer.

Cochran was no stranger to flying records. She set her first speed record in 1937 and won a number of airplane races prior to World War II. In 1943, General of the Air Force Harold “Hap” Arnold appointed Cochran the first director of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). In 1953, she was the first woman to break the sound barrier. The T-38A she flew now hangs in the Smithsonian Institute’s “new” National Air and Space Museum (NASM).

Northrop T-38A Talon | Jacqueline Cochran | airspeed record | National Air and Space Museum | Washington DC

The Northrop T-38A Talon flown by Jacqueline Cochran.

Since its opening on the National Mall in 1976, the NASM has been a stop for many visitors to Washington, DC. It is easy to understand why. Even for those only marginally interested in space or aviation, the museum is full of interesting artifacts and displays. The original Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, and Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit are but a few of the items that provide not only a sense of pride in American innovation, but also in humanity’s ongoing exploration of the heavens.

In 2018, the NASM began an historic seven-year, $250 million renovation focusing on creating a more immersive and enjoyable experience. The Smithsonian holds the world’s largest collection of artifacts related to aviation and space exploration, and the renovation includes over 1,400 new items for public display. Through this process, all the museum’s galleries are due for renovation, redesign or complete replacement.

The NASM reopened to the public on October 14, 2022 with eight new or redesigned galleries on the west end of the museum’s building. While there are certainly some interesting exhibits and displays, the museum is still a work in progress.

Wright Brothers | Wright Flyer | first airplane | Air and Space Museum — **The Wright Flyer on display in the Wright Brothers gallery.**

What Galleries Are Now Open?

The Wright Brothers – The centerpiece of the gallery devoted to Orville and Wilbur Wright remains the Wright Flyer, the brothers’ heavier than air machine which first took flight on December 17, 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The redesigned gallery adds further details to their lives before and after they achieved fame as inventors of the airplane. There are leaflets from their printing business, tools from their bicycle shop, early models, experimental aircraft parts and furnishings from their cabin in North Carolina.

Early Flight – Following their successful flight, the Wright Brothers led many others in continued experimentation on early aircraft. A budding aviation community took hold around the world as the human passion for flying grew. The gallery highlights this earliest period of aviation innovation.

America by Air – In 1918, the U.S. Government formally initiated airmail service, a decision that led to the commercial passenger aviation industry. The America by Air gallery tracks air travel in the United States from the early days of open cockpits to the deregulated, post-9/11 era we know today.

A smokejumper’s protective suit and other gear on display in the Why We Fly gallery.

Smokejumper protective suit | National Air and Space Museum | NASM | Washington DC

Why We Fly – About 80% of aircraft in the United States are considered General Aviation, meaning they are not connected to scheduled passenger service, the military or the Federal government. Why We Fly exhibits reflect the great diversity of this sector. Medical flights, crop dusting, aerial firefighting and humanitarian response are all included.

Nation of Speed – A collaborative effort with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Nation of Speed presents the American experience of the desire to move faster in the air, on the water and over land with the technology and machines that made it possible.

Destination Moon – Some of the Smithsonian Institute’s most iconic artifacts are found in Destination Moon, which traces the history of the US lunar programs and missions.

Exploring the Planets – Beyond the moonshots of the 1960s and 1970s, this gallery explores current space exploration programs and future plans for exploring our solar system.

Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia | moon landing return vehicle | Neil Armstrong | Buzz Aldrin | Michael Collins | NASM Washington DC

The Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia. The command module was the living quarters and return vehicle for Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

One World Connected – Explores how the advancements of aircraft, satellites and technology have revolutionized communications, navigation, weather forecasting and other aspects of life on earth.

Mixed Results

It is quite evident tremendous effort went into the design (or redesign) of these galleries, but the results seem mixed. On the positive side, the new features in the Wright Brothers gallery fill in more details on the lives of the two brothers, making them seem more human, while still maintaining their iconic stature. America by Air provides ample details and activities telling the story of commercial passenger aviation in America. The shiny and brightly painted early airliners suspended above the displays add a sense of majesty to the storytelling below.

Ford-5 Tri-Motor | Douglas DC-3 | airplanes on display at National Air and Space Museum | Washington DC tourism | Smithsonian Institute — **A Ford-5 Tri-Motor and a Douglas DC-3 above the American by Air gallery.**

Within Destination Moon, the artifacts and displays are now neatly and chronologically arranged allowing visitors to walk through the decades of manned lunar exploration. Along the way, they get a sense of the dedication of the people involved, the power of the rocket engines, and at the same time, reckoning how all this was accomplished with less technology than the cellphones in our pockets today.

However, the Nation of Speed gallery is much more suited to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. For some reason, profiles of early pilots and aviation record holders are notably absent with most of the artifacts related to auto or motorcycle racing.

Exploring the Planets is understandably lighter on artifacts (many are still in use or irretrievable) and there are indeed some interesting examples of the Mars rovers. However, other displays simply describe the current scientific understanding of the other planets seeming more akin to a science fair rather than the immersive experience NASM’s renovation was to bring about.

The One World Connected gallery celebrates the interconnected life on planet Earth in this 21^st Century. Yet the exhibits do not mention much about the the limits nor downsides of the technology that brought us this interconnectivity, such as cyber crime, disinformation or political polarization, and how we can overcome them.

An early Global Positioning System (GPS) unit circa 1993 from the Magellan Corporation on display in the One World Connected gallery.

Smithsonian Institute | GPS on display at NASM

What’s Missing?

Notably absent from the eight renovated galleries are newly restored and presented aircraft, which is rather confounding as the Smithsonian prides itself on its collection of historically significant aircraft. My 11-year-old son summed it up best when he said: “There aren’t any cool planes to look at.”

Most of the aircraft on display were previously viewable before NASM started the renovations. Military aircraft are especially lacking. Aside from Jacqueline Cochran’s T-38A, the only other prominent military aircraft is the Wright Military Flyer, a two-seat observation aircraft built by the Wright Brothers and purchased by the US Army in 1909.

Closed are galleries that previously included aircraft from both world wars, Legend, Memory and the Great War in the Air and WWII: Sea-Air Operations (featuring a reproduction of a carrier hanger deck from WWII). In their absence, a lone Rebel Alliance X-wing Starfighter from the movie Star Wars hangs suspended from the ceiling over one of the walkways, with little accompanying information.

Jacqueline Cochran | Jackie Cochran | female pilot | Women Airforce Service Pilots WASPS | aviation record holder

Jacqueline Cochran (circa 1943) in her Women Airforce Service Pilots uniform. When she died in 1980, Cochran held more speed, distance and altitude flying records than any other pilot.

What is also missing, with the exception of the Wright Brothers, Jacqueline Cochran and the astronauts, are the profiles of humans who took to the skies and to space, pushing themselves and their equipment to the limits to accomplish something for us all. Indeed, the redesign seems to remove the human element in aviation and space exploration, replacing it with technology and process. One leaves NASM better informed, but not inspired.

What’s Next?

These are hopefully just temporary drawbacks. NASM’s renovation is set for completion in 2025. Approximately fifteen more galleries are still under renovation. Publicly available information on the new galleries seems scarce, but one new gallery entitled Pioneers of Aviation will feature the iconic Spirt of St. Louis. Another will depict aerial combat and tactics during World War II with the North American P-51, Grumman Wildcat and Messerschmitt 109 on display. Perhaps the X-wing Starfighter suggests a Star Wars or space fantasy gallery is in the works?

Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter on display at Smithsonian — **A Rebel Alliance X-Wing Starfighter from the Star Wars movies**

In the meantime, those with a serious interest in military aircraft should visit the Smithsonian Institute’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA near Washington Dulles International Airport instead. At this 17-acre facility, military and civilian aircraft from World War I until today, as well as space equipment, are on display.

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Route Recon

The Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum is located on the National Mall bordered by Independence Avenue, Jefferson Drive, and 4th and 7th Streets, SW. The entrance is on the south side of the building along Independence Avenue. You cannot access the museum from the north side along the National Mall.

Parking – Very limited metered street parking is available around the museum. Parking is available in several commercial parking lots in the neighborhood.

Public Transportation

Metrorail – The closest Metro station is L’Enfant Plaza, along the blue, orange, silver, and green lines. From the L’Enfant Plaza Station, take the exit for Maryland Avenue and 7th Street.

Metrobus – Bus stops are located on Independence Avenue, SW, and along 7th Street, SW. Visit the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for more information.

Circulator Bus – The National Mall Circulator Loop bus provides easy access around the National Mall and convenient connections to other Circulator buses for visits to uptown sites. The NASM is a short walk from the Jefferson Drive and 7th Street SW stop on the National Mall route, or the D Street SW and 7th Street SW stop on the Eastern Market – L’Enfant Plaza route.

Bicycle Sharing – Capital Bikeshare is metro DC’s bicycle sharing service. There are Bikeshare stations around the National Mall. There is Bikeshare station on 4th Street, just south of the intersection with Independence Avenue.

Intel Brief

Free timed tickets are required for entry into NASM. Tickets can be acquired through the NASM website. Ticket holders will line up near the Independence Avenue entrance prior to their entrance time. The line can become quite long, but it moves quickly once ticket holders are allowed to enter the building.

NASM is not currently offering guided tours for individual parties. Tours are available for school groups of 10 or more and adult groups of 20 or more. Tours should be requested 3 weeks in advance. Reservation and group visit information is available at NASMs Group Tours webpage.

Mess Call

The Mars Café is located on the “Launch Pad” (lower level) It is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The café has a coffee bar and sells sandwiches, salads, and pastries. There are only twenty five tables currently available so seating is challenging at mid-day.