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Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-18-22

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14 I NEWS I<br />

May <strong>18</strong>, 20<strong>22</strong><br />

MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE<br />

@MIDRIVERSNEWS<br />

MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />

History at Home: Kicking off a summer of exploration this Memorial Day<br />

By KATE UPTERGROVE<br />

with TRACEY BRUCE<br />

The monuments of the National Mall in<br />

Washington, D.C., are definitely sights to<br />

see. Lofty and grand, they remind us of the<br />

sacrifices made to preserve our collective<br />

freedoms. They pay homage to the men<br />

and women who gave their all in both the<br />

creation and defense of these United States.<br />

But looking closer to home reveals<br />

equally impressive memorials, including<br />

the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum in<br />

downtown St. Louis at 1315 Chestnut St.,<br />

and Missouri’s National Veterans Memorial<br />

(Vietnam Veterans Memorial) in Perryville,<br />

Missouri.<br />

At the Soldiers Memorial Military<br />

Museum, there are over 5,000 names<br />

engraved on the walls of the museum’s<br />

Cenotaph (a monument to someone buried<br />

elsewhere) and its Court of Honor. Those<br />

names represent St. Louis men and women<br />

from every branch of service who gave<br />

their lives for their country.<br />

Missouri’s National Veterans Memorial<br />

(about a 1.5-hour drive down I-55) features<br />

an exact replica of the Vietnam Veterans<br />

Memorial in Washington, D.C., bearing all<br />

58,272 names engraved there. Impressive in<br />

their size and scope, these memorials also<br />

are rich in history – and are great places at<br />

which to begin a “history at home” tour.<br />

So, too, is Jefferson Barracks National<br />

Cemetery, especially with Memorial Day<br />

fast approaching.<br />

Did you know that the first Memorial<br />

Day (then known as Decoration Day)<br />

was held on May 30, <strong>18</strong>68, at Arlington<br />

National Cemetery?<br />

Arlington is known for many things,<br />

including being home to the Tomb of the<br />

Unknown Soldier, which celebrated its<br />

100th anniversary last November. Watching<br />

the silent march of the Sentinels as they<br />

guard the tomb in which three unknown<br />

American service members are interned, is<br />

both humbling and mesmerizing.<br />

The Sentinels are members of the 3rd<br />

U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old<br />

Guard,” who volunteer for this duty. To qualify<br />

as a Tomb Guard, they must undergo a<br />

strict selection process and intensive training.<br />

According to the commemorative guide published<br />

by the U.S. Army Center of Military<br />

History: “Sentinels guard the Tomb 24 hours<br />

a day, 365 days a year, regardless of weather.<br />

The military’s highest ceremonial honor – the<br />

21-gun salute – is the basis of the Sentinel’s<br />

ritual walk. The Sentinel takes 21 steps, and<br />

Jefferson Barrack National Cemetery<br />

pauses for 21 seconds between movements.<br />

After executing a facing movement and<br />

before walking to the next point, the Sentinel<br />

executes “shoulder-arms” to place the rifle<br />

on the shoulder farthest from the Tomb.”<br />

While there is no changing of the guard<br />

ceremony for visitors to witness at Jefferson<br />

Barracks National Cemetery, the<br />

experience of viewing all those precisely<br />

aligned headstones and journeying among<br />

them as the history of our nation unfolds<br />

from the American Revolution through<br />

(Source: Tracey Bruce)<br />

present day is no less awe-inspiring.<br />

Located on rolling hills that overlook the<br />

Mississippi River, row upon row of white<br />

marble and granite headstones stretch for as<br />

far as your eyes can see. Established and dedicated<br />

as a national military cemetery in <strong>18</strong>66,<br />

its first recorded burial actually occurred not<br />

long after the establishment of Jefferson Barracks,<br />

which has served as a military post<br />

since <strong>18</strong>26. Ironically, that first burial was<br />

See HISTORY AT HOME, page 30<br />

Obstetrical Associates of St. Luke’s Open House<br />

Meet and Greet with Matthew Bialko, MD, and Osman Chaudhry, MD, obstetrics and gynecology specialists.<br />

Wednesday, May 25 • 4-6 p.m.<br />

Obstetrical Associates of St. Luke’s<br />

5551 WingHaven Blvd.• O’Fallon, MO 63368<br />

You are invited to an open house to meet the physicians, their team and<br />

visit the office. Enjoy light refreshments, giveaways and sign up for<br />

a register to win drawing!<br />

For over 40 years, Obstetrical Associates of St. Luke’s has provided quality<br />

healthcare for women in the Greater St. Louis Area. In addition to wellness<br />

exams and prenatal care, our physicians specialize in the treatment of<br />

more complicated conditions, such as endometriosis, infertility, uterine<br />

fibroids, urinary incontinence and difficult obstetrical cases.<br />

We are accepting new patients. If you would like to schedule an<br />

appointment, call 314-576-9797.<br />

stlukes-stl.com/medicalgroup<br />

2-4017<br />

Bialko & Chaudhry Ad 2-4017.indd 1<br />

5/9/<strong>22</strong> 1:04 PM

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