Finding Your Voice in Washington

Combining a pleasure trip to Washington, DC with visiting our congressional delegation and their representatives is a great way for engineers to find their voices. Congressman Bass and his staff were very generous with their time. Taking time out of his busy schedule to discuss the Surface Transportation Bill, the Jobs bill, the FAA Reauthorization and some important upcoming legislation on dam safety.

Congressman Bass has recently spent time touring parts of northern New Hampshire hardest hit by Hurricane Irene. The House of Representatives have also recently passed extension bills for the FAA and Surface Transportation Bills providing more time to work out the funding on longer term programs. These extensions are now moving to the Senate for approval, hopefully in the next week or so.

A trip to Washington is not complete without touring some of the iconic monuments throughout the City. Engineers can be entertained by the many infrastructure projects, but just being a tourist one can start with the Washington monument. The grand nature of this monument will often give walkers the impression that the monument is only a few blocks away. For that reason trips to city often lead to walking miles more than I intend to walk.

The Capital, Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, and the Lincoln Monument line up to provide a line to navigate by that is generally recognizable throughout the City.

The Lincoln Memorial is also one of the most recognizable monuments in the City. Normally a reflecting pool guides the way between the Memorial and the World War II Memorial, but Tony Puntin's company has it ripped up right now. While we were there they were filming a television pilot on the steps of the Memorial. This is one of the largest draws of school children with the steps full for much of the day. After a long walk we were especially happy to see a refreshment stand. The other two monuments along this azimuth are the World War II Monument and the Capital. Both are iconic symbols of our Country, but my photography did not match their magnificence.

Every trip to Washington needs to include a photo of the White House. One of the items that interests the engineer in me is the continuous line of ballasters, stone walls, fences, and steel plates at driveways that rise and fall with the assistance with compressed air or hydraulics. These continuous barrier protect each major structure throughout the City. These fixtures that blend well into the scenery have purposes well beyond keeping cars from parking on the lawn.

Looming in the distance is the Jefferson Memorial. This is more often seen from a distance with low flying jets arriving at Reagan Airport flying overhead. As we approached the Monument, a plane that I assume was chartered for the Steelers flew overhead with the entire plane decked out in Steeler colors and the telltale symbol from their helmet on the tail. The walk along the water getting to the Monument is equally enjoyable allowing time from the Lincoln Memorial to finish my drink and snack. It was also one of the better maintained lawns. The jobs bill needs to allow for more lawn maintenance, while the gardens are still spectacular.
The Vietnam Memorial is one of the most powerful memorials. From the very lifelike trio of soldiers at one monument and the better known wall memorial. As telling as the numerous panels of fallen soldiers, the many artifacts left at the wall also tells a story.

At the base of the wall was a collection of war time pictures, medals, flowers, and artifacts of all descriptions denoting the relationship to the names on the wall with those still here.

Washington is an international city where a walk along a sidewalk is a multi-cultural experience. In just a couple of days I have met tourists from dozens of countries many speaking equally well English and their native language. The closer you walk to the capital the more the discussions revolve around the events passing in the Senate Chambers. With a mixture of young and old, well dressed in sensible shoes. There is definitely a home court advantage that make the City their home, but there is also a place for the many visitors whether they are tourists, seasonal visitors, or even the occasional engineer.

The memorial that left the biggest impression on me was the Korean War Memorial. Originally they wanted 38 individual statues in full gear and ponchos. After they found this too be too cumbersome, they elected to erect 19 statures with a reflecting wall that very effectively doubles the effect. Natural vegetation enhances the illusion with some of the statues poised in mid-step. Plaques adjacent the memorial bring forth the impressive multi-national presence of the United Nations force.

This experience was further brought home to me the

next morning in a taxi cab driving into the City. The cab driver who to me looked closer to fifty confessed his real age as eighty-two. He had been a captain in the Ethiopian army during the Korean conflict and was awarded American citizenship following his deployment.

Another monument to be experienced is the King Memorial with its massive blocks of carved stone with views to the Jefferson and Washington Monuments. Each monument has features that take some time to absorb.

The FDR Memorial also had a lot to absorb. Bronze statues, stone walls and waterfalls tell the story of the president and the challenges facing our nation during the depression. As our country struggles in our own economic challenges, this monument reminds us that these are challenges have been overcome in the past and will again be overcome in the coming years.        

Tomorrow will return to a schedule of meetings with congressional staff. ASCE national staff has also been an amazing resource and sounding board on the impending bills and the potential ramifications.