05/26/2026
Though I have captured many patriotic images over the years, this post from 2017 remains the one that feels most appropriate for Memorial Day, a day when we remember all the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom. This moment in Arlington National Cemetery is one that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Tonight's post will be a little different, and a little lengthy, so I hope that you'll stick around, because the image to go along with it was one of the most impactful moments in my entire life.
Yesterday afternoon in Washington DC, after shooting a colorful sunrise, the clouds and a sprinkling of rain moved in. Having walked nearly 25 miles over the last 24 hours, I decided to go back to the hotel to get some work done, disappointed that I wouldn't get to make it to Arlington Cemetery. However mid-morning the clouds broke, so I called an Uber and headed to Arlington, not quite knowing what to expect.
I made my way through the visitor center and proceeded to walk up the hill, toward President Kennedy's gravesite. There was a large crowd there, so I decided to continue up the hill by myself, heading to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. As I turned to walk down Crook Walk, looking over the endless rows of headstones, heading down the hill, through the trees and up the other side, something happened.
I suddenly got weak; I physically could no longer stand. Literally stumbling down a few steps, my head spinning, I put my camera down and sat down. Emotion overtook me, and there wasn't anything that I could do to stop the tears. I cried. And I cried. And I cried. And as I type this, tears are welling up and rolling down my cheek. The enormity of that place, of all of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country hit me like 100 tons of bricks. Name upon name written on headstone after tombstone, some 21 years old, some 80 years old. Fathers. Brothers. Mothers. Sisters. Husbands and wives. I felt the weight of the place all around me.
Then something happened that I never expected. All of a sudden I heard someone walking up the stairs. "You ok son?" There was an older gentleman, looking down at me, his face full of concern. "Who do you know here? Are you military yourself?" I replied that no, I didn't know anyone and that no, I was not in the service, and that this was my first time there. Now it was his eyes that welled up, and a tear rolled down his cheek. He said "You have no idea how much I appreciate you crying." He looked to the sky, took a deep breath, fought back the emotion, wiped his face, and he said, "This place really gets to you doesn't it?" It sure did.
His name was Bill, a veteran of the Navy, and said that he came there every 10 years or so with his family to visit friends he had who were buried there and pay his respects. However, he said with tears building again, he was told that this would most likely be the last of his trips, so he asked his family to stay home, as he needed to go by himself. He told me story after story, of people he knew, friends he had, what he saw, and what he learned. He was always disappointed that he didn't get to visit his best friend, who was not buried there, but that he was proud that he would be one day. He told me "These men don't ask for your tears, though they would be incredibly moved to see the impact that this place has had on you. All they want is for you to say 'thank you'. It was their honor, as it was mine, to defend this great nation." We shook hands, and went our separate ways.
So I want to say thank you. To the men and women who served. To those who gave their life. And a special thank you to Bill who, even though we only spent a short time talking, took time to comfort me and make an impact on my life that I will NEVER forget.
