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President's Graves

On this trip with David we are going to visit the graves of five Presidents.  One of the greatest, George Washington at Mount Vernon.  One of the worst, James Buchanan at Lancaster, PA.  Three in the middle.  Woodrow Wilson at the National Cathedral in Washington.  John Kennedy and Howard Taft at Arlington Cemetary in Virginia.  The two most impressive Presidential graves I have been to are Lincoln's in Springfield, IL, and Grant's in New York  City.
     I have been to 17 of the 39 Presidential graves.  Most of them are very humble.   many are located in regular cemetaries.  Their grave stones are less remarkable than many others in the same cemetary.  I found this to be true of Buchanan's in Lancaster and Tyler's in Richmond.  Many are buried at their Presidential libraries, such as Hoover and Truman.  Some are buried at their homes, such as Washington, Jefferson, and FDR.
     I think Lincoln and Grant have such magnificent tombs because of their rolls in the Civil War.  They saved America and Americans felt they deserved to be buried in a tomb that was worthy of them.  Lincoln was assassinated and Americans felt he needed to be buried in a manner of a great martyr.  Go to Springfield and see it sometime.  The first time I visited his tomb the hair on the back of my neck stood up.  I was nearly moved to tears.
     FDR was buried in a pine box in his garden at Hyde Park, NY.  His was no better than those of the thousands of soldiers, sailors, and marines who died while he was commander in chief during WWII.
     Woodrow Wilson is buried off to the side in the National Cathedral.  The first time I was there I walked right by it without noticing.  Before I visited again a few years later I had read he was there so I looked for it.  It is easy to miss.  His name is there, but it is written in a script that is difficult to read.
     The closest Presidential grave to Minot, ND, where I live, is that of Herbert Hoover.  He is buried off I 80 east of Iowa City.  The next closest is that of Harry Truman in Independence, MO.

Comments

  1. dedasemajMarch 11, 2014 at 12:30 PM

    I'm really enjoying your updates, Brian. Thanks for taking time to write. Safe travels! Elizabeth

    ReplyDelete

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