Honoring All Those Who Served

My parents and my son at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Today is Veteran’s Day and I would like to honor all those who have served for we would not be the great nation we are without them.  

My son has learned quite a bit about the American Revolution and the Civil War in school and through our travels.  He still has a lot to learn about both World War I and World War II which is part of the curriculum for the second half of this school year.   A lot of what he knows about World War II came from our visit to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans and the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. and from stories my parents have told him about his great grandfathers who served our country.

My Dad has also shared his thoughts and memories of the Vietnam War while we were in Washington, D.C. at the Vietnam Wall Memorial this past March. He had mentioned that back in the sixties there was little respect or honor for veterans, which is surprising since President Eisenhower made Veteran’s Day an official holiday in 1954.

Teaching our children about those who gave their lives in service for our country is important.  As my Dad is the link to learning about my grandfather’s role in World War II and about his own experience to Vietnam, I am the link for my son to learn about veteran’s role in the Gulf War and of course the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I want my son to be able to relay stories of courage and patriotism to his children one day so they won’t take living in our country for granted.  He won’t be able to do that if he doesn’t learn by example.  It is our job as parents to make sure our children understand that we owe our security and freedom to our veterans past and present, so when you are traveling make sure you carve out sometime to visit one of our country’s National Cemeteries or memorials.  Chances are when you are there you might run into a veteran, so make sure to say thank you.

Pointing to my Grandfather’s name at the World War II Museum in New Orleans.

My parents at the Vietnam Wall

Have you taught your children the true meaning of Veteran’s Day?

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The National Baseball Hall of Fame – Cooperstown, New York

For any baseball fans out there, a trip to Cooperstown, New York should be in your future.  My son LOVES baseball, so there was no better way to honor one of his favorite sports than with a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  When we visited last summer, we started our day early and were there when the doors opened at 9 a.m. and was ready for everything baseball.

The museum was three floors and we started on the second floor which was recommended when we purchased our tickets. ($19.50 for adults & $7.00 for children) We enjoyed exhibits that honored the greats of baseball and history of the game.  One of our favorite things was the Baseball Experience which was a presentation in the Grandstand Theater.  My son also liked the Today’s Game exhibit which displayed artifacts from the major league teams of today.

The exhibits continued on the third floor.  The Records Room and the Baseball Cards exhibit was a hit with my son and nephew.  On the first floor, I really enjoyed the Baseball at the Movies and the boys liked the Sandlot Kids’ Clubhouse.  

Going through the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery gave the boys an idea of the history that is behind the game that they play in Little League. When they looked in awe at the oversized stature of Babe Ruth and posed for their best swing, I could tell they realized that they were somehow connected to the greats of our nation’s favorite past time.  Baseball really is more than a sport, it connects generations.

Visiting the National Baseball Hall of Fame was so much fun.  We also enjoyed checking out the Main Street of Cooperstown too!  There were many places to eat and several shops.  We had no problem parking, but it is recommended that you park at the Doubleday Field Parking lot and take a trolley.  Parking is only two hours, but you can leave the museum to feed the meter if your hand is stamped.

You can definitely make your visit to Cooperstown a weekend trip. There are other attractions you might want to check out, like The Farmers’ Museum or Fenimore Art Museum.  For a small town, there is a lot to do.

If you head to the home of Baseball, I hope you have as much fun as we did and your baseball fan imagines themselves in the “Field of Dreams”.  After I publish this post, I am headed outside with my pink glove.  My son is calling….time to PLAY BALL!

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