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