World War II Memorial and other sites
Over the past weekend I visited the World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington and was touched to tears at the moment. The site is splendidly done, simple and dignified. The columns representing each state allow visitors to pause and think about the men and women from that state who served in the great conflict.  I and my wife were particularly surprised and pleased to find the columns for South Carolina and Massachusetts (my original state) were side by side. The four thousand stars, each representing 100 American men and women who died in the conflict are a sad reminder of the price of freedom.
I also visited the Library of Congress and saw the Bob Hope and Gershwin displays, as well as a selection of the cartoons of Ann Telnaes. In 2001, Ms. Telnaes became the second woman ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. Another stop was The National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles airport. The center currently houses more than 80 aircraft and 60 space artifacts. This will grow to more than 200 aircraft and 100 space artifacts as the ten story high building is more than adequate. Two of the many exhibits that overwhelm the visitor are the SR71 Blackbird and the Enola Gay. Two of the great airplanes of the twentieth century.
#201 (04-50) 
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