This Week's Trip? National Museum of the Marine Corps

We decided to keep it local this week so Andrew could join in the fun!  He does not get home from PE and Health class until the early afternoon so he misses our DC outings.  We LOVE the Marine Corps Museum!  Might be the whole Marine Family connection;)  I had not toured the museum in over a year and was anxious to see the new wings.  It was just awesome.  My heart just swelled with pride for my husband and made me realize how proud we are to be associated with such an amazing organization.  We have met some of our dearest friends in the Marine Corps.  We are forever grateful.

Future Marines???

 Upon building the Museum, Marine families were invited to purchase a brick to honor the Marines in their family.  Grandma BoBo and Papa John purchased one for our Payne Marines. Every time we visit the museum we must make a visit to "the brick".

 Big A wanting his name on the brick some day...

 Sam calling Grandma BoBo to tell her we were visiting the brick!  See Grandma BoBo... Sam really was an inch from the birck!!!

 My handsome son!  Could you eat him?  He is just so adorable:)

 Museum outside.  The outside is said to be at the same angle as the Flag the Marines planted on Mount Sirabatchi on Iwo Jima.

 I love the Marine quotes around the inside of the main hall.

 Sam getting lit up by a drill Sergent in the Making of a Marine!

 Sam lifting a Marine's Pack...  Pretty heavy

 Oh Smedley... I have raised one to many glasses with in the walls of your Okinawa O' Club!

 Awesome new exhibits in in WWI and the early beginnings of the United States from the Revolutionary war through the civil war.

 I have been to this museum many times and I have never seen this!  This is a memorial to the Marines and Sailors who gave their lives at Iwo Jima.  The guide had me stand back and put the flash on my camera and shoot a picture of the memorial.  It produced this image of the boats landing on the shores.  So cool!!!!

 Korea

 The museum is filled with life like statues whose faces are those of Marines currently serving!  So lifelike!  

 Awesome!

 CUTE!!!

 Papa John's TBS' (The Basic School) Memorial for Marines who lost their lives during Vietnam.  

Such a great trip!!!  Next week's plan is to visit my cousin John on the Manassas Battle Field as we watch a reenactment of the Battle of Manassas or the Battle of Bull Run depending on where you are from!!!  We are so excited for this!!!

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