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The drive from R & D Family Campground in Milford VA to Americamps RV Resort in Ashland VA was only 31 miles and totally uneventful. Both are located, respectively, between Fredericksburg VA and Richmond VA (some 58 miles apart), and each gave me about a 15-mile drive from the RV park to the respective city. My early arrival in Ashland gave me an opportunity to visit the Richmond Visitor Center where I got some clarification and supplementation. You didn’t hear it here, but …. A) After asking where I could park near the Virginia State Capitol, I was told the visitor center is the “chaperone” for the spaces designated “20-minute parking for visitor center only.” B) I could leave my truck in one of those spaces and walk to the nearby attractions. There’s some Southern hospitality!
I still had time to make a stop at The White House of the Confederacy if I drove and took advantage of the free parking for museum visitors. Well, the Virginia Commonwealth Medical Center Campus literally has grown up, over and around The White House of the Confederacy. The streets are a maze of narrow, one-ways, and the towering skyscrapers dwarf the 1818 structure.
My truck was either A) too high for the parking deck (thank goodness for those PVC entry pipes) or B) in the uncovered section – too long for the designated spaces by about 3-4 feet. Plan B found me heading back to the RV park armed with two new attractions and more detailed information about my slated attractions.
Thursday found me heading to
Chimborazo Medical Museum in Richmond. The museum is a former Civil War hospital that functioned between 1862 and 1865, treating over 76,000 injured Confederate soldiers. There were ninety hospital wards each of which measured 80’ X 20’ and contained approximately forty beds. Forty times ninety – that’s a pretty substantial hospital. In addition to hospital wards, there were also bake houses, ice houses, a soap house, a guard house, a chapel, and five dead houses. I suppose that would be akin to an unrefrigerated morgue of today. With a medical background, I found the practice of medicine in the Civil War era very interesting. For others, probably not so much.
I had learned of
St. John's Episcopal Church on Wednesday at the visitor center, the site where Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech
on March 23, 1775. As I was driving to Chimborazo Medical Museum, I happened to I pass the church. After visiting Chimborazo, I made my way to the church were a guided tour had just started. Revolution was in the air in early 1775. Only a few months earlier, delegates from the American colonies had held the first Continental Congress and sent Britain’s King George III a petition for redress of grievances, amongst them the repeal of the “Intolerable Acts.” A mass boycott of British goods was underway. Boston Harbor still languished under a British blockade instituted as punishment for the Boston Tea Party. Amid these mounting tensions, the Second Virginia Convention met to discuss a strategy to negotiate with the Crown. The roughly 120 delegates who filed into St. John’s Church were a veritable “who’s who” of Virginia’s colonial leaders. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were both in attendance, as were five of the six other Virginians who would later sign the Declaration of Independence. Prominent among the statesmen was Patrick Henry, a well-respected lawyer from Hanover County. Henry had long held a reputation as one of Virginia’s most vocal opponents of British taxation schemes. During the Stamp Act
controversy in 1765, he had even flirted with treason in a speech in which he hinted that King George risked suffering the same fate as Julius Caesar if he maintained his oppressive policies. As a recent delegate to the Continental Congress, he had sounded the call for colonial solidarity by proclaiming, “The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian; I am an American.”
Henry spoke without notes, and no transcripts of his exact words have survived. The only known version of his speech was reconstructed in the early 1800s by William Wirt, a biographer who corresponded with several men that attended the Convention. According to this version, Henry began by stating his intention to “speak forth my sentiments freely” before launching into an eloquent warning against appeasing the Crown. Henry then turned his attention to the British troops mobilizing across the colonies. “Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation?” he asked. “Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled, that force must be called in to win back our love? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call
for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us; they can be meant for no other.”
“The war is actually begun!” Henry cried. “The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?” As he spoke, Henry held his wrists together as though they were manacled and raised them toward the heavens. “Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty” – Henry burst from his imaginary chains and grasped an ivory letter opener – “or give me death!” As he uttered these final words, he plunged the letter opener toward his chest, mimicking a knife blow to the heart. While some of the Convention’s delegates clung to their loyalist stance, the “Liberty or Death” speech tipped the scales in favor of defensive action. After Richard Henry Lee and Thomas Jefferson
both lent their support, the resolution narrowly passed. Henry was appointed the head of a committee to ready the Virginia militia for war. Henry’s call to arms came at a pivotal moment. Less than a month later, skirmishes between British troops and colonial minutemen at Lexington and Concord resulted in “the shot heard round the world” and the first casualties of the Revolutionary War.
The church looks nothing like it did in the day. Additions have enlarged the structure, and major reconfigurations have been made, including moving the alter and the main entrance several times to accommodate a larger congregation; however, many of the timbers in the original structure heard Henry’s speech. The docent’s story was very interesting, and being in the same space as this historic event was sobering. I made a stop at the nearby Patrick Henry's Pub & Grille for lunch and, with a cheeseburger, fries and a pint in my belly (plus a tip for the barkeep and tax for the governor), I was outta there for about $20.00.
I made my way to the
Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond and found a parking spot. As I approached, I was delighted to see that the National
The Old and the New United as One
American Civil War Museum - Historic Tredegar - Richmond VAPark Service (NPS) visitor center is housed in the salvaged ruins of yet another abandoned industrial building. Inside, the contents are toward the lower end of the quality continuum for NPS properties, but not every facility deserves the label “outstanding.” Back outside, I wandered around the historic structure only to stumble upon my next destination, the
American Civil War Museum - Historic Tredegar. For some reason, I had thought that Tredegar was a district; however, it is a company that remains in existence today. Founded in 1837, the Tredegar Iron Works was one of the country’s largest industrial sites before the Civil War, and the largest in the Confederate States. During the war it produced cannon, railroad parts and iron plating used on “ironclad” ships.
I have seen a few dozen Civil War museums, both NPS and private, over the past nine years of travelling the US, and, in my opinion, labeling this facility mediocre is being kind. Again, not every offering can be stellar. “A People’s Contest: Struggles for Nation and Freedom in Civil War America” is the attraction’s (from the web site) “new permanent, core exhibit” and “features hundreds of original artifacts, dynamic theater experiences and compelling imagery.” The exhibits are “organized chronologically
as well as by topic” and “each gallery within the exhibit explores an aspect of the War that occurred during the 1850’s and 1860’s. Political developments are interwoven with civilian experiences and military events, providing multiple perspectives in a multifaceted manner. Technology is used selectively to impact the visitors’ experience and encourage their engagement with artifacts and images.” A unique feature is “the large-scale colorized photos, designed to give the visitor a better sense of the actual people who experienced the Civil War,” and a “fracturing motif, with irregular shapes and sharp angles” serves as a “metaphor for the splintering of the Union.” Now this sounds like an art critic talking, “Interpretative text is relatively minimal and the color palette is modern.” Personally, I think it’s more fluff than substance!
Friday, May 10, 2019 I headed back to the Visitor Center and summoned an Uber for a ride to
The White House of the Confederacy. The Uber arrived quickly, and the ride was slightly shorter than I had figured, so I arrived several minutes before opening. That was okay as it took a spell to get oriented, because the entrance is not in the White House building itself and not in the building next
The Stolen Tea Set Returned to Its Rightful Owner???
The Museum and White House of the Confederacy - Richmond VA door to the White House but, rather, in the building behind the White House. According to the tour guide, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was attending church on April 2, 1865 when he received a message that the fall of Petersburg was imminent. Upon reading the news, Davis arose and left the church. The congregation followed. On what became known as “Evacuation Sunday,” President Davis and his family, his Cabinet and the Confederate defenders abandoned Richmond and fled south on the last open railroad line. The fleeing soldiers were under orders to set fire to bridges, the armory and supply warehouses as they left. The fire in the largely abandoned city quickly spread out of control, and large parts of Richmond were destroyed. President Lincoln, who had been visiting General Grant and staying nearby at City Point, toured the fallen city (April 4–7, 1865) by foot and carriage with his young son Tad and visited the unscathed former White House of the Confederacy and the Virginia State Capitol.
Because of the quick abandonment of the building, most of Davis’ furnishing were left behind. Union soldiers lived in The White House of the Confederacy for several years after the war ended.
A tea set was taken by a Union officer and returned to the museum by the pilferer’s descendants with a new, defining and authenticating inscription – (paraphrasing) “This Jefferson Davis tea set was taken from the Confederate White House during the occupation by Union Officers. Lt. John Doe, USA.” Now, how’s that for conclusive evidence? The tour guide during my visit was excellent and provided interesting anecdotes and the history of some of the pieces without stretching the verifiable, as in saying, it was reported that President Lincoln sat in one of these chairs as he discussed commonwealth reconstruction with prominent Virginia leaders, etc. The furnishings are interesting, and few historic houses can equal the volume of verifiably authentic artifacts as can The White House of the Confederacy. I highly recommend the attraction and ABSOLUTELY recommend an Uber or a taxi unless your domicile is within walking distance. Even walking is less than easy (Google Maps on your smart phone should work) as the structure is well-hidden behind skyscrapers and parking decks.
I passed
Old City Hall on the way to the
Virginia State Capitol (I was later told that the intriguing structure is undergoing restoration) and then wandered Capitol Square before seeking
out the visitor entrance to the capitol. Grounds surround most state capitols, where various state notables are honored. Frequently, those honored include the state’s fallen war veterans. Not so Virginia. Hmmm. Then it was off to see the building itself. The web site says, “Visitors enter the Capitol at the Main Entrance at 10th and Bank Streets,” and signs surrounding the structure say to use the Bank Street entrance, but the only “Bank Street entrance” I could see was locked. Seeking advice from the tour guide of a Segway herd, flock, covey or whatever they are, I learned the visitor entrance is down next to the street at the southwest corner of the block, out of sight to those who approach from the northeast, i.e., The White House of the Confederacy.
After passing security and getting counsel from the tour desk, I determined I had time to kill and headed for the snack bar for a “not really too bad” sandwich and chips before checking out the display in the rotunda of the subterranean annex. The placards have a nice, brief history of the Virginia General Assembly on one side and the process that went into the design of
the Capitol on the other. Who else but Thomas Jefferson was the architect! The Virginia General Assembly, established on July 30, 1619 by instructions from the Virginia Company of London to the new Governor Sir George Yeardley, is the oldest continuous law-making body in the New World. The Virginia House of Delegates has 100 members and the Senate of Virginia has 40 members. The state constitution specifies that the General Assembly shall meet annually, and its regular session is a maximum of 60 days in even-numbered years and 30 days in odd-numbered years, unless extended by a two-thirds vote of both houses. The 60-day time frame is given so a biennial budget can be passed. Their annual salaries are $17,640 and $18,000 respectively. I think that’s how it was intended to work – go home to your constituency and earn a living! The tour guide was interesting with plenty of anecdotal stories, and eye candy is everywhere.
Saturday, May 11, 2019 found me heading to
Scotchtown - Home of Patrick Henry in Beaverdam VA. Henry lived in several homes throughout his lifetime; however, Scotchtown is best known as the site from which Patrick Henry rode to Richmond in March 1775 to deliver his famous
Plain Might Be an Understatement
Scotchtown - Home of Patrick Henry - Beaverdam VA "Liberty or Death" speech. The Henry family lived here only briefly, from about 1771 until 1776 when Henry was appointed Governor of Virginia and relocated his family to Williamsburg VA. Scotchtown had been built sometime around 1725 by Charles Chiswell. Originally, the house was less than half the size of the present-day Scotchtown, consisting of a four-room frame structure over a brick foundation. The house was expanded to its current size in the 1740s or 1750s. Scotchtown remained in the Chiswell family until the 1760s, when financial hardships forced the sale of the plantation. Afterwards it passed through a series of hands (including Henry's) before being purchased by John Mosby Sheppard around 1801. The Sheppard family and their descendants lived at Scotchtown until 1958 when the house was purchased and restored by Preservation Virginia.
Patrick Henry (1736-1799) had a very interesting life, and I look forward to a future, less robust period of my life when time will afford me the opportunity to read his biography (as well as many others) from my rocking chair! Along with Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine, he was one of the most influential advocates of the American Revolution. He married his first wife, Sarah
Shelton in 1754. As a wedding gift, Sarah’s father gave the couple six slaves and the 300-acre Pine Slash Farm near Mechanicsville. The soil at Pine Slash was depleted, and Henry worked with the slaves to clear fresh fields. The late 1750s brought drought to Virginia, and after the main house burned, Henry gave up farming and moved to Hanover Tavern, owned by Sarah's father. There, he became acquainted with some lawyers, borrowed their law books and studied in his spare time. In due course, how long is unclear (Henry later stated that it was as little as a month), Henry applied for a lawyer's license and appeared before the examiners – prominent attorneys in the colonial capital of Williamsburg. They were impressed by his mind, even though his knowledge of legal procedures was scant, and he was granted a license in April 1760. He opened a practice and appeared in the courts of Hanover and nearby counties. Patrick and Sarah had six children; however, after the birth of their youngest child in 1771, Sarah’s mental health began to decline and continued to deteriorate for the rest of her time on Planet Earth. Eventually, she became a danger to herself
and to the children. The colony of Virginia had a “lunatic asylum” in Williamsburg, but its facilities were more like a prison than a hospital, so Henry refurbished the cellar at Scotchtown to make Sarah as comfortable as possible. There she lived out her life in the care of people who loved her until she died in 1775. In 1777, he married Dorothea Dandridge and fathered eleven more children. Now that you know all about the significance of the cellar, on the day of my visit to Scotchtown the tour was amended to include a rare peek at the cellar and the attic. I have no notion of how often these extended tours are offered. The cellar was interesting, knowing the story, but the attic – not so much.
My next stop was for lunch at the just-mentioned
Historic Hanover Tavern in nearby Hanover VA. I was quite disappointed on a couple of counts, not in the lunch (which was good and fairly priced) but in the building. First, I had to use my imagination to look past the white, picket-like fence and the young, immature trees in the front yard to see the colonial features of the structure. Second, there
Can You Imagine a Plantation Manor without Silver?
Virginia Museum of History & Culture - Richmond VA were multiple windows in the restaurant area which made for a very well-lit, bright dining experience – great for dining 2019 style. Third, there were no tours of the building to see whatever remnants of colonial America might have been preserved. Perhaps there are none. Regardless, the lunch was tasty.
Monday, May 13, 2019 found me off to see the state history museum, the
Virginia Museum of History & Culture in, of course, Richmond. For some reason not worthy of investigation, I entered the museum via the rear door and into a temporary exhibit, “The League of Wives: Vietnam's POW/MIA Advocates & Allies.” American servicemen had been taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese as early as March 1964. For years, with little or no information about their husband’s status, wives waited at home in silence, following governmental orders to “Keep Quiet.” They decided to take matters into their own hands, organizing privately, and challenging the Johnson administration’s stance, later finding allies in President Richard M. Nixon and the Congress. This small group of courageous women organized and formed the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia on May 28, 1970. They would go to extraordinary lengths to facilitate their
Exquisite Detail Is Everywhere
Virginia State Capitol - Richmond VA husbands’ freedom. I have never seen nor, truthfully even pondered, an exhibition of this sort, but Virginia makes sense. Navy pilots were many of those shot down. Where were the Navy wives living while their husbands were at sea? At the home port of the aircraft carrier. Well done and informative. Oh, yes, the exhibit continues until September 2, 2019.
Two other temporary exhibits, "John Marshall: Hidden Hero of National Union" (until September 15, 2019) examines the life of John Marshall, the nation’s fourth chief justice of the Supreme Court. His life span parallels the unfolding of the American experiment in self-government. Marshall fought for American independence and served in all three branches of the new federal government, but his 34 years as chief justice is where he made his most lasting contributions to the nation. Marshall developed the court into what it is today – a co-equal branch of the federal government with the power to check and balance the executive and legislative branches. "Oh, Shenandoah: Landscapes of Diversity" (until October 20, 2019), depicts the history of the Shenandoah Valley through a series of paintings that capture the beauty and vitality of the region. Both are very interesting.
“The Story of Virginia” is the museum’s backbone and relates the history of the commonwealth from the establishment of Jamestown to the Revolutionary War to the establishment of the tobacco plantation system and the railroads to the Civil War and more contemporary topics such as shipbuilding and mining. The main bill of fare is assisted with exhibits such as “Silver in Virginia,” “Landscapes of Virginia” and “Arming the Commonwealth.” All are well done and worthwhile.
Once I had become aware of the significance of Petersburg in the ending of the Civil War, I decided Tuesday, May 14, 2019, my last day in the Richmond area, would be spent visiting
Petersburg National Battlefield in Petersburg VA. Petersburg was the final bastion thwarting the Union advance upon (and, thus, the probable fall of) Richmond and, in turn, the probable fall of the Confederacy. The Battlefield is centered on the City of Petersburg but includes the outlying units of Five Forks Battlefield, City Point Unit and Poplar Grove National Cemetery. The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign, more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, was a series of battles fought between June 15, 1864 and April 2, 1865. The Siege of Petersburg was not a classic military
siege, in which a city is surrounded and supply lines are cut but consisted of nine months of trench warfare in which the forces of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant constructed trench lines that eventually extended over 30 miles to disrupt the supply chain to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's army and the Confederate capital of Richmond. Numerous raids were conducted and battles fought in attempts to cut off the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad. Many of these battles resulted in the lengthening of the trench lines. Lee finally gave in to the pressure and abandoned both cities in early April 1865, leading to his surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.
Grant wanted to defeat Lee's army without resorting to a lengthy siege – he had learned from the Siege of Vicksburg that such tactics were expensive and tough on the morale of the men. Lt. Col. Henry Pleasants, who had been a mining engineer before the war, suggested digging a long tunnel under the Confederate lines and planting explosive charges directly underneath the Confederate emplacement. Digging began in late June and resulted in a “T-shaped” shaft 511 feet long. At its end, the “T” extended
The Entrance to the Ill-Fated Tunnel
Petersburg National Battlefield - Petersburg VA 75 feet both left and right. At each end of the “T” 8,000 pounds of gunpowder was placed – buried just 20 feet under the Confederate lines. At 4:44 A.M. on July 30, the gunpowder was detonated in a massive shower of earth, men and guns. A 170’ long X 60-80’ wide X 30’ deep crater was created. The blast destroyed the Confederate fortifications in the immediate vicinity and instantly killed between 250 and 350 Confederate soldiers. Some invading Union troops circled around the crater, as instructed, while others tried to go through the crater. Since this was not the planned attack method, there were no ladders provided for the men to use to exit the crater. In about an hour's time, the Confederates had formed up around the crater and began firing rifles and artillery down into it, in what was later described as a "turkey shoot." Grant wrote that, "It was the saddest affair I have witnessed in the war." Union casualties were 3,798 (504 killed, 1,881 wounded and 1,413 missing or captured). Confederate casualties were about 1,500 (200 killed, 900 wounded and 400 missing or captured).
In the visitor center, I watched the requisite movie and
wandered through the exhibits. Most National Park Service Visitor Centers are very well done, but this particular visitor center has an excellent variety of photographs. Then I set out on the auto tour of the Eastern Front where I made stops at the waypoints, read the placards and viewed the site. In due course, I arrived at “The Crater.” A bifurcation in the footpath went either directly to the crater or to the crater via the tunnel entrance. Expecting there was a loop, I set out for the tunnel entrance. After all, had there been no tunnel entrance, there would have been no crater! Actually, I was a little surprised to see the tunnel entrance was still intact (although cordoned off), and one can look into the chasm 12-15 feet before the tunnel is blocked. One can only imagine the shock and chaos that followed the nighttime blast. My footpath loop suspicions were correct. Even yet today, the crater is impressive. I completed the auto tour of the Eastern Front, but as I was making my way to the auto tour of the Western Front, the drizzle became a pretty steady rain so I regrouped – Plan B, let’s eat!
The Cooks Were Hard at Work
General Grant's Headquarters at City Point - Hopewell VA After lunch and with the skies still foreboding, I decided to skip the remaining auto tour and set out to the City Point Unit to see
General Grant's Headquarters at City Point in what is today Hopewell VA.
In the day, City Point was a small port town at the confluence of the James and Appomattox Rivers and lay some eight miles behind Union lines. It had been connected to Petersburg by railroad prior to the war, but, as happens in war, had been severely damaged. Its strategic position next to the railroad and the rivers offered Grant easy access to points along the front, as well as good transportation and communications with Fort Monroe VA and Washington DC. When he arrived at City Point on June 15, 1864, Grant established his headquarters in a tent on the east lawn of Dr. Richard Eppes' plantation, forebodingly and ironically, known as Appomattox. Overnight the tiny village became one of the busiest ports in the world as hundreds of ships arrived off its shores bringing food, clothing, ammunition and other supplies for the Union army. The U.S. Military Railroad Construction Corps rebuilt the rail line west to Petersburg and then extended it southwest behind Union lines.
Quite Unhurried Today, But Bustling in the Day
General Grant's Headquarters at City Point - Hopewell VA Twenty-five locomotives and 275 railroad cars were brought to City Point by barge from Washington DC to provide the rolling stock. In just 22 days the army had completed the first stage of the railroad and had trains operating on a full schedule. The operation was actually quite mind-boggling. For example, on an average day during the siege the Union army had stored in and around City Point food for some 9,000,000 meals and 12,000 tons of hay and oats, about a month’s supply for my last horse! The only food not imported from the North was bread, which the army produced on site, but I do suppose the flour was imported. In the on-site bakery, commissary personnel produced 100,000 rations of bread a day.
My first stop was the stand-alone kitchen which has been nicely appointed with “action mannequins” and then to the riverfront as the skies were becoming more threatening. Inside, the NPS ranger gave me a brief overview and I was off to see the manor house. When Union gunboats appeared on the James River, the Eppes decided to move to the relative safety of Petersburg. That was a good move for us as the house
Not Lavish, But Very Nice
General Grant's Headquarters at City Point - Hopewell VA was mostly stripped during the Union occupation. After returning, the estate was refurnished with many of the artifacts taken to Petersburg which are on display today. Again, “action mannequins” provide a sense of livability to the rooms. Grant continued to live in his tent while the house was occupied by Major General Rufus Ingalls, the quartermaster general for the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the James. The attraction is interesting but of more value to those who appreciate logistical efforts than the general public. I made my way to Cold Harbor Battlefield Visitor Center near Mechanicsville VA. The small visitor center was closed on the day of my visit. I drove the short auto tour, making a couple of stops, and decided the hiking trails (without the foreboding clouds) might be the park's strongest asset.
Jumping back to Monday evening, with only one day left in Richmond, I was polishing the details for my next stop, Newport News VA (address or GPS coordinates, hours of operation, etc.). I took a look at the Virginia State Vietnam War Memorial web site and discovered this memorial does not include the names of the Virginians who lost their lives
in the Vietnam War. Instead, the names of the 1,304 Virginians who died in Vietnam are included in the 11,600 names inscribed on the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond. I didn’t ever know the
Virginia War Memorial existed! No matter how much research one does, it’s not always enough.
As so accurately portrayed in the movie, Platoon, men who had been “in country” for a while took boys who had just arrived under their wing. My recollection of Wally Corbitt when we met in early May 1968 was that of a blonde-haired, slender, wiry, hardworking but jovial lad from West Virginia with a pronounced southern accent and a “let’s go kick some ass,” fresh-out-of-Marine-Corps-boot-camp attitude. I took him under my wing and showed him the ropes as best I could. When I left country in December 1968, I remember telling him, “Keep your head down.” At Camp Pendleton CA in February or March 1969, I ran into a guy I knew from “the ‘Nam” who told me that Wally had been killed shortly after I left. When the movable wall came to my town in the early 1990s, I found that he was from Richmond VA, not West Virginia, and had
been killed by “artillery, rocket, or mortar fire” about five weeks after I had gone back to the world – January 27, 1969. It’s a little bit difficult to “keep your head down” when it’s falling from the sky. I never tried to make contact with his family, like I did with Rudy’s, because I really had nothing noteworthy to share with them.
Wallace Thomas Corbitt
RIP My Friend
I added the Virginia War Memorial to my list for Tuesday. I arrived about an hour before closing only to find that construction was underway for expansion of the “Shrine of Memory” and that I wouldn’t be able to pay my respects to his name directly. That’s sorta okay as I had acknowledged his sacrifice at The Wall in Washington DC, although I must admit I was definitely disappointed. One of the docents gave me an overview of the museum. In 1950, five years after the end of World War II, the Virginia General Assembly authorized the building of a memorial to honor and remember the nearly 10,000 Virginians who had made the ultimate sacrifice. A design was chosen as was
the location – nearly five acres overlooking the James River and downtown Richmond along U.S. Routes 1 and 301, the primary route from Maine to Florida before the construction of Interstate 95. He also pointed out an interesting feature. There are 24 video “shorts” about the conflicts from World War II through the Global War on Terror. Each video covers one of various topics such as “WW II: Submarines,” “The Cold War: 1947-1991” and “Vietnam: Helicopters.” I watched the (approximate) twenty-minute video, “WW II: Pearl Harbor.” There were a dozen or so Virginians who provided their own first-hand account of those events. Very interesting.
Despite recurring games of dodgeball with the weatherman, I had a nice time in Richmond. For a moderate size city, it is relatively easy to navigate but downtown parking is problematic. The history is just plain mind-boggling, and one thing leads to another leads to another…. I do hope to return, as always, if there is time.
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