It’s a funny thing: when you’re younger, it seems like time can’t go rapidly enough. You’re nervous to be old enough to drive, date, start your first job, marry, have children, and pursue your life dream in college. When you’re a small person, each day, week, and month can seem to tick slowly by, and all of those life events believe that they’re never willing to arrive. Time seems like cold molasses. And then, one by one, almost without you realizing it, they start happening, and the ride seems to accelerate.

Unexpectedly, you find yourself approaching middle age, with an established career and maybe a family of your own and you start to realize that the ride will be over before you realize it. It becomes clear that time is brief and doesn’t stop for anyone.

The awesome irony is that, though time seems to be speeding by, we have substantial moments that occur and they change us. Because of how they affect us, we search for some way to memorialize them, to consider them and pass those memories on to those who follow after us. With big life events that are a shared experience for many individuals and shape a nation, we set up monuments and tell the story of history for those who prefer to see and come.

That last example is absolutely true of war monuments and museums, and for those that served, these are sacred places that aim to reverence an experience that was profoundly personal and shaped the lives of many. Visiting these places can be a great activity for a commemorative veteran expedition, and if you’re putting together a special occasion for a group of veterans, the following are some things to bear in mind.

If you’re taking a large group, call ahead to request tickets. You don’t want to go through all the hassle of getting everyone together and arrive, only to be told that they can’t accommodate a group of that size that day. And while you’re at it, ask about group rates.

If you’re doing a day trip or overnight excursion with Rochester charter bus, you’ll have to figure out how to manage food for a large group of people. Find out if they offer a discount to a huge group (since you’re bringing them lots of business).

Consider setting up a brochure, pamphlet, or program with details that would be of interest to your group of veterans. This was likely a significant part of their life story and it isn’t something they get to talk about often with others who can link with it. Because of this, it’s nice to make it something that will take them back in time and let them review those memories, whether they be painful or victorious. Having something to provide about your visit for the day will be meaningful and valued.

Always remember to figure out transportation! You should absolutely GoMotorcoach if you’re not sure of the best way to go! We focus on group transportation without compromising on comfort or convenience for our riders. Additionally, we have ample chassis storage for anything that has to come along, be it food, luggage, souvenirs, or equipment that’s should help people get around (walkers, canes, etc.). Rochester charter bus can look after all of this! Plus, we offer great rates and unbeatable customer service!

As you aim to put a sightseeing tour for veterans together that will be meaningful and something to remember, paying attention to the details is necessary. We hope that all the details come together and that it’s something everyone will never forget with our Rochester charter bus!

Sacrifice is a hallmark of the service people of our country. Dignity, dedication, valor and courage are traits that United States soldiers exhibit as they decide to go and safeguard our nation and provide that protection to others furthermore. The question in every heart as soldiers get ready to depart their families for deployment is whether they’ll returning home safely, and unharmed. Sadly, some never do get home. They end up giving the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. Tim McGraw’s song, “If You’re Reading This,” reveals the words of a soldier writing home who has been killed:

“If you’re reading this–.
My mama’s sitting there–.
Seems like I only got a one-way ticket over here.
I sure wish I could give you another kiss,.
And war was just a game we played when we were little ones …

If you’re reading this,.
Halfway throughout the world,.
I won’t attend to see the birth of our little girl.
I hope she resembles you.
I hope she strives like me.
She defends the innocent and the weak.

I’m laying down my gun,.
I’m hangin’ up my boots,.
Tell dad I don’t regret that I followed in his shoes …

So lay me down–.
In that open field out on the edge of town.
And learn my soul Is where my momma always prayed.
That it would go.
And if you’re reading this,.
I’m already home.”.

When you listen or read to these phrases, it’s hard not to pause for a moment and reflect on the fact that many have died to retain the freedoms that we enjoy, leaving family and loved ones behind. Arlington National Cemetery is a place where those who have served our country can be buried, together with their families. This historic landmark is significant for many reasons, including the following.

The cemetery is on the grounds that formerly belonged to General Robert E. Lee, from the Civil War, and the first burial occurred there in 1864.

There are over 400,000 graves in this cemetery, sprawling over 624 acres.

On Memorial Day, graves are furbished with small American flags placed in front of each.
headstone.

There are individuals buried there from every war that has transpired since America established its independence.

There are an average of 30 burials a day at the cemetery, and one has to meet certain requirements if you want to qualify to be buried there.

Presidents of the United States are immediately allowed to be interred there, should they choose, since they served for a while as the commander in chief of the army. Furthermore, John F. Kennedy’s grave is a highly visited site in the cemetery.

With so many buried there, the cemetery is divided into 70 sections to help people find their way around and locate the graves they are looking for.

Arlington National Cemetery’s grounds are dedicated to honoring those that have served our country. And while there are many American heroes buried there, we know that others who have offered the same sacrifice are buried all over the country in the places that they called home. We at Bedore Tours respect the commitment to country that these men and women exhibit.

The facts here in this article about Arlington National Cemetery come from these sources:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/8-things-didnt-know-arlington-national-cemetery/
http://www.history.com/news/arlington-national-cemetery-8-surprising-facts
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_National_Cemetery

Remember playing hide and seek with your two-year-old niece? You’d stay on the couch and discuss how the game was gonna go down. And then, you ‘d start to count and she ‘d run to hide. She understood you were after her, and she was willing to tuck herself away somewhere, and fast.

But.

The really cute thing about it was when you went looking. Even when she was “hiding,” you could walk into a room and see her outline against the window where she was standing behind the curtain. You may have found the little bump that was her underneath the covers on the bed, even though she was being sooooo sneaky.

Cute pigtails, wide grin, that contagious chuckle. The way her laughing eyes looked back at you as she went to base. Pretty much adorable, even if she wasn’t much for competition.

Play a game with her ten years later, though, and times will have changed. She’ll know what’s going on, and she’ll likely give you a run for your money … utilizing using secret spots in the house you never even knew existed. And you frankly might walk right past her in her hiding spot, repeatedly again, and not know it.

While safe games of seek and hide on a sunny Sunday afternoon are quite idyllic, there’s nothing about the hide-and-seek of military combat that’s funny or sweet or peaceful. But, this little analogy is quite similar to the story of the progression of military uniform. In the past, armies wore uniforms that didn’t hide them in any way. Much like your niece’s feet showing from under the bed and making her location clear, the uniforms made an army completely noticeable, bold colors loudly announcing their presence.

This was essentially a product of how armies came together to battle, back then. Historically, opposing armies often met up close, marching to face each other on the front lines. Nowadays, however, warfare often occurs from more of a distance, and military uniform is an attempt to render individuals inconspicuous, like playing with your older nephews and nieces, or participating in an all-adults seek and hide game in a huge park at night.

When the United States got serious about camouflage, they selected individuals that they called camofleurs, people whose job focused on coming up with a pattern that would help fit the uniform into the surrounding background. Gradually, the uniforms have become more sophisticated, designed for specific army operations and the locations where they take place (such as developing a uniform to blend into the sandy terrain and colors of the Middle East, for example). Today they employ digital camouflage patterns as well.

And uniforms aren’t the only things that are camouflaged in these times. Ships, buildings, military combat vehicles … every one of these are camouflaged at various times, too. As technology has evolved, military strategies have become more highly developed and researched, and this includes camouflage for uniform clothing and other things.

It’s a captivating story and if you ‘d like to read more and remember through some fascinating photos of the journey, explore these articles.

For a brief “picture essay” of various uniforms and helmets, this is a nice stop. http://www.foxnews.com/tech/slideshow/2015/11/10/history-camouflage-in-pictures.html#/slide/british-army-khaki.

For more pictures, including one of the ghillie suit, check out this link. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/06/a-brief-history-of-military-camouflage/240291/#slide5.

For a discussion about the development of the camouflage department of the military, camouflage patterns going mainstream and being worn by the general public, and the disguising of other things (buildings, equipment, etc.), this is a nice read by Time magazine. http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1906083,00.html.

For a timeline of camouflage development beginning in the late 1800s, go here. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/08/01/history-camouflage-military-united-states/13485491/.

This article gives a history from back in the day (when solid color khaki was used) all the way to the technology and sophistication put in to today’s uniforms. http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2015/10/21/evolution-us-military-camouflage-from-basic-green-and-khaki-to-digital-patterns-and-beyond.html.

Knowing the background of something that has become commonplace to us is intriguing and gives a framework for where we stand in history.

The military uniform is a symbolic representation of sacrifice and devotion to country, and we are proud to transport the service men and women of our country. For any military transportation need that might occur, we are only a call away!