Every day I drive to work or the supermarket, I pass by the new National Air Force Memorial which was constructed last October in Arlington, on a hill just above the Pentagon. The memorial is 270 feet tall, evoking the “bomb burst” maneuver performed by the Air Force Thunderbird Demonstration Team. The three spires also symbolize the values of the Air Force – Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All That Is Done . In an effort to see a little more of my home town, I drove the great distance of 2 miles to check it out up close.

The view of Washington, DC was great – you could see the National Cathedral, Washington Monument, Pentagon, Capital Dome, and planes flying past them all on the way to their landing strip at Reagan Airport. The memorial itself had a somber feel to it – with two opposing granite walls – each with a series of noble quotations from Airmen, and the dates of what I believe were wartime engagements by the Air Force. As I tried to look up the 3 spires, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe, such as a child might have watching airplanes fly. It was amazing how the memorial captured the spirit of flight!

I tried to take artistic photos, however I’m not quite sure I did the memorial justice. I bet professional photographers have a field day with it, especially during sunrise and sunset. Definitely a little out of the way in comparison to all the other monuments on The Mall, however worth the time if you’re in the DC area.

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Read more about the memorial at the Air Force Memorial Foundation website.

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