Well, in case anyone was wondering, which if you are reading this blog you're not but its still kind of funny to say, we are a military family. And if you know Christopher and I at all we're kind of nerdy when it comes to history, and all things military related. So its no surprise that some of the first things we have done after moving here have been military related. For this post I want to share attending our first Twilight Tattoo and our visit to the Marine Museum, both of which were absolutely amazing.
Now I'm sure there are some people that might be wondering, "What the heck is a Twilight Tattoo?" A) it has nothing to do with Twilight and B) it has nothing to do with tattoos. Here's a brief run-down :
The history of Twilight Tattoo began more than 300 years ago as British troops were summoned from the warmth and hospitality of local pubs by a bugle and drum call to return to the barracks. The familiar tune told tavern owners “doe den tap toe,” or “time to turn off the taps.” The troops knew the call to mean “taps off,” and minutes later they were back in their tents.
The modern-day call is known as “Tattoo” and during basic training the call signals the time to quiet down and hit the bunks. For the U.S. Army Military District of Washington (MDW), the call serves as a tribute dedicated to the vitality of our nation and to the sacrifices of those who forged America into the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is for our forefathers and fellow Americans that MDW proudly presents “Twilight Tattoo.”
The U.S. Army Military District of Washington (MDW) Twilight Tattoo can trace its own history back to the years before World War II. At that time, on the grounds of Fort Myer in Arlington, Va., the 3rd Cavalry Regiment held military shows during the winter months. The Military District of Washington revived the traditional show in 1961 to showcase the talents of its ceremonial units.
As Twilight Tattoo grew in popularity, the Army adapted the show, its location and the time of year it was performed to fit the growing needs of the American people. Settling on performances in Washington, D.C., throughout the summer months, has allowed for thousands of audience members to experience the ceremony and pageantry of the United States Army.
The kids had a ton of fun, and sat still and behaved basically the whole time. It was a super kid friendly event and there were lots of kids and they all sat in the grass. They got up and danced during the singing and it was wonderful. The one down side was the group of ladies sitting in the front, yapping the whole time...far enough way that you wouldn't expect to hear them but we did. It was frustrating and drove me nuts. But other than that it was a really cool experience and I suspect we will go a lot more during the year. Brian asks to go a lot in fact.
We spent another weekend as our "Marine Weekend" by visiting Quantico, The National Marine Corp headquarters and the Marine Memorial. They did an absolutely fabulous job on the Marine Corp Museum. It was fun to see the adorable little freshly minted Marines working the security at the Museum. We also got to see several military groups from other countries visiting, including Israel. That was cool. We also got to experience the Marine Corp Memorial when it was fairly quiet which was not. It wasn't all busy with too many tourists. There were several groups of kids that went through, and I was shocked at the lack of respect that was displayed. I mean, I made sure to give my five and three year old a pep-talk before we walked over and they were behaving better than some of the kids. And yes, I was that person that yelled at the kids. I mean, I didn't like scream at them or anything, but seriously people...they were old enough to know that walking up to the chain roping and swinging it around as fast as you can while Mr. Marine Corp that served in WWII is standing there trying to pay his respects to his fallen comrades, probably isn't a good idea. I will say that after I asked them to please show a little respect, there was a chorus of adults chiming in with a similar attitude. The statue is quite amazing and I would definitely make sure to make that a top priority if you ever make it to DC. It is much bigger and much more awe inspiring than I had expected. The story behind the making of it was pretty incredible. The surviving men posed for the sculpting of their likenesses. Very cool. If you don't know the story behind the pictures, and the fact that there was a flag raising prior to this one please take the time to read about it here.
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