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Monday, July 04, 2016

At WWII Memorial, a complicated question: To wade or not to wade?

The summer sun is blazing down, and at the National World War II Memorial, shade is hard to come by. You stare at the inviting pool, the jets of cool water spurting from the memorial’s fountain beckon you forward. Do you dip your toes in or, better yet, wade in for relief from the heat?

You could, but you would be violating National Park Service rules — as signs at the memorial clearly state. And, in the minds of some, it is also tacky and disrespectful.

Washington is a city of memorials — somber places where we reflect on who we are and those who have perished fighting for the nation’s ideals. It is also a city full of tourists on Segways and hordes of school kids in matching uniforms. Every day, those two worlds collide. How, exactly, is one supposed to strike the delicate balance between relaxed vacationing and respectful, dignified reflection?

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9 comments:

lmclain said...

It's not that complicated at all.
The sign says "no wading".
Reading might be an issue, but the rules are not.

Anonymous said...

Than change the rules. Chill

Anonymous said...

Yeah, let people wade in there... You can bet it will get trashed. You want to wade? Go to six flags.

Anonymous said...

If you are white , you will be punished , if you are black you will be allowed to wade or swim , they will provide life guards .
The BLM (Big Loud Mouths) will protect you .

Anonymous said...

Bet those people aren't even Americans

Anonymous said...


The correct answer.....





Wade for it....

The memorial is to vets of that conflict, and they waded ashore in N. Africa, Italy, Normandy, the Philippines, Tarawa, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima to name a few spots. So wading isn't out of place. The signage is the attempt to standardize the viewing experience. The fountain is there because the memorial was designed/approved by a committee.

Glad to have kids visiting it; perhaps they'll get a feel for what the real cost of Freedom is.

Anonymous said...

Agree 1000%!

Anonymous said...

He looks like Doc Ock.

Anonymous said...

Come on people.....it's a memorial! Not a pool! This would be like saying it's ok to wade in the 911 memorial in NY. If you want to wade just go to the salisbury city park fountain! NO WADING!