A Tribute to Over 16 Million

These photos were taken at the World War II Memorial, completed in January 2005 and dedicated on May 21, 2005. It was built to honor 16 million who served and more than 400,000 who died in the war, and those who supported from home.

World War II veterans got to see "their memorial" Wednesday, August 20, thanks to Honor Flight, a volunteer organization that provides flight and automobile transportation to the veterans, many of whom are now in their 80s. Above on the right former Senator Bob Dole, also a World War II veteran who was injured in the war and received two purple hearts, speaks with a couple vets. For more information on Dole's involvement in World War II, visit his website at http://www.bobdole.org/bio/wwII.php.

Earl Morse (wearing a suit in the above photo) founded Honor Flight. The first flight, on May 21, 2005, carried 12 veterans. Morse is a pilot, retired Air Force captain and a private pilot. According to the Honor Flight website, Morse was unprepared to see veterans weep in gratitutde for the privilege of seeing "their memorial." For more information about Honor Flight, which is dependent upon private donations, visit the website at: www.honorflight.org/historyvis.htm.

I took the above photos while in DC jogging between memorials and sites on Wednesday, August 20, in preparation for the Tidal Basin 3K race at noon. The World War II memorial was crowded with WWII vets, among them former Senate Majority Leader from Kansas Bob Dole. When Dole caught me snapping photos of the memorial, visitors and veterans, he said to his staff, "Hey, we have to shoot the 5K couple over there."
He then told his assistant as he pointed to his left side, "Put her here beside me."
Butch said, "Can I come, too?"
Dole answered, "Sure as long as you stay over there where you belong."
Thus a couple runners wearing tee shirts earned at foot races ended up in a photo with Dole, the chairman of the National WWII Memorial, the chairman of the International Committee on Missing Persons, and the co-chair of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors.