Memorial Day weekend was a time to catch up on some sleep, have some nice relaxing time and just become a tourist of the surrounding areas. I was able to make it into Washington DC to see some of the historic buildings and monuments. I started out at the Capital Building and some of the surrounding buildings there. I then made my way to Washington Monument and all of the historic buildings along that route. To end my little DC tour I found myself at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, also known as the White House. Being able to see all of these amazing and historical sites was one of the highlights of my weekend. On Memorial Day, I made my way back into DC but this time it was to attend a baseball game. I went to see the Philadelphia Phillies versus the Washington Nationals. This game was not only a baseball game, but it served as recognition for all the troops that are currently overseas and at home. They played videos of troops stationed in Afghanistan and then showed their families who were currently in attendance at the game. All the participants in the contests throughout the game were veterans. The first pitch, lineup card delivery and “Play Ball” were done by people currently serving in the armed forces. The most moving thing for me though was the story of an Army veteran, Troy Yocum who had been walking across the country with his drum to raise money in support of military families. Troy had walked about 32 million steps by the time he reached DC and raised about $160,000. To just watch all the support that people gave for our troops, their families and the veterans was just remarkable. The game was the final event of my nice relaxing weekend; it was time to get back in research mode to begin making leaps on my project.

 “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” –George S. Patton