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From July 18, 2001, to August 1, 2001, my
brother, my dad, and I went to the 2001 National Boy Scout
Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, VA. We traveled with 30 other
Scouts from the San Francisco Area, and had a great time
with 40,000 other Scouts.
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The first four days were spent touring
the area surrounding Virginia. We flew from San Francisco to
Philidelphia, and toured Independence Hall and the Mint.
From there, we took a bus to Gettysburg, the Civil War
battleground and cemetery. We rode around the battlefield
with a guide, and ate at a nearby buffet. Later that night,
we traveled to Washington, D.C. Despite the late hour, we
toured the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.
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The next day, we toured the White House
exterior, walked to Ford's Theater, saw the entire
Smithsonian Institution in four hours, and went to Marine
Barracks. There, we were treated to a great show by the U.S.
Marines Marching Band. The next day, we toured Mount Vernon,
the Capitol building, the Korean War Memorial, and the Iwo
Jima Memorial. On Sunday we traveled to Arlington Cemetary
for a patriotic Sunday service, then went to King's
Dominion, the Great America of Virginia.
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My favorite parts of the tour included
traveling to Pentagon City's large mall, and buying guitar
magazines that weren't available back at home. I also
enjoyed going to the Smithsonian, because the exhibits were
really cool. I also liked the Iwo Jima Memorial, because it
was so large that it captured my interest.
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After a quick trip to a Civil War
recreation in Richmond, we traveled to the the Jamboree
site. At the Jamboree, we earned merit badges, talked to
soldiers, shot arrows, fired shotguns, played with
pioneering projects, and just walked around and enjoyed the
scenery. A special event we all participated in was a 5K run
with the entire Jamboree, which was great practice for the
Cross Country Season. We were also treated to 2 arena shows
featuring 3 of Hearts, Osmond Second Generation, and various
army bands. The Closing Show featured the largest fireworks
display I ever saw.
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One memory I will never forget from the
Jamboree is trying to escape a fierce lightning storm, where
another Scout was struck by lightning and knocked back a few
feet. I also enjoyed the Maritime Museum, which we saw on
our last day of the Jamboree, because of its large World War
II exhibits. My favorite stop, though, was Fort McHenry,
because seeing the site of the famous battle stirred my
patriotic feelings. After two hectic weeks, we headed home
with a lifetime of memories.
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My brother Daniel, and I, in
front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
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My Jamboree Troop in front
of the White House in Washington, D.C. See if you can find
me!
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One of my dad's pictures of
the U.S. Capitol building, home of Congress. This was taken
from the Washington Mall side, by the Smithsonian
Institution
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My dad's picture of the Iwo
Jima Memorial in Virginia in the setting sun. Appearances
can be deceiving, the statue is really tall! There is also a
real American flag flying in on the pole.
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Daniel and I in front of the
Iwo Jima Memorial. On the base of the statue is a listing of
every conflict the U.S. Marines have been involved
in.
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