November 11 is the Veterans Day holiday in the USA. Susan and I decided to use this beautiful fall day to make a visit to her parent’s gravesite at the national cemetery in Quantico, Virginia. Veterans Day began as Armistice Day, a commemoration of the end of World War I, and is related to Remembrance Day observed in many countries.

The county schools did not have a holiday (they were off last week), but school opening was delayed. So, after we dropped Julia off at her high school at 10:00 a.m., we bought a bouquet of flowers and headed on the road for Quantico, about 20 miles (33 km) south of Springfield. We were up for a leisurely fall drive, and so eschewed Interstate Highway I-95. Instead, we followed Richmond Road (US Highway 1) to Prince William County and through the communities of Woodbridge, Dale City, Dumfries, and Triangle. The route is suburban corridor traffic much of the way, but we were not pressed for time. 

Quantico, Virginia, is probably best known as home to a large Marine Corps base and the site of the FBI Academy. Quantico National Cemetery is located on former base land. Most national cemeteries in the region date to the Civil War. But Quantico National Cemetery opened in 1983 as a burial place for veterans of 20^th century conflicts. It’s a pretty site, forested, and adjacent to Prince William Forest Park.

We arrived at the cemetery a little before 11:00 a.m. A formal observance ceremony with speakers and a Marine Band and color guard was about to start at the 11^th hour. We did not attend, but instead drove around the loop roads to the grave site. Commemorative flags lined the roadways. Susan’s father passed in 1989 and her mother in 2006. Her father had served in World War II and landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. (I wish I had had the opportunity to know him longer than I did.) We left the flowers and spent a few minutes at the site. The fall colors were already past their peak, but the remaining colors and branches stood out against the bright blue sky and strong sunlight.

On the return, we again followed Richmond Road. I made a stop in town of Dumfries, just up the road from Quantico, to investigate Williams Ordinary. Williams Ordinary was a tavern built in the 1760s when Dumfries was an important tobacco port on the Potomac River. The large brick structure is impressive--it’s larger than the contemporary 18^th century taverns one encounters in Colonial Williamsburg. The building remained in use as a hotel until modern times. It’s now closed, but preserved, and interpretive historical markers are nearby.

We were heading to the swimming pool on base from the barracks.  The swimming pool had a high dive and a low dive.  It was our hangout spot for us Barracks living Marines.    The weekends sometimes were long and hot and boring so whatever we could do to enjoy ourselves we did.  We tried not to act younger than the dependent children that would go to the pool with their parents,  but is sure was hard.  I miss the good ole days of barracks life in the USMC. 

I was stationed in Quantico, VA and had just purchased my new Jeep Wrangler.  At least then it was new.  I was taught by my dad to take care of myself all the time since I have no brothers or sisters to help me out. 

I went to the hobby shop on base at Quantico and attempted to do my own tune up.  Needless to say,  I had a lot of assistance since it was my first time.  I can do Oil changes lickety split, but tune ups are a little more intricate. 

It was fun,  cleaning the parts like we clean our weapons in the USMC!!!!!

For the best Wings in Quantico. Every Welcome aboard, Going away, Retirement, Promotion, we all headed to the "Watering Hole" for the Best wings and for you Beer Drinkers, enjoy the beer too. Many different 'temperatures' of the wings to enjoy. Try the hottest ones there and see if you can eat more than four! Semper Fi.

Not as part of hour road trip but still with my visitor from Germany we decided to drive the 30 minutes to Quantico to go see the Marine Corps Museum. After all the driving we had done it felt like a 5 minute ride.
The museum is free of charge and brand new. It was opened November 13th, 2006. This was my second visit. The museum is basically a tribute to all Marines past, present and future. It is parted in 7 sections plus an art gallery. The seven sections include the Korean and Vietnam war, World War II and a walk through on how to become a Marine from getting the first haircut to going into action. Very interesting to see. Plus many displays of helicopters, planes, historic events and so on. Most memorable is the section on Iwo Jima to me. There are a view TV sections where you can get even more information on certain events if the posters on the walls are not enough. I recommend this place for a rainy day when you feel like learning something about your country's heroes.