Photo By Staff Sgt. Daira Jackson | Members from National Harbor Asset Management and Operations, Peterson Companies,...... read more read more
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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.— Members from National Harbor Asset Management and Operations, Peterson Companies, dedicated a “Salute to Capital Guardians” statue to honor the men and women of the 113th Wing of the District of Columbia Air National Guard for all their contributions to our nation’s defense at Spirit Park, National Harbor, Maryland, Nov. 11, 2023.
Chris Borgal, assistant vice president of National Harbor Asset Management and Operations, kicked off the celebration by introducing distinguished guests to a parked-filled crowd.
Kevin Thomas, an Army veteran, and constituent liaison for the U.S. House of Representatives, presented a congressional citation on behalf of Congressman Glenn Ivey.
“Be it known the office of Congressman Glenn Ivey recognizes Spirit Park, on their one-year anniversary, a remarkable park that pays tribute to the dedication of veterans, first responders, public servants, and Americans worldwide,” Thomas said. “The mission is to celebrate the spirit of service as a testament to the shared commitment to unity and patriotism and our great nation.”
Kent Digby, executive vice president of National Harbor Asset Management and Operations and the unofficial “mayor” of National Harbor, gave remarks about celebrating Veterans Day and shared facts about Spirit Park.
“Everything in the park is meant to mean something,” Digby said. “If you look at the flag behind me, it’s 177.7 feet tall—that flagpole could have been taller or could have been less. Why is that? Because the first flag day in the U.S. was June 14, 1777. If you look at the pole, when it goes to half-staff, the flag is exactly 50 feet above the ground, marking the 50 states of the Union. When the small flags go to half-staff as well, they drop to 13 feet, representing back to our 13 original states and colonies.”
Digby also shared the meaning behind the three bison metallic art structures at Spirit Park.
The bison represents the long, challenging journey our families have made. The leader of the pack is Valor, a bull leading the way, but nobody can do the journey without Vigilance, the second bison. Vigilance watches over the third bison, a baby calf, Innocence. That bison family is making the journey along with all of us, our flag, and our country.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John Andonie gave a brief history of Veterans Day.
“Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day, which was intended to commemorate the end of World War I,” Andonie said. “The celebration of Armistice Day began on November 11, 1918, and it was declared a national holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of the Korean War, it was renamed to Veterans Day in 1954. And today, Veterans Day is intended to pay tribute to all American veterans who have served their country honorably during the war or during peacetime as well.”
“Today, we honor the men and women of the 113th Wing of the D.C. National Guard for all their contributions to our nation’s defense,” Andonie said. He highlighted September 11, 2001, and thanked pilots U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Marc Sasseville, and his wingman, U.S. Air Force Lt. Heather Penny for their actions that day.
The Salute to Capital Guardians metallic structure is of an F-16 aircraft pointing to the sky with the Air National Guard emblem on both sides. It reads “DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 113th WING” on one side facing the street, and on the other side, “CAPITAL GUARDIANS ALWAYS READY, ALWAYS THERE.”
| Date Taken: | 11.11.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2023 17:47 |
| Story ID: | 458158 |
| Location: | NATIONAL HARBOR, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 166 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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