Today’s my birthday… I don’t remember it, but I know that my parents and relatives were filled with joy when I let out my first cry. Looking back over the years, I have a lot to be thankful for despite the many walls and obstacles that have hindered forward progress. I’ve done quite a bit – touched the lives of many of those who have served and provided a chronicle of events that will allow many to remember them in years to come.
I never thought I’d be this involved in history after my high school experience. I hate to say, but both teachers I had for history (World then American) were rather pompous and didn’t teach, but expected everyone to memorize dates, places and people… that’s fine if you’re about to become a repository for that info. My approach is to bring history alive and make it meaningful so people remember.
Over the past decade plus, I’ve taken a different viewpoint on the topic and it dovetails very nicely with my photographic & creative talents.
You can see some of the photographs (I still need an adjutant, an intern … SOMEONE to help ! Any volunteers?) on my webpage (www.John-Michael.net) which will take you to my online albums, my blog and my online store. (but those are just the tip of the iceberg – cliche – of the tens of thousands of photos that can possibly be posted)
I continue to uncover many things that people didn’t know or completely forgot about which is in tandem with my mission of
“Preserving the memories so others will remember…” ™
The first regimental calendar that I produced has gotten rave reviews by all who have seen it and purchased it. The calendar – “The Old Guard on Parade – 2009″ is still for sale and will be through MARCH 31, 2009. It will disappear from online sales after that date to make those that have been produced more valuable.
I will be issuing a COLLECTOR’ S Edition limited to 250 copies that will be more robust and AUTOGRAPHED by me… At a premium price. And once they’re gone. NO MORE CALENDARS FOR 2009!
The calendar has spawned the COLLECTOR’S EDITION SET OF 13 NOTECARDS drawn from the photographs that appear in the calendar. Those are now for sale as I work on the theme, content for the 2010 calendars. Yes calendarS … more than one… you’ll have to wait for more details as I’ve got other announcements prior to those becoming available. (I could do a screen saver if anyone would like to purchase it… “
As I’ve done with the Special Forces Association, I’ve extended my support and joined The Old Guard Association. I’m really honored to be an Associate Member as my credentials and welcome letter arrived in yesterday’s mail. I’m looking forward to the upcoming 11th reunion of the association in October.
Within the confines of those days from the first cry ’til now there has been more good than I can account for. I want to thank all of my family, friends, my advisors/mentors and associates for all that you’ve done and continue to do to guide me on this journey of life.
To all my Brothers in the Battery — “GUNS GO LONG!”
Thanks!
Posted 2 years, 11 months ago at 6:02 am. Add a comment
I had a glorious day today. A new friend who I met on Facebook came to Washington, DC to visit his dad’s final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery. When he let me know he was coming into town with his father-in-law, I offered to give them a ride and tour of Fort Myer and Arlington National Cemetery…
We drove around the Post of FORT Myer, and I pointed out the buildings that were once stables (Fort Myer once had over 1,500 horses located within the Post’s grounds. I learned today that it was a re-mount location for the US ARMY.) We then visited the Caisson Platoon as they were tending to their horses. From there, we walked across the street to view the offerings of the gift shop tended by the Old Guard Ladies Association (my guest wanted to purchase one of the calendars that he had heard and saw so much about – “The Old Guard on Parade – 2009″ … while there I let the staff know that the next tribute to the Old Guard would be soon available.
We finished our tour of Fort Myer almost, when I encountered one of the “watchmen” from the Presidential Salute Battery – The Guns Platoon. I introduced my guests to the soldier who promptly provided some great background on the work and missions he and the rest of the platoon execute.
From Fort Myer, we headed into Arlington National Cemetery. Me with my eye on the time so we could observe the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. After going around for a while, it was time to head to the Tomb of the Unknowns. I looked closely at the Tomb Guard walking the mat (they all look the same with their sunglasses on and their smartly presented uniforms) … Yes it was… a soldier who had been a neighbor down-the-hall when he lived in the same building… he was “walking the mat” as the guards refer to it (you can see the indentations of their patrol of 21 steps worn into the mat) I positioned myself down in front to the North of the Tomb to get some good up close photos… As the sentinel performed his duty, I got an acknowledgement that he knew I was there (I’m not telling how he let me know, but he did TWICE!!!) and greeted me.
My guests were really into the changing of the guard and “my” Tomb Guard did a flawless execution. Later we went into the building behind the tomb and I provided some background of how things came to be. To my surprise, “my” Tomb Guard came up to me and spent a few moments with us before he needed to return to the barracks under the building to rest before his next tour of guard duty. Thanks Benton! Great Job… Keep up the good work and my Boston based friends were honored to meet you!
One of my guests remarked that it was a true honor to meet that soldier, especially when informed him that the Tomb Guard Badge that he earned was the least awarded in the entire US military. The number is currently around 600 since the US ARMY has been guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns.
From there, we went to my friend’s father’s final resting place. He was 1st Cavalry, US Army and in Air Assault – helocopters… as we neared his spot, a Blackhawk lifted off from the Pentagon and swung nearby. I remarked to my friend “Must be your dad saying hello…”
I love what I do… my mission of “Preserving the memories so others will remember…” ™
Posted 2 years, 12 months ago at 8:18 pm. Add a comment
The day began with that “perfect” final honors I wrote about earlier at Arlington National Cemetery. The day for the soldiers of the 3d Infantry Regiment – The Old Guard – – began earlier their day with a regimen of physical training, then at 1000, the preparations for the two missions at 1500 in Arlington National Cemetery for MG Alvin C Welling, US Army (Ret) and RADML Chauncey F. Hoffman US Navy (Ret).
I found one section of the Presidential Salute Battery at a location between the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and President John F. Kennedy’s grave. The other section was on the other side of the hill to the North. The rain poured down as the soldiers waited for the commo call to begin their mission, and off in the distance, one could hear the other battery section firing the salutes for the Admiral.
It was minutes later that the soldiers around me got into formation and we saw the procession to the South of us for General Welling. When the commo call came through the guns fired. The photo you see above is the first round in that mission.
Despite all the rain and cold, both sections executed their missions with precision & perfection.
Upon returning to the North side of the Capitol, I meandered out to a balcony overlooking Taft Park. I finally found the Presidential Salute Battery in place going through some final preparation for their mission at NOON…
All attempts I made to get inside of the “FORTRESS” met resistance … the vantage point that I’d scouted out from the balcony became blocked by a line of buses.
I was forced to photograph the men and guns from a distance through the fence… what a drag!
I discovered that the GUNS were set up in Taft Park just as I had been informed by many who had done inauguration missions over the years. However this was a “fortress” as the Capitol Police officer that I had encountered on Monday.
Around 0630 AM I knew what the rest of the day would be like. I could almost touch the LMTV, but the signage said it all…
I have been photographing the Presidential Salute Battery for over 18 months since they truly are an awesome team of soldiers who are a “symphony in motion” when they execute their missions and fire their M5 – WWII vintage anti-tank guns in honor of The President, Marking the arrival of a dignatary for a wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery, final honors for either an General or Admiral.
So far I’ve accompanied them as my schedule permits, wherever they’ve gone. I would like to capture their work down near the Capitol on “the DAY” – it seems it’s not in the cards. Perhaps next time.
I’m a regular contributor / volunteer for a website called FIND A GRAVE that has the largest collection of memorials to those who have passed on. My focus on Arlington National Cemetery has been augmented by participating in this activity.
I was on a mission today to capture a few of the photos of gravestones as requested by friends, family or interested parties. It was the end of the mission day when I arrived at ANC after trying to meet with a local card shop who originally had expressed interest in carrying a selection of my greeting cards / notecards. I was attempting to show off the new calendars that are being developed. But I digress.
Even after all these years of traversing the hallowed grounds of the United States’ shrine to it’s military heroes, I still need to get an orientation at times when I’m heading into a Section of the cemetery that I rarely frequent. My first direction was to head to Section 3, a very familiar place since that’s where I spend time with the Presidential Salute Battery when they execute their missions. When I saw one of the caisson teams slowly making their way back through the cemetery to the stables on Fort Meyer, I decided “to roll” along with them. The soldiers looked a bit tired, since their day began by showing up at 4:00 AM at the stables to go through their preparation for their four-plus missions that they probably participated in during the day. (They spend their entire day in the cemetery…)
I clicked off a few photos as I followed them up through the McClellan Gate (original entrance to Arlington National Cemetery) as they reached the intersection, the team and the section sergeant turned left towards the Tomb of the Unknowns…
The warm autumn sun, shone brightly this day as the sunbeams broke their way through the overhead trees. One of the last final honors of the day was still in progress as I headed along the road in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns. I had the pleasure of spending a bit of time with one of the ANC security guards as I waited for the ceremony to conclude.
Signs of the change of season were evident and the harbinger trees were already turning their fiery colors. I headed up the road that borders Section 3 and the Tomb of the Unknown and the sun dancing among the crimson leaves of a maple caught my eye.
After my Section 3 work was complete, I traversed to the opposite side of the cemetery and headed to Section 30 (The original layout of the cemetery followed no rhyme or reason as they assigned the numbers to the sections. Some layout within the sections are completely confusing to me also!)
When I reached Section 30, I decided to “take the walk” and paid my respects to MG G.M. Barnes, the visionary who’s forward thinking has led to many of the things we take for granted today. I’ve called the man “The Father of Modern Computers”, since he was instrumental in funding the ENIAC – the first computer (Pennsylvania University claims its theirs, but without the funding from the US Army, they would have had NADA!) General Barnes was the head of research and development within Ordnance of the US Army during WW II. Another distinction is that he is the “Father of the M5 Guns” – the artillery that the Presidential Salute Battery uses to fire salutes to the President, Heads of State/Countries, and salutes for wreath layings and final honors of Flag officers of the US Army, US Coast Guard, US Navy and US Marines.
The 3d wonder that I absorbed as I headed to the last photo of the day was a rare blooming of crocuses (they normally bloom in the Spring!) in front of a US Army’s CWO’s resting place.
Posted 3 years, 3 months ago at 6:57 pm. Add a comment
I can’t believe where the time has flown. Seems like it was just July and now we’re staring Labor Day and September in the face. I look back at the past several months and realize all the things I have to be thankful for – I have been truly blessed to view and photograph things that many people wouldn’t even dream of doing.
In doing so, I’ve learned just how valuable the contribution our US military has made and continues to make to the United States and allowing us to enjoy what most take for granted.
Over these months, my travels have taken me to Tennessee, Kentucky, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, and many points in Virginia including Fort Meyer, Fort McNair, Fort Belvoir, Fort Monroe near Hampton Virginia and Fort A. P. Hill which is just beyond Fredericksburg.
From the initial contact with The Old Guard’s Guns Platoon over a year ago, research about the honorary salutes bestowed on the military heroes/leaders has been the catalyst in all this travel and now I’ve ended up with a stack of information and photographs that should dazzle the market.
several of the photos are on available on my web pages included in the albums there – www.John-Michael.net
Enjoy those for the time being… more to come soon!
Posted 3 years, 5 months ago at 11:07 pm. Add a comment
What a treat! Despite some continued periods of liquid sunshine, the remainder of the 4th of July, 2008 was just great – no it was
fantastic!
It had been several years since I made the pilgrimage to the National Mall to see the great fireworks display in concert with the ongoing Smithsonian Folklife Festival that is held every year the days surrounding the 4th of July.
Earlier in the day I had arrived on Fort Meyer VA to watch and then I photographed the 50 Gun Salute to the United States that was orchestrated and delivered by the Presidential Salute Battery – the BIG GUNS of the Old Guard – 3d Infantry Regiment of the US Army. After the tribute, the guns were then secured and attached once again to their respective trucks as part of the convoy that would head down to the National Mall.
As we waited in the convoy, two US Park Police cruisers arrived to then escort the “elite” convoy from Fort Meyer downtown Washington DC to the steps of the US Capitol bulding. It was an exciting trip as the cruiser pictured below ran constant interference with siren blaring and lights flashing (seems many try to ignore the movement of a special group, but the officer in the US Park Police cruiser did outstanding work that kept all on the bus focused on how expertly he “STOPPED TRAFFIC” and kept us moving!)
Arriving at the US Capitol, the soldiers immediately got to work setting up, positioning and cleaning their guns …. as nitefall approached, they donned their dress blue uniforms and prepared to accompany the Washington Symphony Orchestra with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The firework show began simultaneously as the roar and flare of the cannons resounded on the Nation’s Mall …
Happy Birthday America!
Posted 3 years, 7 months ago at 2:07 pm. Add a comment
There were a few special birthdays yesterday and one was brought in with a fitting ceremony that is expertly executed -
On Friday, July 4, 2008 the Presidential Salute Battery had positioned four of their WW II vintage M5 3-inch anti-tank guns near Summerall Parade Field on Fort Meyer Virginia in preparation for the 50 gun salute to the United States of America.
I was there to witness and capture the precisely excuted mission and here are a few moments in time presented for your enjoyment. Another contribution of the men of the “Guns Platoon” of the 3d Infantry Regiment of The OLD GUARD of the US Army.
Thanks men!
Posted 3 years, 7 months ago at 9:46 am. Add a comment
John Michael is a professional photographer living in the Washington DC area, who over the last decade has evolved into a dual role as a US military historian/student of military heraldry.
One distinctive hallmark of his work has been the photography of the final honors at Arlington National Cemetery & preparing a memorial book for the family or next of kin.
