Dcmilfamlife mil051614

2 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement May 2014

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May 2014 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement 3

Circulation of 110,000 printedby offset as a civilian enter-prise quarterly magazinefor installations within theNational Capital Region by

Comprint Military Publications, a divisionPost Community Media, LLC. ComprintMilitary Publications is located at 9030Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD20877. Telephone 301-921-2800.

Editorial content, including graphic artand photographs that support mes-sages, new stories, and feature arti-cles, are prepared in the MarketingOffices of the installations that con-tribute the information and blogs from

DCMilitaryFamLife.com. Letters and sug-gestions may be mailed to DCMilitaryFamily Life Publisher, Comprint MilitaryPublications, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, MD 20877.

The printer is a private firm in no wayconnected with the Department ofDefense. Opinions expressed hereinare those of the contributors to thisMarketing publication, and they are notto be considered an official expression ofthe Department of Defense. The appear-ance of advertisements in this publica-tion does not constitute an endorsementby the Department of Defense of theproducts or services advertised.

Maxine Minar, President | John Rives, PublisherComprint Military Publications | 301-921-2800

COURTESY PHOTO

The City of Falls Church Memorial Day Parade features an eclectic mix of members from the greatercommunity, including this bagpipe corps.

ON THE COVER: Photo by Chris Field.Hector Villalobos, of Fairfield, PA, is a member of Rolling Thunder.

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By C.D. CarterBlogger for DCmilitaryfamlife.com

From the celebratory to the som-ber, Memorial Day activities in the

Washington, D.C. area include a rangeof ways to spend the holiday dedicatedto Americans who paid the ultimateprice in service to the country.Throughout D.C., Maryland andVirginia, residents will gather to cheer onactive soldiers and veterans from everybranch of the military, learn about thecountry’s history of warfare, pay theirrespects at quiet candlelight ceremonies,and listen to national military and polit-ical leaders trumpet the importance ofbeing reverent in remembrance of U.S.service members who have died in com-bat over the past century and a half.It might go unnoticed, almost 150years after the holiday first took rootin various forms, that it wasn’t until anact of Congress in 1971 that MemorialDay was made a national holiday.

The pomp and circumstance—andendless backyard cookouts, townparades, and visits to military memo-rials—stand in stark contrast to howMemorial Day began in 1868, whenthe head of an organization of Unionveterans designated a day to adorn thegraves of fallen soldiers with flowers.The day was known as DecorationDay, and the May 30 date was chosenbecause flowers would likely be in bloomthroughout the country, according tothe U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs(VA) website.It was in Virginia, in fact, that thefirst large-scale observance of soldierskilled in battle took place. Just acrossthe Potomac River from D.C., inArlington National Cemetery, is wherethousands first gathered to pay tributeto service members buried there.

COMMEMORATINGthe FALLEN

See Fallen, 14


By Alice SwanBlogger for DCmilitaryfamlife.com

For seven months, from Aprilthrough October, a small army

of volunteers turns out on weekdaymornings and evenings and everySaturday to welcome a special groupof visitors to Washington, D.C. Thesededicated individuals—young andold, former military and grateful cit-izens—are part of the Honor FlightNetwork, ensuring every World WarII veteran and those of other warsare treated like VIPs during theirvisits to the war memorials in thenation’s capital.As Danielle Sturgis, a coordina-tor for Honor Flight DCA ReaganNational Airport, told me, “We dothis because it’s such a meaningfulmission.” Sturgis has been involvedwith the program since 2009, afterlearning about it through a coworker.Now she organizes volunteers togreet veterans arriving at RonaldReagan Washington National Airportand the National World War IIMemorial on the National Mall.“The most common reaction thevets have is, ‘You all are here to greet

me?’” Sturgis said. “You see a lotof tears. They are touched whetherit’s three people or 50 greetingthem.” She explained that the day-long Honor Flight visits are a mov-ing experience for our oldest vet-erans. “While they enjoy seeing thememorials, having people come outto shake their hand and say, ‘Thankyou’ is the best part,” she said.

According to the National WorldWar II Museum, most WWII vet-erans are in their 90s today andonly about 1 million of the 16 mil-lion who served during the war arestill with us. Started in 2005, afterthe WWII Memorial opening, theHonor Flight Network is committedto bringing every surviving veteranwho is able to see the monument.

DC Military Family LifeSupports Honor Flights

in September

DCMilitary Family Life invites you to joinin honoring our World War II veterans onSaturday, Sept. 13. Mark the date on yourcalendar and look for schedule updatesin August as we get ready to welcomeHonor Flights.You can meet arriving flights at Ronald

Reagan Washington National Airport thatmorning, plan to be at the National WorldWar II Memorial, or meet the veteransafter a full day of touring back at the air-port. Look for a special, tear-out, “Thankyou for your service” poster in our Augustmagazine that your children can color.Bring the sign to one of the welcomesand pass it to a visiting veteran. It is awonderful “thank you” souvenir that hecan take back to his home town.Don’t forget to take a picture of your

child with the poster and send it in. We’llpost the pictures on our site.Help dcmilitaryfamlife.com honor our

veterans and meet other military familieswhile you are volunteering. It will be theperfect way to spend a Saturday in D.C.

Honoring Washington’s VIP Guests

Retired Navy Commander Rex Maddox greets veterans from Saint Louis at Reagan National Airport atthe Honor Flight kick off April 5, 2014.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Families and tourists cheer veterans arriving at the National World War II Memorial.

Washington-area pageant winners were on handApril 5 to welcome veterans.

Bob Beebe (front) and Dave Benbennick greetHonor Flight visitors at Reagan National Airportafter a long day of touring.


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The local volunteers are making surethose veterans experience the thanksof a still grateful nation.For some, like Dave Benbennick,their interest in Honor Flight wasstarted because a father or grand-father served in the war. “This ismy way of g iv ing back ,” sa idBenbennick, whose father served inWWII and who now has a son serv-ing as an Army nurse. Others areveterans themselves and just want tohonor their brothers and sisters inarms. As Honor Flight DCA Reagangreeter and former Navy corpsmanBob Beebe told me, “These guysdeserve the attention we give them.They earned it. And you get to hearsome great, war stories.” Bob’s feel-ings were shared by retired NavyCommander Rex Maddox, whogreets Honor Flight veterans withmembers of the Mt. Vernon Chapter,Mil i tar y Off icer Associat ion ofAmerica. A WWII veteran himself ,Maddox said that he tries to makeevery Honor Flight arrival. “Most ofthese guys gave up more than me.Weowe them a debt of honor.”From area beauty queens, toScout troops, to sports teams, to

families, all are drawn to Reagan,Dulles International or Baltimore/Washington International ThurgoodMarshall airports or the NationalMall by Honor Flight arrivals. Thisis one volunteer position that doesn’trequire any special training. If youare able to clap, wave a flag and say,“Thank you,” there is a spot for youanywhere the groups are greetingthese special visitors. It is the perfectfamily volunteer activity.

To learn more about the HonorFlight program, vis i t www.hon-orflight.org. To get involved withour local Honor Flight organiza-tions, visit their Facebook pagesa t f a c e book . c om /hono r f l i g h t -dca for Reagan or facebook.com/groups/87897474346/ for Dulles.Sign up for welcome-activity alertsand to see the schedule of arrivals.Find a day or time to fit your sched-ule.

Until the last WWII veterans visit,let’s support Honor Flight in hon-oring these VIPs and all those whohave served.

There are, according to Sturgis,several ways to assist the

Honor Flight mission in our area:Airport Greeter – Volunteers meet arrivals and are on hand forevening send offs at area airports. The flights come in on weekday andSaturday mornings and leave between 5 and 9 p.m. The airport greet-ers kick off the Honor Flight visitors’ day with cheers and thanks.Sturgis said that there is already a group of military spouses andhome-school families volunteering, so Honor Flight can be a way toconnect and make new friends.

Ground Guardians – You will assist a visiting veteran during hisdaylong tour. Honor Flight tries to have each veteran matched witha guardian during his visit. Local volunteers serve as fill-ins if thearriving group does not have enough guardians to accompany eachveteran. Active duty military are especially encouraged to volunteer asguardians.

Memorial Greeters – Meet the Honor Flight groups at the WorldWar II Memorial on the Mall. Feel free to bring flags, banners andsmiles to welcome the veterans to their monument.

Be a Hub Volunteer – the area now has its own Honor Flightgroup organizing tours for veterans. Honor Flight Capital Regionprovides free bus trips to veterans living in the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Northern Virginia area to tour the war memorials. Thegroup serves veterans living within a 100-mile radius of the city. Tolearn more or volunteer, go to honorflightcr.org.


By Crystal CavalierBlogger for

DCMilitaryFamilyLife.comand military spouse

Taking a vacation asa family is a goodway to make memo-

ries for your kids and giveeveryone something to lookforward to. When I was achi ld, ever y summer mygrandparents and I would goto Florida. We would spendabout two weeks, usually inJacksonville. We often wentwith a large group of theirfriends, so they had thingsto do. Their friends usuallybrought their g randchi l -dren, so it was a nice time.My grandparents made surewe didn’t go to SeaWorldor Walt Disney World everyday. They were teachers, sothey wanted to give me agood educational experience.We went to the Everglades,Key Wes t , Or lando andJacksonville, and even tooka day cruise to the Bahamas;we saw places that were lesstouristy. You name it, we sawit; and I really want to sharethe same family vacationexperience with my family.In this budget-sensit ivetime, with which we are alltoo familiar, family travelcan get expensive. Even the

trip that sounds like a gooddeal at first adds up quicklywhen you consider you haveto multiply it by five or sixfamily members. Here area few ways I have found totravel with our kids, stay onbudget, and even visit WaltDisneyWorld.Travel in the off season.There are reasons peak sea-son is popular. It just hap-pens to be when everybodyis off from work or school orcan enjoy the weather. Primetravel times generally areduring the summer and hol-idays because they coincidewith kids’ vacations. Duringthese peak times, the parksare really crowded. That’scounterbalanced, however,

with longer park hours andmore attractions. During off-peak times, the lines will beshorter but certain attrac-tions may be closed. Anotherbenefit of traveling in the offseason is that there are fewercrowds. This fa l l we aregoing to Orlando and spend-ing a week. We are goingduring the off-peak time.The reason is the heat; I donot like to be in the blaz-ing sun. If you visit DisneyWor ld dur ing the sum-mer months, June throughAugust, expect crowds andextremely hot weather. As amom, I juggle many thingsin my mind. When I am hotI can’t think. The weathermakes it difficult to tour the

parks with a family and keepyour sanity. Trust me, we allget irritable. It starts withthe 6-year-old and works itsway up to me.Eat in when you are onvacation. It may seem like ahassle, but taking groceriesto the hotel is another way tokeep costs down. Eating outwith a family of six can makemeals expensive, especiallyin the U.S. and Europe.Staying in a hotel that hasa kitchenette and cooking afew meals can help the fam-ily budget. When you aretouring a theme park, packa picnic lunch. Trust me, youwill save money. Food anddrinks at those places canrun up quickly.

Sk ip the Park Hopperpass. If you’re new to DisneyWorld and just gett ing afeel for the parks, I’d sug-gest spending a full day ateach park and saving at least$35 a ticket by avoiding thePark Hopper option. A ParkHopper pass gives you enor-mous flexibility by allowingyou to move from one parkto another. You can takeadvantage of extended oper-ating hours or move to a lesscrowded park as lines buildup later in the day.At Walt Disney World, theoriginal park with the bigcastle is called The MagicKingdom. There also arethree other theme parks,two waterparks, an outdoorshopping mall, golf courses,and a bunch of hotels.D i sney i sn ’ t t he on l yt h em e - p a r k r e s o r t i nCentral Florida. There’s theUniversal Orlando Resort,which is home to two themeparks, an outdoor shop-ping mall, and four Nearbyis the Wet ‘n Wild water-park. Between Disney andUniver sa l l i e s SeaWor ldOrlando, which of fer s atheme park, a water park,and Discover y Cove, anexclusive animal-encounterexperience where you canswim with dolphins.

MAKINGMEMORIESon the Road

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION PHOTO


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A sample itinerary would belike this:Day 1: Travel to FloridaDay 2: Universal Orlando ResortDay 3: SeaWorldDay 4:Walt DisneyWorld

Here is a little hidden gem. If youare still active duty you can pickup cheaper tickets at the Shadesof Green on the Walt Disney WorldResor t , the only Armed ForcesRecreation Center in the continen-tal U.S., or through the Family andMorale, Welfare and RecreationProgram on the base. Those are thebest ticket prices; if you can’t getthose deals check out my optionsbelow.Walt Disney World (WDW) encom-passes four theme parks. Ticketsinclude rides and attractions but notfood or drinks. If you pick a 1-DayTicket to one theme park withouta Park Hopper, meaning you can’tgo to other WDW theme parks, youare stuck at that one location. The1-Day Ticket: Magic Kingdom Parkis not valid at EPCOT or Disney’sMGM Hollywood Studios or AnimalKingdom Park. A separate 1-Day

ticket is valid for admission to anyone of the three other parks but notthe Magic Kingdom. With the ParkHopper option, you enjoy same-day access to all four Disney themeparks.My kids tend to think I am myfamily’s version of “Danny Tanner”from the Ful l House TV show.That’s an exaggeration. But I dolike to have an idea of what we aregoing to do. While I don’t plan outevery minute, I do like to know inwhat general direction we are going:lounging by the pool, hitting thebeach or visiting the parks. You willneed to pick how you want to seethe parks and schedule time accord-ingly. For example, half a day atEPCOT and the other half at theMagic Kingdom. Remember, thisis a fun family vacation; try not tooverload yourself and do too muchin one day. It is a huge resort andyou can wear yourself out, and yourkids too. I suggest going online andfinding a map, then plotting thingsyou want to do. Start at one spotthen work your way over. Having aplan is always good.

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION PHOTO


By Chris FieldBlogger for DCmilitaryfamlife.com

If Sunday, May 25 at noon, you hap-pen to hear a thunderous roar bellowingacross the region, you’ll know that RollingThunder’s annual Ride to the Wall hasbegun. It will be unmistakable. Hundredsof thousands of voices will throttle up inunison, emitting a deafening call to honorand action on behalf of prisoners of war,those killed in action, and veterans of allbranches. Motorcycle enthusiasts, veter-ans, and veterans-affairs supporters willconverge from all parts of the country andthe world to challenge their legislators tofurther protect and defend those who pro-tected and defended. By raising awarenessof POW/MIA and veterans issues, RollingThunder’s annual bike rally seeks to gen-erate funding for service organizations andmilitary philanthropy and prompt congres-sional action to prevent and reverse pastinjustices to service members and theirfamilies. Rolling Thunder XXVII, Ridefor Freedom will begin at noon in ThePentagon’s North Parking lot and proceedalong a cordoned path to the wall, theiconicVietnamVeteransMemorial.The Memorial Day weekend’s motor-cycle rally in Washington, D.C. has beenan annual affair since 1988. In the fall of1987, Artie Muller and Ray Manzo, bothof whom served in Vietnam, decided totake action to counter what they felt wasa willful disregard by our nation’s leadersand press corps of service members killedin action or abandoned in Southeast Asia.Muller and Manzo reached out to familyand friends, veterans, and veterans’ advo-cacy groups, and on Memorial Day week-end in 1988, the inaugural Ride to theWallwas launched. That spring, an estimated2,500 cycles howled at those who werethought to have violated the military creedof no man left behind. Rolling Thunderestimates that over 900,000 cyclists andspectators participate in the event. Thoughattendance estimates vary, there will beenough horsepower in D.C. that weekendto raise their message to the heavens andbombard the area with a clear message:POW/MIAs are not forgotten. I’m sure thatparticipants and spectators will certainly

never forget this outpouring of support.Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder,Inc. is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizationthat claims over 90 chapters throughoutthe United States and internationally. Itsname derives from a 1965 U.S. bombingrun over NorthVietnam,Operation RollingThunder. More than just an awarenessraising organization, Rolling Thunder hasbacked and participated in legislation tofurther the causes of POWs and their fam-ilies. In 2007, Rolling Thunder Charities,Inc. was established as a tax-exempt non-profit organization, whose philanthropybenefits veterans, especially homeless veter-ans, and active-duty service members andfamilies. Its all-volunteer staff has donatedhundreds of thousands of dollars to veter-ans in need, as well as food, clothing, andtransition assistance to deserving veterans.Its legislative achievements have been

impressive. Rolling Thunder, Inc. haspushed and coauthored several pieces oflegislation that address POW and veterans’issues. Its website lists several instances ofRolling Thunder’s involvement with pro-posed and promulgated pieces of legisla-tion, including:• House Resolution 111, which demandsa full investigation and accounting of allunresolved POW/MIA cases sinceWWII.• Respect for Fallen Heroes Act of 2006(H.R. 5037), which prohibits certain dis-respectful demonstrations at national cem-eteries.• Veterans’ Housing Opportunity &Benefits Improvement Act of 2006(S.1235), which expands housing andinsurance benefits to disabled veterans.• Veterans Benefits, Health Care andInformationTechnology Act of 2006 (H.R.1070), which assists veterans with employ-

ment training, small business and govern-ment contract support.• Veteran-Owned Small BusinessPromotion Act of 2005 (H.R. 3082),which requires that 9 percent of govern-ment contracts be awarded to veteranowned businesses.• Persian Gulf War POW/MIAAccountability Act of 2002 (S.1339),which amends the Bring Them HomeAlive Act of 2000. That law provides forthe granting of refugee status in the UnitedStates to nationals of certain foreigncountries in which American Vietnam orKorean War POW/MIAs may be present,if those nationals assist in returning POW/MIAs alive.The new law extends the grant-ing of refugee status in the U.S. to nationalsof Iraq or the greater Middle East region.• The POW/MIA Memorial Flag Actof 2001 (S.1226), which ensures that the

Rolling in the Deep-Throated

RUMBLE OF FREEDOM

COURTESY OF DAN GRANNAN

Bob & Jani Bergdahl ride in the car commemorating POWs. This their son Bowe Bergdahl was still being help as POW by the Taliban as of last month.


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POW/MIA flag flies below the Americanflag on any day the American flag is flownin Washington, D.C. at the Vietnam andKorean War Veterans memorials andthe National World War II Memorial.Additional legislation was passed to requirethat federal buildings, post offices, theVietnam and KoreanWarVeterans memo-rials and military facilities fly the POW/MIA flag on all six national holidays.• Missing Service Personnel Act of 1997,which insists on demonstrable proof beforeMIAs would be considered deceased.The signature Ride to the Wall alwaystakes place on the Sunday beforeMemorial Day, but Rolling Thunder listsa number of formal and informal eventsthat take place over Memorial Day week-end.The 27th run is hardly the only eventtaking place over Memorial Day weekend,and Rolling Thunder gives spectators anynumber of opportunities to stand in soli-darity with their veteran brethren.The weekend’s events begin on Friday,May 23, with a candlelight vigil at 9 p.m.near theVietnamVeteransMemorial.Beginning Saturday, May 24, and con-tinuing through Memorial Day Monday,Rolling Thunder hosts Thunder Alley at22nd Street and Constitution Avenue.Thunder Alley offers numerous mer-chandise vendors and food options, aswell as special guests, speakers and music.

Thunder Alley opens at 9 a.m. each dayfrom Saturday to Monday, and remainsopen throughout the day.Also on Saturday, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at 11 a.m. on the plaza ofThe United States Navy Memorial at 701Pennsylvania Ave.NW.Sunday’s run will begin at noon fromThe Pentagon parking lots, but riders willbegin assembling at 7 a.m. Spectatorsshould be aware that roads along the rallyroute will begin closing at 9 a.m. Riderswill travel from The Pentagon, pastArlington National Cemetery, over theArlington Memorial Bridge to the LincolnMemorial. They will then veer east alongthe National Mall, turn south on 3rd Streetin front of the U.S. Capitol, and head westalong the Mall, finishing at the VietnamVeterans Memorial. I can’t say for surehow long the actual rally will last, but DanLavelle of the Christian MotorcyclistsAssociation said that the 5-mile route willinclude about 50 miles of bikes.This won’tbe over in a hurry.Also on Sunday, there will be a specialperformance on a stage just north of theVietnam Veterans Memorial. Saluting OurTroops will begin immediately followingthe run.As a complement to Ride to theWall, theBuffalo Thunder Memorial MotorcycleRide will begin at 10 a.m., departing the

Sears parking lot at 2101 Brightseat Roadin Hyattsville and ending at the AfricanAmerican CivilWar Memorial & Museumat 1925 Vermont Ave. NW inWashington,D.C.Rolling Thunder XXVII concludesits weekend on Memorial Day with theNational Memorial Day Parade alongConstitution Avenue, from 7th Street NWthough 17th Street NW at 2 p.m.Hoping to get a better idea of what toexpect during Rolling Thunder XXVII, Ivisited the Harley-Davidson of Frederickfor one of its monthly Saturday meetings.While I didn’t attend the formal meeting,the adjacent parking lots were filled withRolling Thunder members and affiliates.Many of the groups, including ChristianMotorcyclists Association and UnitedRoad Warriors MC, ride in Run to theWall in support of their fellow cyclists andveterans. I spoke with a few of RollingThunder’s Frederick Chapter executives,including Ray Sutherland, the chapter’svice president. Ray told me his personalstory of 40 years of service, as well as hisstruggles with the U.S. Department ofVeterans Affairs and passion for the POWissue, which prompted his involvementon behalf of fellow veterans. Ray, whowas a Navy SEAL, stressed that RollingThunder was not only an organization thatfought for recognition and relief for POWs,

including Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who cur-rently is being held in Afghanistan, butveterans of all eras. He stressed that RollingThunder, Inc. offered a variety of servicesto and events for veterans, including tran-sition support and the occasional com-munity-building barbecue. But to a man,the Frederick Chapter’s members stressedthat Rolling Thunder sought to furtherrecognize and support POW/MIAs andveterans alike.They ride for fellowship andfraternity, of course, but this is no joyride.The main theme of their comments alwaysdoubled back to their mission. In a sense,theirs is a political mission, but not politicalin a party or specific-issue sense.Their aimremains one of raising the profile of veter-ans’ issues and using their growing pres-ence to leverage our leaders to honor andredress the sacrifices our service membershave made. In short, their mission is to rat-tle some cages by rattling some windows.There are few things more iconic ormore representative of American ideas offreedom than a motorcycle and an openroad. The wind in your hair. The windingtrails of open terrain.The pulsing indepen-dence in your heart. Man and machine.Wildness and control. The whirring andintoxicating sense that nothing is saving

See Rolling, 12


By Lori TupperBlogger for DCmilitaryfamlife.com

The time is fast approaching for ourlittle ones and big ones to say, “No

more teachers, no more books; school’s outfor summer!” and for us to figure out howto spend our time with them doing fun,frugal and even educational things. Ah!Yes,our dear, sweet, fun summertime is comingand what are we to do? Are you ready? Ithink I am, but I’m not sure.Living in Maryland presents someunique and fortunate challenges because ofthe plethora of things to do, things to see,things to experience, and places to go. Didyou know that Gettysburg is only an hourand 15 minutes from my house? Can youbelieve that? Me either! Totally cool, but Idigress.In my previous article about vacations Itouched on staycations briefly. Now I wantto really dig into them with you, especiallysince we live in an amazing area that peo-ple from all over the world want to visit,and here it is, practically in our backyards!Brilliant, right?First things first, let’s discuss what a stay-cation is.The Merriam-Webster Dictionaryentry for staycation reads:stay•ca•tion-nouninformal1. A vacation spent in one’s home coun-try rather than abroad, or one spent athome and involving day trips to localattractions.While I like this definition, I can doone better. A staycation is whatever youwant it to be. I define a staycation as avacation that is at home, close to home,or within a three-hour drive from home,usually remaining in one’s tri-state area.Staycations are meant to be family friendlyand fun without breaking the bank.Over the years, my family and I haveenjoyed our fair share of staycations and,from them, gained completely new per-spectives on the areas in which we wereliving at the time and a newfound appre-ciation of the beauty and opportunity

that each state or country afforded us.Staycation opportunities always have beena fun part of being a military family. I try toplan at least one a year, sometimes two.Wefor sure do one, and I try to make it as funand unique as possible.This year, during spring break, we did

our first staycation and had an absoluteblast all over the place. Our first stop wasBaltimore, where we spent the day beingpirates at the Fells Point Privateer Festival.After we finished there, we explored theFells Point area shops and dining. Afterdinner, we headed home. Our next day

was spent lounging lazily at home until myhusband and I found out that our favor-ite baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays,would be playing the Baltimore Orioles inBaltimore that night. We quickly snappedup tickets and headed back to Baltimorefor a night at the ballgame. This was

Defining

STAYCATION

PHOTOS BY LORI TUPPER

Tupper’s husband Doug and their children Jane, Aiden and Ronan stopped by the Peeps store at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Md.


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impromptu fun and the kids had no ideawhere we were going, so it was a huge sur-prise for them! Once we arrived, they puton their Rays gear. Once inside, we pickedup hotdogs and crab rolls for dinner as wewatched our beloved Rays fall victim tothe brilliant players on the Orioles team.Despite the loss, we had fun and the kidseven scored baseballs from their favoriteplayers on the Rays team; a pretty goodconsolation prize if you ask me. Over thenext couple of days, we visited Annapolis,where we roamed the downtown area andexplored the gorgeous United States NavalAcademy. Annapolis is filled with all sortsof neat shops and food.The food cannot bebeat. Pick any restaurant and I’m certainthat it will be a delightful treat for yourpalate!After our Annapolis touring was over,we decided to take a drive to Gettysburgand spend the day doing the driving tour,which I highly recommend. It was bril-liantly narrated and kept all of us, includ-ing my 6-year-old, engaged, journeyingback in time through a pivotal part of ourAmerican history. Not only is the drivingtour wonderful, but the town of Gettysburgitself is a delight to experience as well.As we neared the final stretch of ourstaycation, we could not miss out on vis-iting our nation’s capital and exploring all

the rich history found there. There was atrip to Mount Vernon for a picnic and theSmithsonian to say farewell to the dino-saur exhibit; a jaunt to visit the LincolnMemorial as well as the Capital Building;and our last day in Washington D.C. wasspent at National Harbor where PEEPS &COMPANYwas our first stop.My first thoughts when we arrived atthe harbor was how perfect and central ofa location it is for a vacation, especially astaycation in Washington D.C. There areseveral places for lodging, should you liketo go that route, such as the Sheraton andtheWestin, and last, but certainly not least,the famed Gaylord National Resort andConference Center. Tucked within theblocks of the National Harbor are a pleth-ora of shops, both fine and fast dining, andconvenient transit options to quickly getyou out to other parts of the city for explo-ration; there’s even a water taxi! There’s avery largeTanger Outlet Center right downthe street, just in case you didn’t get yourfill of shopping by the water.Staycations, vacations that are near oreven at your home, can be an absoluteblast in the D.C., Maryland and Virginiaarea. We live in a great place. Enjoy it,explore it, and be sure to experience all ithas to offer while living here. Lori Tupper’s children Jane and Aiden visit the Gettysburg Museum of History in Pennsylvania.


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OIL AND FILTER CHANGEOIL AND FILTER CHANGE, $10.00 OFF WITH A MULTIPOINT INSPECTION PERFORMED. VALID ON ANYACURA OR HONDA.Synthetic and all Acura Legends extra. Coupon must be presented to serviceconsultant at time of write-up. Coupons may not be used in conjunction with otheradvertised specials. Taxes and shop supplies not included. Dealership is notresponsible for any typographical errors. Coupon can not be utilized for repairspreviously performed. Vaid only at Radley Acura in Falls Church. We only usegenuine acura and honda parts.

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your skin but your own capabilities. Theliberty to savor the idea that nothing limitsyour journey but your own sense of daringand adventure.It’s the American journey, one of free-dom and daring. Rolling Thunder XXVIIis the perfect medium though which tocommemorate American service memberswhose freedoms have been compromised.It will be a ride in memory and support ofthose still shackled and in chains, fettersboth literal and figurative for those whose

independence remains an open questionand those who may never taste the diz-zying delight of the unbounded libertyfor which they fought. Often, when wehear the sounds of military aircraft buzz-ing overhead or ordnance training nearby,we might hear something like, “That’s thesound of freedom.” I imagine somethingvery similar fills your heart and lifts yourspirit during Ride to theWall. Hundreds ofthousands of veterans and patriots settingoff in a haze of leather and denim, churn-ing out that jarring, deep-throated gurgle ofpower.They ride for those who can’t.Theyride for those who served. They ride forthose whom they refuse to forget.

ROLLINGContinued from 9

PHOTO BY CHRIS FIELD

Members of the Frederick chapter of Rolling Thunder

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It is Waterloo, N.Y., however, thathas the official distinction of beingthe birthplace of Memorial Day, asPresident Lyndon Johnson declared in1966, according to the VA. Waterloowas the host town for a ceremony inMay of 1866 that honored local resi-dents who had fought and died in theCivil War. Decoration Day was meantto honor fallen soldiers from all U.S.conflicts.The next 30 years saw state legisla-tures nationwide adopt official ways inwhich to recognize military memberswho had died in combat. MemorialDay wasn’t recognized as a holidayto honor fallen soldiers from all warsuntil after World War I, which sawmore than 116,000 American servicemembers die.The mood of Memorial Day haschanged dramatically over the pasthalf century, from the celebrationof those who perished in World WarII to the political and social turmoilthat impacted many veterans duringand right after the Vietnam War, saidPeter Zaleski, national reports offi-cer for Rolling Thunder, a group thatorganizes an annual ride of around900,000 motorcycles through thestreets ofWashington, D.C.“I remember being told, as soldiers,not to wear our uniforms in public forfear of the kind of backlash you readabout and sometimes saw onTV,” saidZaleski, who served in the Navy for22 years and retired in 1990 as a lieu-tenant commander. “I think you see[today’s veterans] get treated with awhole lot more respect for the mostpart, especially around [MemorialDay]. It’s good to see.”Moving away from the military draftand toward an all-volunteer armedforces played an outsized role in cre-ating a camaraderie between servicemembers and the general public – acamaraderie seen in Memorial Daycelebrations of all kinds, Zaleski said.“Maybe it’s something we take forgranted now.”Marylanders, Virginians, and D.C.residents are recognizing MemorialDay this year in myriad ways.See pages 16 and 17 for a list of areaMemorial Day Celebrations.

FALLENContinued from 3

The City of Falls Church Memorial DayParade and Festival is an immenselypopular event, drawing 10,000-15,000 attendees to the 2.2 square-mile municipality.

The Parade features an eclectic mix ofmembers from the greater community,including local clubs and sports groups.


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MarylandStars and Stripes FestivalChesapeake BeachWith a focus on those who servedin the military during the VietnamWar, the Stars and Stripes Festival willinclude a family day picnic, a moon-light cruise, a Vietnam memorial ded-ication, a performance by the SamGrow Band, and various ceremoniesdesigned to honor all American troopsthat have died in the country’s wars.The festival will run May 24-26.

Memorial Day ParadeBowieLocal residents will gather in theBowie High School parking lot tostart the parade. Volunteers for theparade are welcome, and units canregister at cityofbowie.org.

“Those Honored Dead . . .”Memorial Day Weekendat Fort McHenryBaltimoreIn addition to special ranger-ledtalks Saturday-Monday at the Fort,there wil l be wreath-laying cer-emonies at Westminster Cemeteryon Saturday at 2, GreenmountCemetery on Sunday at 11 a.m. andLoudon Park National Cemeteryon Monday at 9 a.m. A NationalMoment of Remembrance in theStar Fort occurs Monday at 3 p.m.

Hometown HolidaysMemorial Day CeremonyRockvilleFestivities will kick off at 9 a.m.on Monday, May 26 with a musi-cal tribute to American troops. The

9:30 a.m. ceremony in the plaza atRockville Town Square will includemusic by the Rockvil le Concer tBand and the Rockville Chorus.There will be a wreath laying atAmerican Legion Post 86 and a21-gun salute and presentation ofcolors by the post’s color guard andRockville City Police DepartmentHonor Guard. Among those par-ticipating in Rockville’s MemorialDay celebration are the AmericanLegion Auxiliary Unit 86; AmericanLegion Post 171; Disabled AmericanVeterans, Chapter 12; the VietnamVeterans of America Chapter 641;and the P.O.W. Association.

VirginiaViVa! Vienna!ViennaThis three-day celebration will

be highlighted by a tribute to U.S.service members on Monday, May26, capping a three-day festival ofrides, musical entertainment, and300 vendors that will serve morethan 50,000 guests, according tothe event’s website. Sponsored bythe Rotary Club of Vienna, the com-munity’s Memorial Day celebrationmarks a major fundraising opportu-nity that benefits educational, chari-table and community groups.

National Firearms MuseumFairfaxThe National Firearms Museumwill host its “A Nation Asunder”exhibit on May 28, complete withweapons used during the Civil War.The exhibit will include a federalarms factory, showing visitors howthe Union manufactured weap-

MEMORIAL DAYCOMMEMORATIVE EVENTS


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ons during the Civil War, accord-ing to the museum, which has dis-plays of common weapons used byConfederate and Union soldiers andimported arms used during the war.

Ride of the PatriotsFairfaxThe 16th annual motorcycle ridewill be held on May 25. Motorcyclistswill be escorted by police on their wayto join the annual Rolling Thunderride through the streets ofWashington,D.C. The nonprofit barbecue organi-zation Squealz on Wheelz will be onhand to serve those in attendance.Theorganization will donate proceeds toveterans and their families, accordingto the event’s website.

“The President’s Own”United States Marine BandWolf Trap National Parkfor the Performing Arts, ViennaThis event, honoring American sol-diers, will be followed by a fireworksdisplay. The U.S. Marine Band, whichfirst formed in 1798, will play tradi-tional songs in honor of MemorialDay. The Marine Band is the only

musical organization charged withproviding music to the President ofthe United States and the comman-dant of the Marine Corps.

Washington, D.C.District of Columbia War MemorialWashington, D.C.The D.C. War Memorial, honor-ing more than 26,000 of the city’sresidents who served during WorldWar I, was restored three years agodue in large part to Frank Buckles,the last living service member fromWWI. At the bottom of memorialare the names of the 499 of thecity’s citizens who perished duringthe war. The restoration was fundedby the federal stimulus approved byCongress shortly after the financialcollapse of 2008. The District’s warmemorial opened in November 1931.

The Price of Freedom:Americans at WarSmithsonian National Museumof American History,Washington, D.C.This exhibit, available year round,prov ides a deta i led his tor y of

America’s wars and conflicts, fromthe Revolutionary War to the warsin Afghanistan and Iraq. The exhibitincludes the history of sacrifices thatgenerations of Americans have made

in defense of their country. The Priceof Freedom exhibit has first-personaccounts of many U.S. wars and myr-iad learning materials for groups visit-ing the exhibit around Memorial Day.

The City of Falls Church Memorial Day Parade and Festival is a popular family event, attracting 10,000-15,000 attendees.


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