RAIN OR SHINEArlington National Cemetery on a rainy morning in November

What a treat!  Arlington National Cemetery in the rain on a Fall Day with the foliage turning. Riding along with Central Missouri Honor Flight with my photo colleagues William Greenblatt Photography and Angela Barnes Bennett.  We are no strangers to rain and neither are our veterans.  We're just hoping the cameras make it through the day.  

IMG_4832 Angela Barnes Bennett and Bill Greenblatt (UPI) at the Air Force Memorial. Cameras are in fact waterproof!
Out of the heavy rain, a group of students showed up and greeted the veterans as we were walking to the Tomb of the Unknowns. As it turns out, Nanci Banks Bush a guide and fellow member of the "Guild of Professional Tour Guides of DC" had been tracking our progress from the airport on Facebook and met us there and later at the Iwo Jima Memorial. She has been recruited to DCA Volunteers Honor Flight as a volunteer guide to hubs.

Nanci Banks Bush Students gather to greet veterans in the pouring rain.

Changing of the GuardsVeterans and Guards participate in the rain while changing of Guard ensues. Water drops are all over my lens so a period of Van Gogh which I will not bore you with appears.

On the way out of the Cemetery, we stopped by the Women in Military Service to America Memorial and checked the registry.  Our ladies were up to date.  And we stopped at the Sea Bee Memorial to make a few photographs.  Missouri seems to have "customized" the tour as we make stops dependent on the individual veterans.  

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 A brief stop at Iwo Jima to photograph our marines.

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At the Lincoln, we assembled for a group photograph with the veterans facing the Lincoln  with their back to the reflecting pool and Washington Monument.  The reverse image with veterans back to the Lincoln is in my opinion cluttered with the many tourists on the steps along with the columns behind them makes for a confusing image.  In "Herding Cats", this is the "money shot."  It summarizes all your efforts which are visually supported by the vast Washington Mall behind you.  It also leaves room for type in your print and social media efforts. 
Veterans pose with the big scenic in the background.

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Michelle Sprye and Steve Paulsell worked on fifty five etchings (rubbings from the Wall) and I will soon have Michelle write a guest post how these unique gifts are done.  Missouri is the only hub that I know that does this and it's a great souvenir especially as Honor Fight is ramping up with Vietnam Veterans.

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The WWII Memorial 

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AND ON TO AIR FORCE MEMORIAL AND DINNER!

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