Security Issues, Arlington Cemetery and the White House

After we went to Ford's Theatre we decided to go to Arlington Cemetery.  It wasn't close so we had to take the metro.  No walking.  The changing of the guard was happening at 4 PM.  No problem we had plenty of time.  Little did we know we would have security issues when we arrived at the security gate once we got there.  A Gleason adventure!  Mike's license was expired.  He got it renewed Saturday before we left. He was told to use his old license and the paperwork for the renewal when he traveled.  He wasn't given a new license, that would be mailed.  No problem, we are set and we were.  The Spokane airport said he could use the expired one and they didn't need the new paper one.  That was not the case at Arlington.  Keri went through security no problem.  She was behind these videos.  Me next.  I showed them my passport and my items were on the belt on their way to the other side.  Mike gave the security person both his expired license and the renewal paperwork and there was a sudden halt to everything.  I asked if I could go through and there was no response.  The attendant at the gate went and got the police.  The police went and got someone else. There was a conference going on and phone calls were being made. We had no idea what was happening.  A nice official man said there was a problem because the license number on Mike's expired license didn't match the renewal paper.  Are you really Mike Gleason? It was explained to Mike and me that they had to run a check on him and Mike explained that he was Mike Gleason and this is what he got from the licensing department. The official man said he understood that but they still needed to check him out.  That conversation was repeated a couple of times.  I was listening to all of this and one more time asked if I was cleared to go through.  Do you want to wait for your husband?  I'll go through now.  I need to talk to Keri. 

At this point I had gone through security and explained to Keri what was going on.  Mike handled it just fine.  He just didn't understand why he had to go through all this.  It made sense to me because of teaching on the Air Force Base.  They have to be very careful. An official person came to talk to Keri and me and told us that the airport in D.C. would not accept the temporary.  They were much stricter in Washington D.C. than in Spokane.  That wasn't true.  Mike got through the airport just fine with what he had on our way home. This same official person also said that they see so many different weird things that they had to check Mike out.  I have to say Keri and I found some humor in this situation at the same time we figured everything would be fine.

Turns out Mike was released and allowed to come though security about 15 minutes later.  Mike Gleason is the real Mike Gleason.  Just letting everyone know.  He has been officially checked.  We thought that the licensing department made a mistake.  Mike called the licensing department later and they told him everyone is getting new license numbers and his temporary was right. Never, ever a dull moment!!!!  

Now back to the trip on the metro.  Not sure we would have figured out how to use the metro without Keri. Buying the tickets was a bit challenging.  Mike and Keri did some map reading and off we went on the blue line.  Keri coached us the whole way.  Who knows where we would have ended up without her! Pretty sure it wouldn't have been Arlington Cemetery. 

 We made it!

The first thing that we noticed was the amount of tombstones in the cemetery.  The white tombstones just went on and on and on.  Over 400,000 of them. You can see them way in the distance and everywhere you turned.

If you look beyond the tombstones in the picture you will see horses.  The horses were pulling a casket.  They were having a burial service in the cemetery.  The brochure we got says there are 27-30 services each week.  That is a lot!

Now we had to hustle to the changing of the guard!  Keri arrived first, then me, then Mike!

Click on the video to watch the changing of the guards.

21 steps across the black strip.  The soldiers stop for 21 seconds and then take 21 more steps to the other side. The guard is changed every 30 minutes in the summer, every hour in the winter and when the cemetery is closed the guard is changed every 2 hours.  The tomb has been guarded every minute since 1937.

We watched for awhile and Keri and I had to use the restroom around the corner.  We went by the Tomb Guard Quarters.  There was a security man standing near this and I kept walking to the restroom.  I was using the wrong door for the restroom repeatedly trying to open it.  The man did not speak at all but came to me and pointed to the correct door.  Silence even when you aren't right by the tomb.  Respect.

This is the amphitheater by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  

 Another view of the amphitheater!

 Next stop was the Kennedy's graves.

Only Keri, Mike and I know what this picture is about.  It is going to stay that way. 

Next stop was the White House. You can't go all the way to D.C. without seeing the house of the president.  

We were just getting ready to leave and head to the hotel where Steve was staying and the lights came on the White House.  Beautiful.  Nothing is done halfway in our nations capital.

Security you can see and I am sure there were plenty of security people we couldn't see all over D.C. We got to see quite a bit on this one tourist day.  We logged over 8 miles walking.  I feel very fortunate and blessed that we could come and see our nations capital. God is good!  So, so much more to see but it's time to get a good night sleep because tomorrow is the day we came for.