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War Memorial

In downtown Abilene, the courthouse has this beautiful memorial outside the front door.  A soldier and an eagle.  As you walk through the display, you can see the names of the wars that have been fought that Abileneans have been part of.  

I never really examined the memorial so closely before.

The photo was taken on an overcast winter day.

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Roadside Memorial

Seen along a country road in West Texas.  Looks like a memorial for two construction workers. Boots, gloves, hardhats, flowers, cross.

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Admiral David Farragut

This sculpture of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut is located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The image was made on a winter day~~the sky was white and the trees bare.  He fought in the Civil War and is credited with saying, Damn the Torpedos, Full Speed Ahead.

 

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Headstone

On the way home from our photo journey today we stopped at a cemetery and spent some time there looking for military headstones.

It was quite a large cemetery. We only searched one corner of it for stones that were of military members.  Sadly we also saw some headstones of babies, some who died at birth, some who were months old, some who were around two.   The heartbreak that the parents endured must have been awful.

When I saw this stone I cried...and I honestly couldn't speak for a few minutes when I saw the others.

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Portraits of members of the WWII WASPs.

These are just a few portraits of the women who were WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots) during WWII located in the WASP Museum in Sweetwater, TX.  

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Admiral David Glasgow Farragut

seen in Knoxville, TN

It's so nice to be someplace different and see different photo ops for a change.  This is a statue of Admiral Farragut, who was born in July 1801, joined the US Navy when only 11, saw his first combat at that age and commanded his first vessel at 12. By the time he died in 1870 he had been serving 

the US in uniform for 59 years.

He is quoted as saying, 

"damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead".

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9/11 Tribute

This is an older, much older, image from 2015.  I was looking through some of my older posts and came across this one and several more from the same shoot.  The post was created in 2015, the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.

Many towns throughout the United States held/hold a "Stair Climb" as close to 9/11 as possible in honor of the responders who died that day.  This one was in Utica, NY at the tallest building.  Not sure how many flights it is, but the participates go up and down as many times as necessary to replicate the Twin Towers.

Each participant wears one or two name tags of a responder who died that awful day and at the end of the climb they post the name tag on a central viewing board for everyone to see.

If you can navigate to it, the post was in 2015 on Sept 11 where you'll see more photos of the event participants.  It's actually a full weekend of different events.  

I attended the event for several years and there wasn't one time when I didn't shed a tear or two while there.

My heart is grateful for:

selfless men and women

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Jesus Carrying the Cross

In the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM there are these small sculptures around the perimeter of the sanctuary on the walls.  They're depictions of Christ carrying the cross.  I didn't photograph all of them.  The other one I captured is the first Time Christ Fell.  

I'm not Catholic, we don't have these types of sculptures in my Protestant church.  Regardless I think they're beautiful art in a beautiful chapel. This chapel is where The Staircase is located.

The Staircase is an architectural marvel.  I'll post it tomorrow with the amazing history behind its construction.

My heart is grateful today:

for God's grace in my life

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Angel Blowing Kisses

On my way home this morning from photographing a bike race, I passed a cemetery and decided to stop to see if there were any photo ops.  There weren't too many, but I couldn't resist getting a pic of this cute angel at the foot of one of the headstones.  

Today my grateful heart gives praise for:

the health and strength in my body as I get older

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Davy Crockett Memorial Statue

This memorial is located in the town square of Ozona, Texas, Crockett County.

Ozona is the only town within Crockett County.

Davy Crockett lost his bid for the Tennessee Congress in 1835 and decided to head for Texas.  He left with this famous quote,

"You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas"

He was a strong advocate for Texas freedom from Mexico.

My heart give thanks today for:

morning coffee and flavored creamer

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Cemetery Statue

I came across a cemetery today and drove through it to see if there were any photo ops.  This memorial statue was the most interesting sight.  I didn't check the name/dates.  I just like the statue.

Thankful today for:

a great message at church and beautiful weather

4 Things I Know

These are 4 things that I know, but had to be reminded of today.

1)Never go anywhere near Honolulu with only a little gas in the gas tank, because sure enough, you'll get lost, and wherever you're lost, there won't be a gas station on every corner.

2)Never go anywhere near Honolulu if you haven't recently used the bathroom, because sure enough, you'll get lost and there won't be anywhere to turn around to use the bathroom in that gas station on the other side of the road that you couldn't find when you needed gas.

3)Never go anywhere near Honolulu and assume that the exits off the freeway will be marked before the actual turnoff you need--for some reason they seem to think that putting the signs just 10 feet past the actual exit is close enough.

4)And never, NEVER, go to the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor without at least three tissues in your pocket.

So by now, I think you've guessed that I went to Pearl Harbor today. The weather was beautiful for a change, and it really motivated me to get out and do something constructive--other than getting lost that is.

This is a model of the U.S. Arizona
For any of you who might not know/remember, the Arizona is just one of the battle ships that was destroyed during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Slightly more than 1,000 men were killed on that ship alone, and over 900 of them remain entombed in the Arizona.

The wall of names inside the Arizona Memorial

Another roll call of names of the dead from all of Pearl Harbor

A Marine looking at a display

Posted at 11 pm on Tues, Mar 10, 2009