Kennedy's Flame

Two weeks before he was laid to rest here, President John Kennedy visited the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath on Armistice Day (now known as Veteran’s Day).

In a visit earlier in the year he had commented that the view from this spot on the hill before Arlington House was so magnificent that he could stay forever.

Jacqueline Kennedy requested the eternal flame, similar to the one she had seen for the French Unknown Soldier in Paris.

The Old Amphitheater, Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, USA

The Old Amphitheater was dedicated on the first Memorial Day holiday in 1868. The podium section is called the Rostrum and includes the inscription “E pluribus unum” or “Out of many, one”. The amphitheater was used for speeches and ceremonies until 1921 when the larger Memorial Amphitheater was completed.

L'Enfant's Tomb, Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

Pierre Charles L’Enfant was born in France, trained as a painter in the Royal Academy in the Louvre, and served in King Louis XV’s court. At 23 in 1777 he was recruited to join the American Revolution. He later served with General Washington, including the brutal winter in Valley Forge.

He’s best known however for laying out the city of Washington DC.

He died in 1825, but it was not until 1909 that he was reinterred atop the hill before Arlington House, overlooking the city he helped design.

Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

Members of the Army’s 3rd Infantry, known as the Old Guard, watch over the Tomb of the Unknowns 24 hours a day, everyday. They perform a precise walk along the mat, with their rifle held on the side of the crowd to show the they stand between the tomb and any possible threat. Here the guard is performing a shoulder-arms to make the change. They call this position “rocked out”.

Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

First and foremost Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for men and women who’ve served our country. It’s solemn place for reflection on sacrifice.

Share and enjoy. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License.

More

Lincoln's Temple

The inscription over the famous staute of Lincoln reads “In this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union the memory of Abraham Lincoln in enshrined forever”. The memorial building itself is in the form of a Greek Doric temple.

Share and enjoy. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License.

More

Looking to Heaven

The Saint Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church was built in the late 1890′s. It was the first in the state built with granite and is the tallest in Nashua, NH. I’m always impressed looking up the stone edifice. I hope this shot give a sense of that feeling.

Touching the Sky

Share and enjoy. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License.

More

Presentation of Mary

The school was built in 1925-6 at the invitation of Bishop Guertin, who wanted to provide a bilingual education. It’s bell was made in Savoy, France.

Infrared Light and Shadow

The low sun created some great shadows, including these.

Share and enjoy. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License.

More

Nubble Lighthouse Panorama, Cape Neddick, York, Maine

Locals recommended a lighthouse on the Nubble island as early as 1807, but one wasn’t built until 1879. The lighthouse was manned by a keeper until 1987 when it was automated.

Nubble Lighthouse Infrared

More