You are reminded in all the literature that 27-30 persons are buried at Arlington each day. Still, when you come upon a flag draped casket being respectfully transitioned toward burial, or witness the formal efforts being meticulously attended to as Marines prepare for the family of a fallen soldier to arrive, you find yourself experiencing a powerful combination of sympathy and patriotism that is nearly impossible to articulate.
Before heading back into the District we walked to the Marine Corps War Memorial. I am always impressed by the grand scale of this Felix de Weldon sculpture and the way in which it portrays the iconic Joe Rosenthal photo of Iwo Jima.
