When I hear a rumble overhead in Arlington...

[YOY]

My wife, baby girl, and myself live in a small house in Arlington. We rather lucked out in the rents as a great friend was moving out and had a good price locked in with the landlord on this little 2 bedroom brick home of the kind that proliferates south Arlington. A great neighborhood and so close to DC that my commute takes less than 40 minutes on a good day of non-stop public transportation. We would love to buy, but the houses in the area similar to ours are near a half million. The neighbors are friendly and trees line the suburban streets. Squirrels chase each other through the tiny parks and small yards. The smell of restaurants a few blocks away sometimes wafts on over to the homes there. Dogs bark and the hum of traffic is never too far. Many of the sounds of a peaceful near urban neighborhood flow through the air. There is one exception to the rule, especially on Saturday in Arlington.

Saturdays in Arlington in times of war have a special sound to them: the rumble of jet engines. They always perk up my ears and bring about old fears of missiles flying overhead or low flying planes on a disaster course. My better sense gets a hold of me immediately and chases away my paranoia. The jets are flying in formation over Arlington National Cemetery less than 2 miles away from my house. Then it hits me:

Somebody is dead.

Somebody died in Iraq (or possibly Afghanistan.)

Somebody died in service to their country.

Somebody was told that they died for freedom.

Somebody died for Haliburton, Oil, and the Military Industrial Complex.

Somebody close received a folded flag and medals.

Somebody mourning did a suppressed jump when the rifles were fired in the air in salute.

Somebody was a spouse, parent, and/or child to somebody else.

Somebody fell in the line of duty for great leader's colossal blunder.

Somebody is dead.


I heard that sound twice last weekend. It may have happened more than that. Perhaps I was in conversation with my wife or watching TV or driving or writing an email or shopping or doing any normal mundane task that most folks take for granted.

It doesn't change things, but it does constantly remind me.

Somebody is dead.

[williesgirl]

1. You should make this a LTTE to all newspapers. recommended

[keta11]

2. I am living in Old Town, Alexandria and I can hear

the aircraft right now. I can tell by the sound they are not commercial flights to/from National Airport.

[BOSSHOG]

3. And millions of somebody's across our country

could not possibly care less. They proudly call themselves "conservatives" who have "values." In fact, they are nothing but moral garbage who cares not that our kids are dying because their hero told a lie. Per their political party, their "values" include lying, bribery, forced prostitution, forced abortions, pedophilia, stolen elections, ignorance, arrogance, false pride, false patriotism. One thing they absolutely do not value is the Constitution of the United States.

Great post. Thought provoking for those who care to think or value the quaint notion of thinking.

[bottomofthehill]

4. Air Force Memorial

I do not mean to trivialize your well thought out post but I think the planes you heard were for the dedication of the Air Force Memorial at the Pentagon.

[thrift_store_angel]

5. Air Force Memorial

Is that what those three newly erected giant spikes next to the pentagon are?

[YOY]

7. Yep

They have the values of the AF scibed on their sides.

[keta11]

12. Are they visible. I was looking out for them

when I drove by on 395 on Saturday on my way to DC but couldn't see the spikes. I actually thought I would drop by the dedication on my way back but they cordoned off the whole area. Anyway I would check it out tomorrow.

[flordehinojos]

13. (i was trying to think how i could call those three things i saw on t.v.

which are supposed to be an AIR FORCE MEMORIAL)...

ERECTED GIANT SPIKES!

erected giant steel spikes! so enmblematic of the bushes idealization of war and of their own spiked personalities.

thank you for the perfect description of a Freddie the 13th kind of war memorial.

[onenote]

17. its modeled after the contrails of the Thunderbirds

For what its worth:

[flordehinojos]

18. it is one thing to see the "contrail" of smoke ...

it is quite another to see those giant steel things ... just as freddie kruger was a menacing thing to watch (not that i've seen freddie kruger except from some preview on television) so too.. are those steel erections meant to be menacing and imperialistic to the rest of the world.

perhaps there was once upon a time in history when american contrails may have been seen as some sort of saviors (not so to the people in hiroshima, of course) ... today, and due in large part to bush's invasion and occupation of iraq and the bloodbath he has created there contrails and american planes are seen as menace in (some way say terror symbols) the rest of the world.

[onenote]

19. different strokes for different folks

I don't perceive them as menacing. But you are certainly entitled to your opinion. Art has a way of evoking different reactions. I am curious, however. Have you seen them in person?

[flordehinojos]

23. o, thank you so much for giving me (in this heretofore prior to the bush

administration free to speak country) the right to be entitled to my opinion and to voice it publicly.

no. to your question, "have you seem them in person?"

bush's idealization of war is revolting.

war itself is revolting--not to mention bush's carniceria out in iraq.

the culture of war, war indoctrination, fear, fear planting and intimidation of the bush administration is revolting.

not to mention thos contrails which more than a war memorial are a symbol of war, fear, fear planting and intimidation.

[onenote]

24. Again, art is in the eye of the beholder.

Do I have your permission to disagree with your reaction to the memorial?

[flordehinojos]

25. whether you have my permission or not, you are doing it ...

no point in you asking my permission..something which i would never prevent you or the bushit boy from doing...however much you don't seem to be able to listen to my disagreement with the war memorial and allow it to be much like the bushit boy won't listen to dissenting opinions or allow them to be .

[onenote]

26. I'm listening, just seeing it differently

I'm also not attacking you for what the memorial represents to you. You, on the other hand, seem to feel the need to attack someone simply because they view it differently than you.

Ta-ta.

[flordehinojos]

27. wrong ... i am just taking a stand... one which was almost not allowed to.

Tada to you too.

[YOY]

6. I've heard them as well before they finished the memorial

but it is a distinct possibility. It happens several times a day on Saturday...one of those times could have been the dedication last Saturday.

[onenote]

9. that's exactly what it was

There was a dress rehearsal on Friday (so you might have heard that flyover) as well as the actual ceremony on Saturday. I was working in the yard (I live less than 15 minutes from the Pentagon) when there was a flyover. There were additional events on Sunday, and I heard jets quite a bit during the day.

[YOY]

21. I guess I thought wrong then...

Thanks.

[keta11]

8. Wasn't that on Saturday?

They blocked traffic all around in the afternoon.

[onenote]

10. there also were events sunday

Road closings both days


http://www.arlingtonva.us/Portals/Topics/AirForceMemorial.aspx

[YOY]

11. I heard twice: in the morning and once in the afternoon.

Like I said in an earlier post, I have heard it before on Saturdays well before the completion of the monument. One time could have very well been the dedication, if so I guess I misthought about someone's loss: that time.

[DeepModem Mom]

14. K&R

[Auntie Bush]

15. Man, that must be so depressing! How sad!

You neighborhood sounds great but I wouldn't like that constant reminder of another soldier dead. If there is a God...George bush is going to pay! Big time!

[lisainmilo]

16. Makes me sad...the reality of all of this

I have a website that has slowly developed ( started because of DU and sending tea....if anyone remembers) anyway, it's mostly cathartic for me, much like posting on bloggers sites, it's a release of the truth about what is going on. I have sat many a time and sobbed over the articles I have found. I believe your fears are founded.

[Bucky]

20. What eats me up

Somebody died in service to their country.

Somebody was told that they died for freedom.

Somebody died for Haliburton, Oil, and the Military Industrial Complex.

You are so right about what is so wrong. They died serving their country. They signed up to protect us and served us proudly and with honor. Every day we let this war go on, we contribute to the betrayal of the people who put their love of country ahead of their love of self.

Thank you for posting this.

[sofa king]

22. Same here.

I work at home, too. The jets are doing flyovers at least two or three times a week, now.