When was the last time you visited a War Memorial? How did you feel about it?

First Ranger Battalion Memorial is simply awe inspiring. The dedication the 75th Ranger Regiment Rangers put forth as they made the ultimate sacrifice etched in history.

I visited last year. All of the names on that wall payed the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and paved the way for us. I gladly follow that path continuing to pave new ground for our future and I would do it all over again!

LTC Stephen C. was kind enough to share this photo on another thread (Dec 7, 1941)

https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/decemeber-7-1941

On this past Veterans Day my VFW post organized a wreath laying ceremony at our local veterans cemetery. It was a small gesture, but a worthy one that I'm glad our post put the effort into accomplishing.

The last war memorial that I have visited lately would be the Luxembourg American Cemetery while I was stationed in Europe. It was a humbling visit and got to the the resting place of General George Patton Jr. The other one that really sticks out for me is the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. That too was an amazing experience. The curator was so knowledgeable and gave us a tour of the surrounding Argonne forest pointing out specific points of interest where battles were fought and Medals of Honor earned.

Quite some time ago actually.

Beale AFB, CA has probably one of the most sobering "memorials" you will ever find. A black spot in American History, we should never forget.

There is still 1 building left that was used to house Incarcerated Japanese-Americans during WWII. I believe there is a "No Photography" sign up somewhere near it. If you're in the area and have time (quite a bit of time since the base is way off the beaten path), I suggest taking the trip. Its very surreal.

THis is the OIF/OEF wall outside Marseilles IL. It has the names of those who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. The one shows my friend Bernard Deghand. Very cool site and it sits on a river which is a wonderful backdrop.

As far as a National memorial, in my 20s I made a trip the Arlington National cemetery and Iwo Jima memorial to visit my childhood friend Cpl Ronald E. Eberle. Killed in RVN 10 days before rotation. That whole part of the trip tore my guts out. I have since avoided them.

I have visited several memorials,as a child, when my dad brought me. I've long since forgotten their names, but I remember the smooth granite and seeing all the lost soldiers names etched in stone, and looking at my dad with complete sadness, because I didn't want to see his name there. My dad was EOD and I selfishly wanted him to never join that wall.
My parents took us to historical battlefields too, like Shiloh. It was very quiet. It had a profound affect on me, as my parents explained the significance of that stretch of ground.
Back in Alabama, I would visit a family elementary, where many of my Confederate relatives are buried, behind their little white crosses and moss-covered stones, and wonder what their lives had been like.
The most recent visits to historical places included a Staff ride to Honey Creek, here in Oklahoma, where the placards told the story of the many who died there. At Honey Creek, there was a mound where they say dozens of soldiers still lay undisturbed, deeply beneath the earth. Amazing, and humbling.
A few months ago, as I was training at Camp Gruber, I took a tour with my own kids and pointed out to the crumbling structures that used to house German POWs. Near the front gates, there is a collection of art-work and statues carefully carved by those POWs. Looking at them, it's difficult not to be transported back in time, to visualize this time back in the 1940's when everyone's world was in such an uproar.
Sad on every account.

My uncle at the RI Veterans Cemetery