Veterans Day Ride – November 11th

[Judd]

I’m hosting a Veteran’s Day themed bike ride on Sunday, November 11th. This year is the 100th Anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I (signed at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month). I’ll share a couple of tidbits of information at each stop about the Memorial. I’ve included two stops that many people probably haven’t been to before (including one I haven’t visited). Pace will be casual. The ride should take 2:30 hours depending on how much people want to walk around and take pictures. There’s multiple restrooms on the route.

Gather: Velo Cafe (730 Maine Ave in DC) starting at 10:30 – They have coffee and pastries
Roll out at 11 in honor of the signing of the Armistice

Planned stops:
American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial
WWII Memorial
DC War Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Navy – Merchant Marine Memorial
Air Force Memorial
Marine Corps Memorial

If anyone wants to grab lunch afterwards, we’ll pick a place at the end of the ride. Hope to see you guys there.

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Topic

[Starduster]

Rolling out on the 11th month, 11th day, 11th hour.

Perfect.

Sunday…I might be able to make this one.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Ferdinand Foch wrote:

This is not a peace. It is an armistice for twenty years.

I’m in! (maybe not if the weather is shit)

[Judd]

@TwoWheelsDC 182440 wrote:

I’m in! (maybe not if the weather is shit)

Current forecast is a high of 50 and sunny. I hope it holds. I was at the Marine Corps Memorial this morning and wanted to blurt out random trivia about it that none of the five year olds that I was with would be interested in.

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[Starduster]

@Judd 182446 wrote:

Current forecast is a high of 50 and sunny. I hope it holds. I was at the Marine Corps Memorial this morning and wanted to blurt out random trivia about it that none of the five year olds that I was with would be interested in.

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It just might. Rebecca Rusch’s ride on the 10th may have weather to deal with.

[AFHokie]

I can’t make it (wedding anniversary), but you may want to consider including the site of the future WWI Memorial at Pershing Park, the DC War Memorial and you’ll essentially roll by/around the Women’s Memorial in ANC.

[Bob James]

I plan on going. Thanks for organizing.

[streetsmarts]

Sounds great. Bummed I’ll miss it as I’ll be out of town

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[Judd]

@AFHokie 182450 wrote:

I can’t make it (wedding anniversary), but you may want to consider including the site of the future WWI Memorial at Pershing Park, the DC War Memorial and you’ll essentially roll by/around the Women’s Memorial in ANC.

Happy Anniversary! All good suggestions.

I thought about Pershing Park and the future WWI memorial since it came up while researching. There’s some interesting history about how and why things are built or not built in certain places. I’ll probably hit on this at the Air Force Memorial because there was a lot of wrangling over the site for it including a lawsuit.

We’re stopping off at the DC War Memorial, which is informally referred to as the World War I Memorial.

I also thought about the Women’s Memorial at ANC, but the last time I went to ANC on Veteran’s Day it was insanely busy. I also thought about the ANC as a way to work in the Army since we’re hitting sites for the Navy, Air Force and Marines. The Memorial Bridge Detour is also a death trap and I’d like to keep my record of not killing anyone on a group ride going.

If turn out is good for this ride and people enjoy it, I’ll likely do it again and try to work in ANC and Pershing Park. I’m planning on doing a President’s Day Ride again since the past two were well attended. I think the Lincoln theme worked well last year and I’ve preliminarily thought about a George Washington theme for 2019.

[CaseyKane50]

@Judd 182459 wrote:

Happy Anniversary! All good suggestions.

I also thought about the ANC as a way to work in the Army since we’re hitting sites for the Navy, Air Force and Marines. The Memorial Bridge Detour is also a death trap and I’d like to keep my record of not killing anyone on a group ride going.

If you want an Army memorial, you could swing by the Second Division Memorial in President’s Park at 17th and Constitution.

From the National Park Service

This memorial honors the 17,660 dead who served. in the Second Division of the United States Army. It was originally built to commemorate the division’s casualties in World War I and was dedicated on July 18, 1936. Later, two wings were dedicated on June 20, 1962, with significant battles of World War II inscribed on the west and of the Korean War on the east.

This granite shaft, built in the form of a great open doorway, has two wreaths carved in relief flanking the entrance.

Guarding the gateway is an 18-foot-tall flaming sword, symbolically blocking the German advance to Paris. The Second Division’s insignia, an Indian head within a star, is embossed on the sword’s handle (or hilt).

[MrTinDC]

Sounds like a good ride – very bummed I can’t make it, as I will be in NYC that weekend. Maybe at 11 AM I can visit Doughboy Park in Woodside, pretty close to my brother’s place. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughboy_Park

[dbb]

For another Army memorial, how about the First Division (Big Red One) memorial in President’s Park?

If you want to be a bit cryptic, the National Building Museum at 5th and F. First home of the VA (before there was one) and designed by the gent that created Arlington Cemetery and much of the Federal core of Washington.

[Judd]

I love all the crowd sourced ideas. Keep them coming.

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[bikesnick]

A commemoration for WWI casualties is the Peace Cross in Bladensburg. The memorial has been involved in court cases (separation of church and state) and last Friday the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Women are veterans too: https://www.womensmemorial.org/visit

[Judd]

@bikesnick 182492 wrote:

A commemoration for WWI casualties is the Peace Cross in Bladensburg. The memorial has been involved in court cases (separation of church and state) and last Friday the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.

Oooh that’s interesting. I don’t venture much off the trail in Bladensburg so I wouldn’t have found this. Thank you!

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[Author]

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