Yesterday I decided to venture two hours west to visit Gettysburg, the site of one of the most major battles fought and most men lost on our soil and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. At first, you think, well it's just farm land, but you are quickly struck with the immense struggles that took place here. Gettysburg only had 2,800 residents and in a matter of three days they had to dispose of over 51,000 bodies. Three friends born and raised there were all killed just days apart, 2 of them sweethearts, one of them carrying a letter from him to her, she was the only civilian killed when a stray bullet came through her sisters kitchen where she was baking bread for Union soldiers. The two young men died in battle. Another story of two brothers on opposite sides, seeing each other, embracing and then both dying the same day in the battle just hours apart. It's sobering, to think of hand to hand combat, or of Pickett's Charge, running to death shoulder to shoulder. The battle at The Wheatfield is said to have so many dead that you had to walk on bodes to get across, there was no ground to walk on. Yet, among the horrors on war, especially civil war, when you look out at the farms, mountains, trees and quaint little welcoming town, it seems like a beautiful and simple place to live. There is always hope, no matter how bleak the circumstances. I also put in more pictures of Washington DC. If you ever get the chance, these are two places you need to visit. Very interesting...
National Soldiers Memorial, the place where Lincoln stood to give the Gettysburg Address
A memorial to the two minute speech. When Lincoln finished, he thought the people hated the speech, little did he know it would be one of the most famous speeches ever given
Pickett's Charge
Past soldiers meet present on Little Round Top
Lincoln Memorial in DC, it looks like he just sits there looking over the city...straight to Capitol Hill. I wonder what he would think today.
Vietnam Memorial...overwhelming
Korean War Memorial
In front of my home at the WWII Memorial
A little side note...less than ONE MONTH and I will be back in the DR loving on the kids that have stolen a part of me. Thankfully I get to see the some of the DR girls this weekend as they are coming to the East Coast for a visit!
1 comment:
sobering, and interesting, thank you for reminding me of what this country was founded on... maybe you should make a commercial, maybe others need to remember the sacrifice, not the give me attitude we started with!
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