Virginia
Arlington
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Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is comprised of land that once belonged to George Washington Parke Custis, grandson of Martha Washington and adopted son of George Washington. In 1857, Custis willed the property to his only surviving daughter Mary Anna Randolph Custis, who was married to Robert E. Lee. After the Lee family vacated the property at the onset of the Civil War in 1861, federal troops used the land as a camp and headquarters - beginning on May 24, 1861. In 1863, the government established Freedman's Village on the estate as a way to assist slaves transitioning to freedom. The village provided housing, education, employment training, and medical care. A property tax dispute, amounting to just over $92.07 cost the Lee family their home and in January 1864, the U.S. government purchased the property for $26,800 at public auction. After Mary Lee's death, her son, George Washington Custis Lee sued in 1882 for the return of the property and won a Supreme Court case. He then sold the property to the federal government for $150,000. |
Iwo Jima
On February 19, 1945 about 70,000 marines invaded the small Pacific Island of Iwo Jima which was under control of the Japanese army. The island was a strategic objective due to its airfield which was used for kamikaze attacks. One of the first objectives in the attack was capturing Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the island. Later that day, a much larger flag was raised by five Marines and a Navy corpsman. The raising was witnessed by news photographer Joe Rosenthal whose pulitzer prize winning picture of the flag raising would become a symbol of the war in the Pacific. The battle of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest in the war, with more than 6,800 American and 23,000 Japanese casualties. Of the six soldiers shown on Rosenthal's picture, only three survived the war. The other three were killed during further battle at Iwo Jima. |
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Air Force Memorial
The Memorial itself is 270 feet high and appears to be soaring. Its array of arcs against the sky evokes a modern image of flight by jet and space vehicles. At the same time, it enshrines the past in permanent remembrance of the pioneers of flight who came before, and pays homage to those of the future. Once the decision was made to incorporate vertical elements, the number three became important. “Three” is resonant with significant associations for the Air Force, including the three core values of today: Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do. It is also the smallest number of elements needed to define and enclose a space. The spires are asymmetrical and dynamic. Each is a different height, causing the view of the Memorial to be different at every angle. |
Alexandria
Mount Vernon
George Washington's dwelling began as a one and one-half story farmhouse built in 1735 by his father, Augustine, and received its well-known name during the ownership of George's half-brother Lawrence. George acquired Mount Vernon in 1754, and during the next 45 years he slowly enlarged it to create the 21-room residence we see today. Washington personally supervised all these changes, advising on design, construction and decoration—even when away at war. He provided his home with architectural features that expressed his growing status first as a Virginia gentleman and ultimately as America's most prominent citizen. |
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Chesapeake Bay
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Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
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Jamestown
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Colonial National Historic Park - Jamestown
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Norfolk
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Norfolk Botanical Garden
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Virginia Beach
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Cape Henry Lighthouse
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First Landing State Park
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Yorktown
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Colonial National Historic Park - Yorktown
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