I had three uncles from my father’s side in the war. They came from a poor family. War was adventure, a steady pay check, and a call of duty. One uncle was in the air force, two in the army. My dad wanted to go, but his brothers told him that the forces had enough of their family and that besides, he was needed at home, because his wife was pregnant with me.<\/p>\n
The uncles all came home in one physical piece, but were forever scarred by what they\u2019d seen. My uncle George, who saw action in Italy, had nightmares every night for the rest of his life. Back then, you didn’t dare talk about your fears or the trauma you’d experienced. Veterans kept silent about the horrors they had faced. But oh, how they suffered for it.<\/p>\n
Veterans Memorials On The National Mall<\/h3>\n![\"veterans\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/IMG_3158-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225\")
<\/a>Korean War Veterans Memorial<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"veterans\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/IMG_3112-300x225.jpg?resize=349%2C261\")
And again, given the recent American election, it seems fitting to tell you about our visit several years ago to the\u00a0National Mall<\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0in Washington, D.C., an almost two mile long public space incorporating a reflecting pool and\u00a0major war monuments<\/strong>. To stand there and look down that mall\u2014the Capital at one end, the Lincoln monument at the other\u2014is an unbelievable experience. The magnificence of the design in that open space underlines the strength and beauty of America.<\/p>\n![\"veterans\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/IMG_3089-300x225.jpg?resize=419%2C314\")
<\/a>World War II Memorial<\/p><\/div>\n
The war monuments are of such grandeur that you can\u2019t walk by them without thinking of the human tragedy of war. Lives lost and spirits crushed. Dreams dashed. Families broken. It\u2019s stunning to read how many tens of thousands have died for their country.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, it\u2019s a universal story. Every country has lost sons and daughters to war.<\/p>\n
We first stopped at the relatively new\u00a0World War II Memorial<\/a><\/strong>. What\u2019s striking about it are the bronze reliefs on it, depicting scenes from that time.<\/p>\n![\"veterans\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/IMG_3074-300x225.jpg?resize=448%2C252\")
<\/a>One of the bronze scenes at the WWII memorial<\/p><\/div>\n
As I mentioned above, I had three uncles in that war. They were from a small town in Manitoba; The Korean War Veterans Memorial<\/a> <\/strong>commemorates another one where Canadians,\u00a0 Americans, and their allies fought side by side.<\/p>\nThe Korean war was another war that grabbed its young, and those who made it back were older before their time.<\/p>\n
![\"veterans\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/IMG_3135-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225\")
<\/a>They Come to Honor The Fallen<\/p><\/div>\n
The last one we visited was the Vietnam War Memorial<\/a>. <\/strong>A massive dark stone wall with the names of Americans who didn\u2019t return.<\/p>\nCanadians didn’t fight in Vietnam<\/a>, but we know the story<\/a>. The sacrifices and the madness of that war played out daily on our TV screens in the 60s and early 70s.<\/p>\n![\"veterans\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/IMG_3151-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225\")
<\/a>Bronze Soldiers look on the Vietnam Memorial<\/p><\/div>\n
The Vietnam memorial touched my husband and I the most. Partly because it was the first one in our lifetime with no easy answers. And partly, because there are still plenty of survivors and family members who visit and pay their respects.<\/p>\n
There, we witnessed a father looking for his son\u2019s name on the stone.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Korean War Veterans Memorial<\/p><\/div>\n
World War II Memorial<\/p><\/div>\n The war monuments are of such grandeur that you can\u2019t walk by them without thinking of the human tragedy of war. Lives lost and spirits crushed. Dreams dashed. Families broken. It\u2019s stunning to read how many tens of thousands have died for their country.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, it\u2019s a universal story. Every country has lost sons and daughters to war.<\/p>\n We first stopped at the relatively new\u00a0World War II Memorial<\/a><\/strong>. What\u2019s striking about it are the bronze reliefs on it, depicting scenes from that time.<\/p>\n One of the bronze scenes at the WWII memorial<\/p><\/div>\n As I mentioned above, I had three uncles in that war. They were from a small town in Manitoba; The Korean War Veterans Memorial<\/a> <\/strong>commemorates another one where Canadians,\u00a0 Americans, and their allies fought side by side.<\/p>\n The Korean war was another war that grabbed its young, and those who made it back were older before their time.<\/p>\n They Come to Honor The Fallen<\/p><\/div>\n The last one we visited was the Vietnam War Memorial<\/a>. <\/strong>A massive dark stone wall with the names of Americans who didn\u2019t return.<\/p>\n Canadians didn’t fight in Vietnam<\/a>, but we know the story<\/a>. The sacrifices and the madness of that war played out daily on our TV screens in the 60s and early 70s.<\/p>\n Bronze Soldiers look on the Vietnam Memorial<\/p><\/div>\n The Vietnam memorial touched my husband and I the most. Partly because it was the first one in our lifetime with no easy answers. And partly, because there are still plenty of survivors and family members who visit and pay their respects.<\/p>\n There, we witnessed a father looking for his son\u2019s name on the stone.<\/p>\nAnd again, given the recent American election, it seems fitting to tell you about our visit several years ago to the\u00a0National Mall<\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0in Washington, D.C., an almost two mile long public space incorporating a reflecting pool and\u00a0major war monuments<\/strong>. To stand there and look down that mall\u2014the Capital at one end, the Lincoln monument at the other\u2014is an unbelievable experience. The magnificence of the design in that open space underlines the strength and beauty of America.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
![\"veterans\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/IMG_3148-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225\")
<\/a>![\"veterans\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Freedom-Is-Not-Free-1024x367.jpg?resize=640%2C229\")
<\/a>