WWII Re-enactors, Ste. Marie duMont, Normandy France, photo by John Ecker | pantheon photography
STE. MARIE DUMONT, WWII RE-ENACTORS: WWII re-enactors descend on Normandy in France each June. Community festivals are held. Battles on beaches are re-enacted. All kinds of military equipment is on display and on the roads. It’s been said that on these weekends, there are more jeeps in Normandy than during the D-Day landings. Swap meets are terrific places to see the re-enactors in their full gear. Most are French citizens, but many come over from England. I have even seen re-enactors from former Soviet-bloc countries participating. The small village of Ste. Marie duMont in one of the many communities in the region where celebrations are held with re-enactors out in force. Almost all take on the roles of American soldiers.
Shot handheld with a Nikon D40X with a Nikkor 70-300mm lens at 210mm, f6.3, 1/500 sec., ISO 800. Photo by John Ecker | pantheon photography
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Remembrance Day, 2011, photo by John Ecker | pantheon photography
Each year, at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, we pause to remember those Canadians who died in service to their country. We’ll wear poppies or forget-me-nots. We’ll think about loved ones lost or maybe relatives we never met because they made the supreme sacrifice.
Over these past almost 100 years since wearing a poppy started as a Canadian tradition, approximately 115,000 Canadians have died in war and military service: First World War, 66,665; Second World War, 46,998; Korea, 516; Peacekeeping, 121; Afghanistan, 154. As a percentage of population, in the First World War, almost 1% (.92%) of Canada’s population was lost to war. In the United States it was .13% and the United Kingdom 2.19%. In the Second World War, .40% of Canada’s population was lost to war. In the United States, .32% and the United Kingdom .94%.
Shot handheld with a Nikon D40x, Nikon AFS 70-300 lens at 300mm, f10, 1/250 sec. ISO 1600. Photo by John Ecker | pantheon photography
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Washington Memorial, Washington, D.C., photo by John Ecker, Pantheon Photography
WASHINGTON MONUMENT, WASHINGTON, D.C. This monument is easily one of the most instantly recognizable landmarks in the world. It stands as a tribute to one of America’s greatest presidents. The idea to recognize Washington emerged in the 1780s. The 1791 plan for the new federal city made the monument the center of the action. The obelisk plan was approved in 1836. In 1848 the cornerstone to be laid. Along came the Civil War, further delaying completion. To speed things along, the Army Corps of Engineers took over and completed the project in 1884. The monument was officially dedicated on February 21, 1885.
Shot handheld with a Nikon D300, Nikkor AF-S 10-24mm lens at 15mm, f13, 1/1250 sec., ISO 640. Photograph by John Ecker |
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Giant American Flag, Kennedy Library, Boston, Massachusetts
GIANT AMERICAN FLAG, KENNEDY LIBRARY, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: My two earlier posts about the Kennedy Presidential Library have generated a fair bit of interest, so I’m posting another shot featuring the massive flag that hangs in the pavilion. Library staff tell me that the flag was designed by I.M. Pei specifically for the pavilion space. President Kennedy requested that his Library not contain a bust or portrait. Mrs. Kennedy honoured his wishes. The flag represents President Kennedy in place of a likeness of him. The flag is massive. The dimensions are 26 ft. by 45 ft. Here’s my shot of the JFK Library Exterior and here’s another photo of the JFK Pavilion Flag.
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pantheon photography | john ecker 