Friday, Aug. 20th found HYC members Walt and Peggy Switzer, Owen and Carolyn Smith and their son Tim, in the Washington, DC area for a performance by the Marine Band, Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Silent Drill Platoon, at the Evening Parade, Marine Barracks Washington DC.  This was a first time experience for the Switzers and Tim Smith, and the evening turned out to be just about perfect.

We arrived at Ft. Meyer, VA and checked into Wainwright Hall, the BOQ, and found the accommodations to be excellent.  Although the price seemed a bit high for a military facility ($170 w/taxes, etc) the quality of the suites, cleanliness, congeniality of the staff, complimentary soft drinks and water in the refrigerator, and complimentary order from the menu breakfast, the value was indeed quite good.  For the same type quarters off base in the DC area, the price probably would have been double or triple what we paid.  Carolyn met a family with 5 girls who were thrilled with the facility because all 7 of them had plenty of room in the two rooms plus the staff added air mattresses for the kids at no extra charge.

The Evening Parade   Although the temperatures were somewhat warm, the sky was clear with a nearly full moon rising over the south walls of the Marine Barracks.  We were the guests of GySgt Duane King, the Assistant Drum Major of the President’s Own, and the Drum Major on the field that evening. GySgt King was the drum major for the MARFORES band in New Orleans, when CWO3 Michael Smith, (former HYC member) was the Band Officer in New Orleans.

Prior to the evening parade, we had dinner at a new restaurant, The Ugly Mug, right across the street from the entrance gates to the Barracks.  Just a few years ago, the 8th & I area was considered to be unsafe for pedistrians to walk to the Barracks.  Today, however, with a lot of renovation and increased security, 8th street is alive with restaurants, shops, and just a great place to be prior to the evening parade.

The trip back to Ft. Meyer is another story for another time.

The National Marine Corps Museum.  On Saturday, we all met at the National Marine Corps Museum at Quantico.  If you have not been to the museum, you really need to plan a trip to visit this magnificent facility.  It is truly amazing.  Photos do not do it justice because of the interactive exhibits, videos, etc.  One particular exhibit that was exceptional was the Iwo Jima invasion experience.  A small group of visitors are escorted into a briefing room “aboard ship” prior to embarking on a LCVP (Higgins boat) for the trip to the beach.  Surround sound and a small version of an IMAX video puts some realism into the experience.  When that part of the tour concludes, the ramp drops and we “disembarked” for a personal explanation of the battle.

We spent nearly 3 hours touring the museum and only got through WWII, and even then, didn’t have time to really see each part of the exhibits.  Lunch at the “Chow Hall” on the second deck was very good and resonably priced.  Faced with a five hour trip home, we left without seeing the rest of the museum; but that calls for another trip.  Perhaps next summer we can repeat the trip and have a few more members join us.  GySgt King will be at 8th and I for at least 3 years and has promised to get us tickets whenever we decide to come up again.