Thread by @JerryDunleavy

Here’s how I’m spending the next few hours of #MemorialDay2019.

Gold Star Mothers Memorial Tree

Catholic War Veterans Memorial

The gravesite of CIA Officer Johnny “Mike” Spann — the first American to be K.I.A. in the War on Terrorism (November 25, 2001).

I interviewed his dad @JohnnySpann & daughter @NewsGirlAlison.

Left a small rock on his headstone.

washingtonexaminer.com/news/father-of…

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Gravesite of General John Pershing — among many things, he was the Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front in World War One.

Memorial for those who lost their lives on the USS Serpens in WWII in 1945 during the single largest disaster for the U.S. Coast Guard during that war. The 250 deaths included 193 U.S. Coast Guard sailors and 56 U.S. Army soldiers.

Section 60 of Arlington Cemetery —
The final resting place of thousands of veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

A small but beautiful memorial to those Americans who lost their lives in the First Gulf War

So I stopped tweeting while I was inside Section 60 — not pictured in this thread are the grieving families & heartbroken friends & kids still struggling to understand why mom or dad is gone. The devastation is palpable there — but so is the quiet pride.

Okay back to the photos.

Drew Ross — Virginian, newlywed, & hero who lost his life in Afghanistan along with fellow Army soldier Sgt. Eric Emond, both out of Fort Bragg.

Drew is loved by his family and, after speaking with one, I can say he’s missed dearly by friends too.

Left a token on their behalf.

Eric Emond — just a short distance away from friend & fellow Army special forces soldier Drew Ross.

Eric lost his life in Afghanistan in 2018, leaving behind a wife & three daughters.

I placed a small stone to let him know I was there & that we are grateful for his sacrifice.

Here lies Robert Michael Kelly — the son of retired Marine Corps General & former Chief of Staff John Kelly.

Robert Kelly was KIA in Afghanistan in 2010.

Arlington Cemetery with the Air Force Memorial off in the distance

Arlington’s memorial for those who lost their lives at the Pentagon on 9/11

This is the Beirut Barracks Memorial in Section 59. It commemorates the 241 U.S. servicemembers (mostly Marines) killed in a terrorist bombing carried out by Iran-backed Islamic Jihad. Behind the monument is a Cedar of Lebanon tree — this new tree was planted on October 19, 2018.

This is Chaplains Hill at Arlington.

Here is the JFK Eternal Flame

And, of course, before I left I caught the final open-to-the-public Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on this fine Memorial Day.