Wash DC, Alexandria, USAF Reunion, Arlington Cemetery

UPDATE - October 7 - October 13

-- Driving from Jefferson to Washington DC 

First Stop: Alexandria Visitor Center

Every two years, my US Air Force buddies gather for a reunion. We all served as radio intercept analysts for the USAF Security Service, which operated Comm Sec and Tran Sec stations around the world. We select a different city each time, generally with one member of the group serving as unofficial host. When we went to Cincinnati a few years ago, my old roommate, Bob Schmidt served as tour guide. (I declined to ride the bucking bronco). When we went to Nashville, Mike Howk showed us the back door entrance to more than several bars and nightclubs. You get the picture.

This year, we went to Washington DC, from which none of us hail, but with which several of us have some contacts and experience. Dick Mason, from Connecticut, had a lot of connections and Howk had a lot of experience as his company's main office is in DC. So, we were in good hands as usual. They know how the trains run.

We decided to drive instead of fly as we have in the past because we were extending our visit to a full week instead of just three days as the reunion guys usually do. Our plans included going off on excursions in the car prior to the guys hitting town. The first visit was to Historic Alexandria, a place we had never really explored on prior visits to Virginia. 

-- Visit to Historic Arlington Cemetary Very Special 

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Ceremony

When the guys arrived we visited the Arlington National Cemetary where we had a private backstage tour of the tomb of the unknown soldier. One of our Air Force buddies, Dick Mason, had made arrangements for us to receive a back-stage tour of the proceedings that govern the daily ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Commander of the military unit assigned to operate the Tomb facility met with us privately and gave us a talk followed by a question and answer session about how the memorial came into existence, how it operates on a daily basis, and the significance of the entire facility. It was quite revealing and exciting to learn how the 24-hour process of guarding the tomb is organized.

-- The History of Spying and How We Fit In as Veterans of USAFSS

NSA Museum Tour

We also visited the NSA Cryptologic Museum in Annapolis Junction. As our military experience was devoted to communications intercept and encryption, we all had an intense interest to learn more about the art and science of intelligence gathering, both historic and current. It's a great museum and with the special guided tour that we received, it was more than expected. The tour guide was a former NSA employee who had many years of experience as a computer programmer for NSA. She was delighted to meet our team as she came to realize that we had been in the field doing the intelligence gathering that was displayed in the museum. 

-- Tour of War Memorials 

Another day was spent with the group touring the Lincoln Memorial, the WW II Memorial, the Korean Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial. Patti and I have been to these places before, but without fail, it's inspiring and moving to visit them again. At the time of our visit to the Korean War Memorial, there was a large contingent of Korean War Veterans, mostly in wheelchairs, that were escorted to Flag Plaza area of the monument. Taps was played and it was quite a sight to see so many visitors seeking out the veterans to thank them for their service. 

The Vietnam War Memorial Evokes a Lot of Emotions

Reading Update: Since I wrote my book about the seven major prophets that have acquired three-fourths of the religions acolytes of the planet in their deceitful web of lies I have continued to expand my research on the subject of religion and the existence of deities.

My latest source of historical perspective is found in a book by Ingrid D. Rowland, Giordano Bruno, Philosopher, Heretic. Bruno was an Italian philosopher of the 16th century who was ultimately burned at the stake for his contrary views about the motion of the sun and the disturbing unwillingness of status-quo religion to accept change.

In my view, there is no higher praise from a religious acolyte than "heretic." That's me, all the way.