Faces

My last stop before leaving town today was the National Museum of the Marine Corps. The museum is really well done. It features simulated battle scenes that feature original equipment and are enclosed in climate-controlled spaces. For instance, the Chosin Resevoir scene is chilled to give visitors a small taste of what the Marines were facing there.

At an emotional level, what struck me most was the Medal of Honor wall. It was divded into columns for each period (World War I, 1918-1928, etc.), under which the faces and names of the Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients for that period are displayed. The final section, "1976-Present" features just one lonely entry, that of Corporal Jason Dunham... leaving a huge, empty, blank space. Cpl. Dunham will not be the last Marine to make such a sacrifice for our country; it is only a matter of time before his face will be joined by others.