With the NATO meeting just completing in Chicago this past week, I thought it might be a good idea to write about what NATO is, when did it start, and what its primary responsibilities are.
What is NATO?
NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It is also known as the North Atlantic Alliance (although NATO does sound so much better, and I don't know if I would like NAA. It sounds like a noise a goat makes). NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty.
So, what is the North Atlantic Treaty? The North Atlantic Treaty was created when Europe and North America were worried about an attack by the USSR (the Soviet Union back then). The original twelve members of the treaty were:
Belgium
Canada
Denmark
France
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
United Kingdom
United States
The members agreed to join together if one of them were attacked. They would help defend one another against an attack by an enemy force.
Today, there are 28 countries from North America and Europe who are part of NATO. Here are the countries who joined later:
Greece
Turkey
West Germany (when Germany joined back together, the entire country became a member)
Spain
Czech Republic
Hungary
Poland
Bulgaria
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Albania
Croatia
Did you know that the treaty was first forced into action in 2001 after the September 11th, attack on the United States? At that time, NATO helped secure American airspace against any more terrorist attacks.
When did it begin?
NATO began on April 4, 1949. The members met in Washington, DC on that date to sign the treaty and then formed the NATO alliance. Their feelings - if one of them was attacked, then all of them were attacked and should be defended. Once an attack occurred, they would meet and decide upon a course of action. They could choose to maintain security OR they could decide to not respond at all. It all depended on the severity of the action against the country attacked.
The Korean War sorely tested the resolve of NATO. The Korean War started in 1950, just one year after the formation of NATO. Since the country was not part of NATO, the group had to decide if the spread of Communism was enough of a threat to the countries in the group to warrant action.
Why did NATO meet in Chicago?
Chicago hosted the NATO summit for the first time ever. This was also the first time a city in the US outside of Washington, DC hosted the summit. These meetings are not yearly. There have only been 25 NATO meetings over the past 60 years. As a matter of fact, the first one was in 1957 in Paris, France. The next one wasn't until 1974 in Brussels. The United States has held the summit only 3 times. In 1978, the summit was held in Washington, DC, then again in 1999. Of course the last one was just this past weekend, in Chicago.
If you want to know more about NATO - go to their website here.
Showing posts with label Washington DC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington DC. Show all posts
Arlington National Cemetery
When I was updating my “What Happened Today” post on my
other blog “Revolutionary, My Dear George”, I saw a small entry about Arlington
National Cemetery. When I visited
Washington, DC last summer with Mrs. Cochrane and Mrs. Gibson, we traveled to
Arlington. We were moved by the
solemnity of the place and moved by the sacrifice of thousands of men and women
who are buried here. With all of this in mind, I thought I would write about
how Arlington National Cemetery came to be.
Long before it was cemetery, the land belonged to a family you might
recognize – George Washington Parke Custis – the adopted son of George
Washington.
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| Custis home atop the hill overlooking Arlington National Cemetery |
Arlington National Cemetery is located across the Potomac
River from Washington, DC. More than
300,000 veterans from every American war is buried here, even the American
Revolution.
As I mentioned above, the area/land used to belong to George
Washington Parke Custis. Many do not
know George Washington Parke Custis. The
land actually belonged to his father, John Parke Custis, who bought the land in
1778. He was going to build an estate on
the land after the Revolutionary War.
Unfortunately, he contracted swamp fever while stationed at Yorktown and
the land was held in trust for his young son.
His son and daughter were adopted by George and Martha Washington, who
raised them. When George Washington
Parke Custis turned 21, he inherited the land.
He originally wanted to name the land after his grandfather, but changed
the name to Arlington in honor of the family’s ancestral estate in the
tidewater area. Arlington House was built in 1802 by George Washington Parke
Custis. He lived here with his wife,
Mary. The house was built in stages and
finished in 1818. He adored his
grandfather and spent considerable funds purchasing items that once belonged to
him. His daughter Mary Anna married Robert E. Lee in 1831. When her father died in 1857, she inherited
the estate and all its holdings. The couple lived at Arlington House until 1861
when Lee took over command of the Confederate Army. At this time, his wife, Mary Anna went to
live elsewhere, knowing to remain there would be too dangerous. When she left, she sent several portraits of
her great grandfather, George Washington, to family members for safe
keeping. Other memorabilia was stored in
the attic or basement. When federal troops took up residence, she sent them a
letter, asking that the belongings be taken care of in memory of George
Washington, but her pleas were ignored. The house was ransacked and many
artifacts were destroyed.
The federal government repossessed the land over failure to
pay taxes (although how Robert E. Lee could pay taxes during the war seems a
bit dramatic to me). It was put up for auction and purchased by the tax
commissioner to be used by the government. The Union Army took over the house
and turned it into a military headquarters.
The surrounding grounds became a camp for Union troops.
In 1864, the land was turned into a military cemetery by Edwin
Stanton, the Secretary of War.
Apparently, it was designated as a cemetery by Quartermaster General
Meigs who wanted to be sure Lee never returned to the site. The body count
continued to mount and if you have ever been to DC or Virginia, you know the
humidity can be quite dreadful. The
bodies had to be buried immediately or risk a terrible plague. Many believe
Meigs despised the South and he served under Lee in 1838, resenting him. (of
course, this is mere speculation). According to records, the first burial was
Private William Henry Christman of Pennsylvania. According to another report, the first burial
was a Confederate prisoner of war. Approximately 3800 freed slaves who died
while living at the Freedman’s Village are buried here. Confederate soldiers were first buried in
civilian graves but were later reintered in marked graves with pointed
headstones to signify they were in the Confederacy. Many believe the reason for
such hasty burials also occurred because many were too poor to pay for the
bodies to be shipped home to families across the United States. For many years after the Civil War, the
Confederate widows tried to go and decorate the graves of their loved ones but
were turned away. Many found ways to pay
for these soldiers to be removed from the cemetery and taken back home so they
could be buried with dignity.
Years later in 1882, Robert E. Lee’s son, George Washington
Custis Lee, petitioned the government to reparations. He was upset the family estate was
confiscated. He finally won $150,000 in
compensation from the government. The
land was given back to the Lee family, but then Congress purchased it from
Custis.
The Tomb of the Unknowns contains the remains of three
unidentified service members – from World War I, World War II, and the Korean
War. Three Greek figures representing
Peace, Victory, and Valor grace the tomb.
The tomb is guarded by the 3rd US Infantry, known as the Old
Guard, because it is the oldest active duty infantry unit in the Army.
The Civil War Unknown Monument was the first monument to
unknown soldiers. It was dedicated in
1866 and holds the remains of 2,111 soldiers from Bull Run. Many believe it holds the remains of both
Union and Confederate soldiers.
Two former presidents – William Howard Taft and John F.
Kennedy are buried here.
The Memorial Amphitheater is inscribed with the words “Dulce
et decorum est pro patria mori” which means “It is sweet and fitting to die for
one’s country”. I do not think anyone
could say it better. With Memorial Day
coming soon, it is important to remember all who died for our country, from
those first days to today – any man or woman who offers their life for their
country should be commended. We thank
them for their sacrifice, for their bravery, but most of all, we thank them for
their belief that this great country is worth fighting for. You will always be remembered. You will always be honored.
America Flies into History
Every country has its own heroes who braved new frontiers. A
young country we may be, but the list of our heroes is long and illustrious.
The United States was built by men of dreams and aspirations and that drive
lead them across the country and around the world in so many ways. One way is by air. Who are these brave men
and women who risked their lives to do something extraordinary? The Wright
Brothers, Charles and Anne Lindberg, Robert Goddard, Chuck Yeager, John Glenn,
and Neil Armstrong are just a few of the men and women represented at the
National Air and Space Museum.
If you go to the NASM site - http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions
you can see many of these milestones and learn about the Americans who dared to
explore the air and space. The question
is – did it all begin with the Wright Brothers or were there others?
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| picture on the wall of the Air and Space Museum |
The Lunar landing – who landed on the moon? The lunar module
– two astronauts guided the module to the moon’s surface while one remained in
orbit. Who were the lucky moon walkers?
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the
first Americans to land there in 1969. Several landings on the moon
occurred before a man actually landed there.
Russia crash landed the Luna 2 on the moon’s surface, then the US did the same with Ranger 4. The last man to set foot on the moon was Gene
Cernan in 1972.
Neil Armstrong was a Naval officer who had a degree in
aeronautical engineering from Purdue University and a Master of Science degree
in the same from USC. He served in the
military from 1949 to 1960. He was a
test pilot and even flew in a rocket plan several times and traveled 140,000 ft
where he bounced off the atmosphere. He
even flew with Chuck Yeager. In 1958 he
was chosen for the US Air Force’s Man in
Space Soonest program. When he was
chosen by NASA, he was to be one of the first civilian astronauts to go into
space. With Buzz Aldrin and Michael
Collins, they made history by being the first Americans to step on the
moon. Neil stepped out first, then
twenty minutes later Buzz Aldrin stepped on the moon. Buzz Aldrin attended West Point Military
Academy and became a fighter pilot in the Korean War. He was selected as the third man by NASA in
1963. Michael Collins served in the
military for 38 years. He also became a test pilot and was soon asked to join
the group of men to become astronauts.
He stayed on the spacecraft while the Aldrin and Armstrong walked on the
moon. The new mineral found on the moon was called armalcolite after the three
astronauts who arrived there first – Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins.
First skylab crew – Joseph Kerwin, Charles Conrad, and Paul
Weitz in 1973. You can go into the
skylab and see it for yourself. You can
see how the astronauts live while they are flying through space in orbit around
the world. Skylab is a space station
that orbits the Earth and was launched by NASA in 1973. It continued to orbit the Earth until 1979. Many scientific experiments were performed in
Skylab and thousands of pictures of the Earth were taken. Unfortunately the Skylab burned up when it
re-entered the atmosphere.
Willbur and Orville Wright – What possessed
these men to build the first successful airplane? Wilbur became withdrawn after losing his front
teeth in a hockey incident and stayed home to help their ailing mother. Orville started a printing business in
1889. Soon Wilbur joined him in the
printing business. Not long after, they
opened a bicycle repair and sale shop.
Inspired by Otto Lilienthal from Germany and his glides, the brothers
like his plans but knew something was missing – the ability to guide the plane
and glides in the right direction. They worked
on a mechanical device to fix this problem. Next, they took off the tail, but
soon realized their glider needed a tail. They flew their gliders many times
but still could not get the lift they wanted.
They even tried ballast but the gliders did not always work properly and
they did not want to risk putting a person on it if it would crash. They experimented with a fixed rudder, but a
movable rudder worked best. This allowed
them to control the direction of their glider.
The three-axis control evolved from their experiments.
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| tools from their workshop |
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| the plane they flew |
By curving the top surface the wings were able to achieve
lift.
The Kitty Hawke is larger than
you expect. The brothers used the same principals as many others who attempted the
same thing the previous 100 years. They were successful for
the following reasons – 1. They designed, built and flew a series of successful
aircraft; 2. They pioneered the application of successful aeronautical
engineering; and 3. They developed the tool of flight testing and data
feedback.
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| wind tunnel |
In 1923, the first flight across America was done by two
military men – Lt. John Macready and Lt. Oakley Kelly from Long Island, NY to
San Diego, CA. These two men made many trips across the
country. John Macready flew to an
altitude of 40,000 feet which helped others go into space later on. For
traveling across the continental US, he received a Mackay Trophy. He served in the Air Force during WWII.
Amelia Earhart, inspired by what the men before her had
accomplished, long to do the same. In a
Lockhead 5B Vega, she flew across the Atlantic in 1932. She then flew across the United States. She was the first woman to do both. She was only 10 when she saw a plane at a state fair. When she was 20 she knew she wanted to fly. In April 1928, she received a phone call to change her life - "How would you like to be the first woman to fly the Atlantic?" She did! And in 1935, she became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California. In 1937 she wanted to fly around the world, but her plane disappeared somewhere off Howland Island, her destination. No wreckage was ever found.
In 1933, the Lindbergs flew from New York to Newfoundland,
then across the Atlantic Ocean to travel across Europe and then down
Africa. By the time they returned to the
United States, they had been on 4 different continents. Charles Lindberg is known as the first person
to fly across the ocean alone. His wife,
Anne Morrow Lindberg flew as his copilot sometimes and wrote 2 books about
their adventures. Charles Lindberg was studying at the
University of Wisconsin when a barnstormer landed on the campus. He quite college and learned to fly. He started his career as a barnstormer and
air mail pilot. He flew the first
airmail flight from Chicago to St. Louis.
In 1926, Ryan Airlines offered $25,000 to the first person who could fly
from New York to Paris.
His plane was
the Spirit of St. Louis and on May 20th, 1927 he began the long
journey. He circled the Eiffel Tower
before landing. The flight took 33 hours
and he had traveled 3,610 miles. After
returning to the US, he traveled to 48 states to show how transcontinental
flight was safe. #409 They also surveyed an air route to East Asia.
Anne recorded all they experienced in diaries which were published later on.
She became the first female to get a glider license to fly.
Joseph Montgolfier – who was he? Flew the first balloon flight at Versailles
with a rooster, a duck, and a sheep. The balloon flew several miles before
crash landing. The animals survived just
fine, but soon balloons would be flying with people inside. Benjamin Franklin was there for the flight
and the first aerial balloon flight took place across the Delaware River from
Philadelphia to New Jersey. Jean Pierre Blanchard first crossed the
English Channel in 1785. By 1792 he
traveled the United States and met with President Washington. He carried a small black dog and a message
from Washington on the trip across the Delaware River. The trip took almost one
hour and he landed in Deptford County, NJ.
The first flight attendants = once people decided traveling
by airplane was safe enough, females were hired to assist people on their
flights. They were called flight
attendants and needed to fulfill certain requirements – just read the signs and
get a good laugh at how times have changed.
Oh, we still call them flight attendants, but no one asks the male
attendants about their hair and nails, do they?
Even now as we reach towards space, we do so in different ways - through our imaginations. With the space program currently on hold, there will be no more space shuttle missions for quite some time. If we want to dream of traveling through air and space, I guess we will just have to be content with flying in a plane. Thank goodness for the people who paved the way for us.
Our Presidents' Homes
Just where does one house a president? All we knew as colonists were kings and queens and they lived in castles. England had King George II and III. France – Louis XV and XVI. Russia had Peter III and Catherine II. Spain had Ferdinand VI and Charles III. Austria had Charles III and Maria Theresa. As you can see, even though our new nation was only familiar with royalty ruling their home countries, we chose to have a president. We did not believe in a monarchy for our new country, we needed to choose someone to represent our country. We decided on a president and our president needed a place to live. Through the history of our country there have been several places where our presidents have lived – the President’s House in Philadelphia, the White House in DC, and after the White House was burned in 1814, the Octagon House. Once the White House was restored, the president moved back. Let’s take a look at these three homes.
The President’s House:
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| The President's House |
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| virtual entrance |
The President’s House was built in 1760s by the widow Masters, but she did not move in until 1767. She only lived there with her children until she gave the house to her daughter when she married William Penn’s grandson, Richard who was the governor. It was the largest mansion in the city and surrounding suburbs with over 30 rooms. Once the war began, the Penns went to England with the Olive Branch petition and remained there while the war raged. Robert Morris bought the house and rebuilt it after it was destroyed by fire. George Washington was entertained and stayed at the house several times during him visits to Philadelphia. In 1790 Philadelphia was named the capital of our new country. At that time, Robert Morris offered his home as residence for President Washington. Philadelphians wanted the capital to remain here, but plans were made to move it to a sight in Virginia. George Washington resided at the President’s House from 1790-1797. Martha Washington held dinners here. There was a room where the government’s business took place. Washington held regular public meetings every Tuesday to inform the people of important decisions. A private office on the second floor was the first version our Oval Office.
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| virtual fireplace |
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| foundation |
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| Memorial for Slave Quarters |
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| foundation |
President John Adams moved into the President’s House in 1797. He remained there until November 1800 when he moved to Washington, DC. Washington himself had died in 1799 and a huge funeral was held in Philadelphia to celebrate his life. The President’s House was converted into a hotel and Mrs. Adams stayed there on her way to DC. Over the years, the house was remodeled into stores. The original house was not recognizable and by 1955 every last bit was demolished with no one knowing its true value. The Liberty Bell Center was built over the area. When excavations revealed slave quarters, changes were made and what we have today is a virtual home with memorials to the slaves who worked at the President’s House.
Why is this significant? Pennsylvania instituted the Gradual Abolition Law to keep any more slaves from being brought into the state. After 1780, all future children of slaves were free. Any slaves brought into the state after this time would be free after 6 months living there. This rule was bypassed by taking the slaves in and out during that time period. Since many were figuring a way to get around the law, an amendment was passed prohibiting slaves from being rotated in and out of the state. On the sight, you can see the foundations of the slave quarters, the kitchen and other buildings that made up the President’s House. You can also read about the slaves President Washington brought with him from Mount Vernon.
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| The White House |
The White House:
In 1792 construction began on the White House. President Washington oversaw the construction but never lived there. Washington met with the architect, James Hoban. The building itself was similar to Charleston’s County Courthouse and the Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland. Shortages in supplies caused the White House to be much smaller than originally planned. It was supposed to be 5 times bigger – more like a palace that rivaled those in Europe. The front portico was not added until 1830. Before that, a carriage ramp brought visitors to the front of the White House. It was originally called the President’s Palace, the President’s House, and the Presidential Mansion. The first record of it being called the White House was in 1811. Many believe it got its name by the white paint used to cover the burns from the 1814 burning. Theodore Roosevelt had the White House printed on stationary for the first time during his presidency.
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| The Blue Room |
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| The Oval Office |
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| The Lincoln Bed |
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| The Red Room |
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| The State Dining Room |
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| The Green Room |
John Adams and his wife, Abigail were the first residents. His words are engraved in the mantle of the fireplace – “I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this House, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof”. The White House has over 100 rooms. All the presidents have lived here since 1800 except for when the British attacked Washington, DC and burned the White House. At that time, James Madison and his wife, Dolly moved to the Octagon House while it was being fixed. Just like the President’s House, the White House entertains visiting heads of state. The President greets and speaks to the media to inform them of important decisions. The First Lady has special rooms where she entertains. The Oval Office is the President’s main office, but the West Wing is where his cabinet members will meet. The upper level is the private residence for the President’s family. Today, you can visit the White House on a tour and see several rooms that are open to the public. No cameras are allowed in the White House but you can do a virtual tour by visiting the website: www.whitehouse.gov . During Herbert Hoover’s term, a fire destroyed part of the building. Harry Truman gutted the White House during his term and lived at Blair House across the street while it was being fixed.
If you go on a tour of the White House, there are many beautiful rooms you will see. You begin the tour in the East Collanade. While strolling through here, you view portraits and pictures from the current presidency and past presidents. Upon leaving here, you see the Vermeil Room which has portraits of several first ladies, including Jacqueline Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt. The room gets its name for the vermeil furniture from France. Across the hall, you see the library which holds the only bust of the architect – James Hoban. The Blue Room, Green Room, and Red Room are all on this tour. The Red Room is a favorite of many first ladies who will meet with visitors here. The dining room where estate dinners are held is also part of the tour. This room can hold over 150 people. This is the room which has the saying by John Adams engraved on the mantle. Finally before you leave, you go through the diplomatic entrance. The current president will come down the staircase to greet dignitaries and escort them through the door to the portico where you depart.
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| The Octagon House |
The Octagon House:
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| Floor plan of Octagon House |
After the White House was burned in 1814, President Madison and his wife moved into the Octagon House. Rumors state Dolly cut out the portrait of George Washington and, thus saving it, brought it to safety. If you visit the White House today, you can still see this same portrait hanging on the wall. The Octagon House was built between 1798 and 1800, for Colonel John Tayloe III, who also owned Mount Airy Plantation, the richest plantation in Virginia at the time. Tayloe offered his home to the Madisons as the Executive Mansion while the White House was being repaired. Madison used the circular room above the main hall as an office (just like the Oval Office). The Treaty of Ghent was signed here which ended the War of 1812. Although not the typical Octagon, it combines one circle, two rectangles, and one triangle to make its unique shape. While used as a hospital during the Civil War, it is now owned by the American Institute of Architects. Purchased by them in 1899, it was used as its offices until a more modern building was built next door. They are working on restoring the home to its original grandeur.
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| stairwell in Octagon House |
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| dining room |
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| view from second floor |
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| room where Madison signed Treaty of Ghent |
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| fireplace |
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| storeroom in basement |
National Cathedral
Just two days ago, there was an earthquake in Virginia, just northwest of Richmond. The National Cathedral was damaged during the earthquake and many monuments, like the Washington Monument were closed to check for structural damages.The real name is Washington National Cathedral or the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. It is the 6th largest cathedral in the world and one of the tallest structures in DC. The cathedral was started in 1907 and was finished in 1990.
The primary architect was Philip Hubert Frohman. The funds to build the cathedral came from private sources. The National Cathedral Association continues to raise funds to maintain the cathedral. Members live in every state. Every year, a state has a state day.
The main architecture is a mixture of many Gothic styles from Medieval times. There are pointed arches flying buttresses, vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, and carved stone decorations. There are two sets of bells that are rung by the Washington Ringing Society. The building is constructed of Indiana limestone. The pulpit is carved out of stones from Canterbury Cathedral. The altar is made from stones quarried from Jerusalem. The stones in the floor are from Mount Sinai and represent the 10 commandments.
Three funerals for presidents were held here: Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. Woodrow Wilson is buried here.
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