Dan Antion

Memorial Mashup

Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time). If you like, you can add our badge to your post.

Monday is Memorial Day in the United States, a national holiday in honor of the men and women who have died while serving in the military. In honor of these men and women, I have reused photos from previous years in today’s gallery. I think the photos speak for themselves, and that means I’ll be speaking less. I’ve been trying to keep my weekly word count in check, as I add short stories to the mix during the Thursday Doors Writing Challenge (TDWC).

Speaking of TDWC, we now have well over 30 poems and short stories in response to this month long challenge. There is much for you to read, and there are still seven days to join this annual challenge if you’re so inclined.

Lower entrance to Northam Memorial Chapel.
Not the best photo, but the fire escape is important. It was added after the fire in 1974.
Memorial Hall
WWI Memorial Atlantic monument
WWII Memorial looking at the Pacific monument.
There is a large green in front of the building. There are two memorial areas, giving it a solemn effect.
Viet Nam War Memorial
Memorial Hall
Site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Entrance to the Visitor Center at Arlington National Cemetery
The front of each stone bears the motto of the service represented by the stone. The last stone ends with “All gave some. Some gave all.”
Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery
The amphitheater behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Door in the amphitheater behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Door in the amphitheater behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The turret area inside Memorial Hall, on the 2nd floor is an exhibit about Lincoln and the Civil War.

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When Evil Chooses You

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100 comments

  11. Much respect to all who served and are serving and their families.
    Thank you, Dan, for the excellent lineup of memorials and related spaces.
    I like the amphitheater behind the unknown soldier memorial. Grear photo!

    I was also struck by the use of columns in several buildings, adding a stately touch to the structures (I think).
    Thank you for all your work hosting ThursdayDoors and this month’s Annual writing challenge.
    Have a great long weekend. Cheers

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  14. This is a thoughtful tribute to all those men and women who served our country in war and paid the ultimate sacrifice. These memorial buildings that we can visit to pay our respects keep us from ever forgetting these heroes. May we never forget.
    Ginger

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks Ginger. It gets harder each year to get people to take time to remember. These days, we fight against the purveyors of misinformation and the people who choose to embrace the evil so many men and women died to save us from. Freedom isn’t free.

      I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  17. Wonderful, Dan. Did you know the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was carved in Vermont? The pure white marble only comes from two places, Colorado and Vermont. For the tomb, the marble arrived in Vermont by train from Colorado. You would love the Vermont Marble Museum. 🇺🇸

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I did know that the tomb was carved in Vermont. When I retired, my best friend and I had plans to visit a number of places in New England, including that museum. Of course, the pandemic put those plans on hold, and he has suffered some health setbacks since then. I do hope to get up there for a visit. I hope you have a nice long weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • I do hope you get there, Dan. Interestingly, today at our school-wide Memorial Day Remembrance (led by guess who?), the wonderful speaker, a Master Sergeant in the Air Force, told me he always wanted to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I told him he could do just that in Vermont! They have a replica of the tomb they carved…and you can go inside. 🇺🇸

        Liked by 1 person

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  20. Lovely how you spot pretty doors everywhere. But that’s what we do.

    In my post there are door gifts again, from Morocco and Oman, and it all seems these are the places to go for a door lover. Plus, my last poem for the 2023 Thursday Doors writing challenge, and it’s a Double Ennead. It’s been fun! Thank you to all door providers and to you, Dan. https://manjameximexcessive6.wordpress.com/2023/05/25/thursday-doors-25-5-23-morocco-oman-and-my-last-door-poem/#Morocco#Oman#DoubleEnnead

    Liked by 1 person

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  22. This brought back memories of when my younger daughter and I visited Washington DC when she was a senior in high school. I had never actually visited the Vietnam Memorial, and I was moved to tears, as were many others present. I remembered my brother’s high school friends who died there, as well as those I knew who were never the same afterwards. The senselessness. I was also quite moved by the WWII memorial, and of course, thought of my father, and my grandfather who served in both world wars. History has taught us little it seems. (K)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • It’s true, history hasn’t taught us the lessons it should have. The Vietnam Memorial was sad and deeply moving. So many lives ruined. The World War II monuments were also very moving. I met a man from an honor flight who was visiting. I was glad to be able to thank him. I don’t know if you saw the Korean War Memorial – that was amazing.

      Liked by 1 person

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  24. Very sobering. I was thinking the other day about my parents and their contemporaries who were getting married and starting their families in the months before Pearl Harbor. My generation was christened with World War II. Has there ever been a generation not christened by blood? The Internet keeps us painfully aware how war is everywhere and unending. I hope those who have died for certain principles aren’t regretting it.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I hope we don’t end up negating their sacrifice. The brave men and women that gave their service and their lives in WWI and WWII, fought for our freedom. In other wars, they fought for our values, whether the cause was truly just or not. Now, it seems there are those who are abusing that freedom to usher in the results we avoided at such a terrible cost. It’s important to remember, not only their sacrifice, but what they were fighting for.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Thanks Patricia. It’s getting harder to keep people aware of where, when and why these people died.

      I have enjoyed reading all of the entries. I’m glad to hear you are enjoying them as well.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Thanks Teagan. I think those memorials are beautiful, and they stand as a reminder for everyone. I found it impossible to stand among those monuments and not think of the people in whose honor they were built.

      I read your story and totally enjoyed it. Thanks for your support of the challenge.

      Like

      Reply

    • That’s cool. I love his doors. He always asks us to choose a favorite, and it’s often difficult.

      Memorial Day has always been a fun holiday. Usually seen as the start of summer. Unfortunately, in recent years, it seems to be losing its true meaning.

      Like

      Reply

  47. Reblogged this on Eúnoia and commented:

    This is a post written by Dan on account of Memorial Day, celebrated in the US on the 29th of May. The day is held in remembrance of the soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the country. It makes me wonder why India has no memorial day.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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