With All My Love

My Dear Son,

I am sure that your mom will most likely send the letter out to family and friends. I am grateful for all the people who bless our lives in so many ways and if they read these letters, I hope they will find joy in them, as you do. I am also hoping to get Hunter to start up his Schenewark Star Newsletter, as it would be a fine family history document. I am also attaching this letter as a PDF, hopefully you will be able to see the pictures attached to the letter. Well, let me get started with the weekly letter.

I should start with our trip to Washington DC, after having dropped you off at the airport. As some know, I had a conference to attend Washington DC for some consulting work I do on the side. I am grateful for the work, even though I wish it was related to something I do with my regular work. The highlight is being able to go to Washington and take some of my family. Last year I took Hunter and you and you were able to roam the city while I was in meetings This year the idea was to take everybody (except you). The downside was that the conference was in August, when it is hot, humid, and buggy.

We made good time, having dropped you off at the Boston airport so early. We arrived outside of Baltimore at about 2:00 in the afternoon. I saw the sign for Fort McHenry, and have always wanted to stop there, and decided this was the time. Fort McHenry, you will remember, was the place bombarded by the British during the war of 1812 and which inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The fort is much smaller than I expected. I thought it would be like the great brick forts we have seen in the past such as Fort Point in San Francisco, Fort Pulaski in Savannah, and Fort Warren on George's Island in Boston.

The fort was commanded by Maj. George Armistead (his nephew Lewis Armistead would help lead Pickett’s Charge in overthrowing the Union at the battle of Gettysburg), who had about 1000 men under his command. The British ships were situated outside of the American artillery's effective range. So they were able to fire upon the American Fort with no fear of being hit. It is estimated that 1500 to 1800 rockets and cannonballs were fired upon the fort during a 25 hour period. Yet only four Americans were killed and twenty-four were wounded. 

I thought a little bit about how many battles the United States lost during the American Revolution and the war of 1812, in comparison to the number of battles won. During those two wars we lost many more battles than we won. If you remember the British burned Washington DC before the Battle of Fort McHenry. I believe that such facts fostered in our ancestors to have faith in heaven and to never give up. I have attached a picture with one of the cannonballs fired on that day, which did not explode. It is as big as your sister. 

I thought the best part of the fort is the visitor’s center. In the main room of the visitor center a movie is shown, so the room is dark. It talks about the battle and Francis Scott Key. Now I had to leave because your sister was not interested in the movie and I let your mom sit with Miller and Sawyer (your other brothers were there as well). So I was walking around with Breyer, and I came back in to the room, to see that what I thought was a wall was really a screen. The screen rose up and exposed the panoramic window through which visitors looked directly at the fort and could see (on this clear blue day) the Star-Spangled Banner flying high above the fort. It brought a tear to my eye, especially to see the audience standing and singing the national anthem. 

We left for McHenry and traveled on into Washington DC. As we traveled around the beltway we are able to view for the first time in many years the Washington DC Temple. This was the first time your brothers had ever been able to see it. So with that your brothers were able to see the New York City, Boston, and Washington DC temples on this trip. We went back before leaving the city and walked around the grounds. 

We got to the hotel, which is a few blocks from the White House. It is also near the Chinatown district of Washington DC. I do not know there was a Chinatown in Washington. So after getting your mom and brothers in the hotel room, I took Hunter and Cooper to walk over to Chinatown to get dinner. The two most interesting things we saw were the whole smoked duck (beak and all), along with whole cuttlefish hanging in the window. None of your brothers wanted to take home a whole duck. 

There was a Fuddruckers nearby so we took back some hamburgers.

For those who have read about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, I discovered another interesting site. Still standing is the original building of the Mary Surratt boardinghouse. If you remember your history this is where conspirators who plotted to assassinate Abraham Lincoln supposedly met. As a result of these meetings Mrs. Surratt was executed along with three other conspirators. The building had a bronze plaque stating that this is the Surratt House. However it is now a Chinese restaurant called “Wok and Roll.” We did not eat there however I hear there are many interesting ghost stories associated with the building, especially, from the 1870s through the 1890s, as the building continually changed ownership. The former owners document many strange happenings. Also nearby was Ford's theater and across the street the house where President Lincoln was carried in which contains the room in which he passed away. I took every one on a walk to at least pass by these buildings. Some other time we will have to venture in.  

Since it was so hot, Breyer and Miller had a very hard time and so Hunter got to be the group leader with Porter, Cooper, and Sawyer. I took your Mom, Miller, and Breyer back to the hotel while your other brothers roamed downtown Washington DC. It is interesting to hear what your brothers really wanted to see. Cooper really wanted to see the Air and Space Museum, so they walked down there. Cooper has been building airplanes, out of K’ Nex. He then tests the airplanes by connecting them to the ceiling fan. I came home the other day to find four planes flying in a fast circular motion. Apparently the biplane disintegrated one day, but he has improved the design and it is flying once again.

After seeing Fort McHenry, and me telling Sawyer, that the original Star-Spangled Banner was in the Museum of American History, this became Sawyer’s one item he most wanted to see. Porter was good to go anywhere, but we made sure that he got to see the giant statue of Albert Einstein. Hunter took your brothers to the National Botanical Gardens. He also took them to “We the Pizza” pizza place a couple blocks behind the Library of Congress. I was hoping to take your whole family to the pizza place, currently that is my number one place in Washington DC for price and quality pizza. Your brothers were very happy as well. 

I took Hunter, Porter, Cooper, and Sawyer out during the evening to see some of the memorials which are open. We were out till about 11:00. We first stopped at the Albert Einstein statue in front of the Natural Academy of Sciences Building. 

The statue is a block from the Federal Reserve building. Hunter saw the Federal Reserve building and wanted his picture in front of it so we walked over there. There are no change of barriers in front of the building to prevent pedestrians from walking on the steps. So Hunter stood up on the steps nearest the street and that brought down the wrath of a federal officer who yelled at him, while I was taking the picture, to get off. So we complied and then watched a Japanese couple walked up on the few steps, get yelled that, and have other federal officers emerge from the shadows of the building. 

We saw the Martin Luther King Memorial which is very impressive. I have a number of thoughts about that memorial. It is unbelievable that it was designed and made by the Chinese. I wish that memorial would have carved in the side “Made in China,” so that when you buy souvenir miniature memorials, which is made in China it would be an exact replica. It would be funny to see if “Made in China” appears on the bottom. It's also interesting to think of all the memorials, statues and façades on the great buildings of Washington, this is the only one where an individual is displayed with arms crossed. All the other figures (even military) display strength, but also openness. It would be nice to do a book on the statues and figures found in Washington DC. I’ve always thought about doing a picture book with the many quotes found on federal buildings...

Until I can finish, I love you!

Dad