About the Book
Annapolis Maritime Museum
Annapolis Maritime Museum

Les Foster and I finished hanging thirty five images at the Annapolis Maritime Museum and will let the others revolve through the two months the show is up. TALK:  “Photographing the Chesapeake”  January 26, 2012  7:8:30 p.m. RECEPTION: January 27, 2012  5:30-7:30 p.m  

“Heroes Welcome” begins transporting veterans
"Heroes Welcome" begins transporting veterans

Lona Ichikawa has taken on a new role with Heroes’ Welcome the organization that traditionally welcomes WWII Veterans to the BWI, Reagan and Dulles Airports. They are transporting their first bus trip from Northern Virginia.  The buses depart from American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax on October 2, 2011.  If you would like to be a […]

“WWII Memorial: Jewel of the Mall” Online
"WWII Memorial: Jewel of the Mall" Online

“WWII Memorial: Jewel of the Mall” is now online!

Kilroy Was Here Commemorative Stamp
Kilroy Was Here Commemorative Stamp

I got this email from Pat Tillery who is pushing to have Kilroy put on a stamp:  “Stephen, I received your excellent book yesterday.  Thank you.  After only a glance, it thoroughly exploded an old theory of mine about photography.  Back when I worked as a civilian in Bangkok, I had a Pentax 35mm camera […]

HBO Airs Honor Flight Preview this Sunday
HBO Airs Honor Flight Preview this Sunday

Jim McLaughlin sent out a note today reporting that a sampling of the Honor Flight piece done by HBO for “The Pacific” mini-series will air 8:57 Sunday night just before Part Three begins.  A longer piece is in production. Okay people…get out the popcorn! Honor Flight is featured in the revised Jewel of the Mall: […]

WASPS Given the Congressional Medal of Honor
WASPS Given the Congressional Medal of Honor

Pelosi, Reid, Boehner, McConnell to Hold Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony to Honor the Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII   LONG OVERDUE!!!…., there will be ceremonies at the Air Force Memorial this Tuesday and on Wednesday, the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor will be presented to WASPS (Women Aviators) who were never given credit for […]

Honor Flight Summit 2010
Honor Flight Summit 2010

Honor Flight is holding a Summit at the BWI Hilton for all of the regional hubs.  It starts on Friday and winds down on Sunday. There will be lectures on starting an Honor Flight, non-profit status, safety procedures, fund raising, etc… and a great opportunity for old friends to get together. I am very much […]

The WWII Memorial: Honoring Our Heroes
The WWII Memorial:  Honoring Our Heroes

A site dedicated to the WWII Memorial and the veterans who preserved our way of life during WWII. I’m Stephen R. Brown and the author of “WWII Memorial: Jewel of the Mall”. The book is available on the Mall and Amazon.  I post new images of Honor Flight Veterans at the Memorial on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.  These images CAN BE DOWNLOADED FOR […]

“And that’s how we roll….”
"And that's how we roll...."

What a day!!! The rain held off and Prattville Alabama’s schoolchildren turned out to welcome arriving eight hubs to the WWII Memorial. Serendipitously, their school trip to DC coinicided with the Alabama hub’s plans and they formed up to cheer the Veterans from all the hubs as they entered and left the Memorial. Great stuff! […]

Five Years
Five Years

Thanks to Mary Pettinato for reminding me today that it was five years today that the World War II Memorial was opened. Twenty four hours before that I was riding around in a cherry picker 24/7 photographing the last scenics without people. It was pretty cool having it all to myself! Then all of you […]

Five Years Today – World War II Memorial
Five Years Today - World War II Memorial

Mary Pettinato reminded me today that it was five years today that the Memorial was opened (top left). “…On April 29, 2004, the National World War II Memorial opened in Washington, D.C., to thousands of visitors, providing overdue recognition for the 16 million U.S. men and women who served in the war. The memorial is […]

Arrivals and Departures – WWII Memorial
Arrivals and Departures - WWII Memorial

Lona and Judi resting after a long afternoon at the WWII Memorial. Judi had two hundred and fifty people on hand to greet the veterans. Jewel of the Mall: World War II Memorial book is a 120 page full color book on the WWII Memorial.

The Season begins–DC Ground Crew Shines
The Season begins--DC Ground Crew Shines

With over 100 volunteers between Dulles, BWI, National Airports and the thirty at the WWII Memorial, DC Ground Crew is staffed up to take some numbers and Honor Flight brought them on.  Over 1000 veterans from ten hubs pouring into the Memorial, DC lived up to its reputation for not only its beauty but its […]

The Kerestes Report
The Kerestes Report

From George Kerestes, greeter, volunteer, bon vivant and good friend of the National Park Service, Honor Flight and the WWII Memorial generation.   “…Today after you left and the weather cooperated for an hour the Honor Flight from Central Illinois arrived at the World War II Memorial.  They were led by one of our favorite […]

Indiana, Illinois and preparations for the Fall
Indiana, Illinois and preparations for the Fall

  Tracy Briggs (noticed the tricked out shirts with the snazzy logos!….the usual North Dakota SWAG!) and Judy Lemmons were on hand today with Senator Dole, the Hoosier and Central Illinois Honor Flights at the WWII Memorial.  Tracy and Judy are in town for the week planning some events for the Fall and will also […]

Northern Valley Honor Flight Visits WWII Memorial
Northern Valley Honor Flight Visits WWII Memorial

  What a great day at the WWII Memorial!   Master fund raiser Lance Akers showed up today.  What a guy!  He has formed a fund raising training company and if he’s giving courses on raising money,  I’m on board!  Lance methodically made sure that Fargo had plenty of money, volunteers and the best “SWAG” […]

Delightful for Ducks
Delightful for Ducks

The only critter today not wearing a raincoat was this duck which seemed eminently comfortable despite the waves of downpours which greeted Honor Flights from Chicago, South Carolina, North Dakota and Ohio. Having seen worse, the veterans got out to the WWII Memorial, posed for pictures and had a great time. Senator Dole showed up […]

The Mall
The Mall

I’ve been scanning seemingly zillions of photographs I’ve taken over the past thirty years.  Today, I found this picture taken in 1997.  It was made on an early Fall morning for an advertising poster for Australian Radio.  At that time, the big reflecting pool was practically always empty and the Memorial’s original pool was a […]

Senator Elizabeth Dole greets Honor Air Knoxville at WWII Memorial
Senator Elizabeth Dole greets Honor Air Knoxville at WWII Memorial

Nice to have two Senators in one family!   Senator Elizabeth Dole greeted veterans of Honor Air Knoxville in the absence of Senator Robert Dole who was in Kansas today.  She is pictured here with Ed Mannis and his father. There were approximately 110 veterans and seventy guardians at the WWII Memorial. The weather was brisk […]

Oneida, New York Veterans Third Year
Oneida, New York Veterans Third Year

For the third year in a row and my first group picture of 2009, Erwin Smith of the Oneida Rotary Club made a trip by bus with a group of fifty.  Each year, they decide to extend their stay and this year they are here for three full days.  The weather had just cleared as […]

Promotional excellence: Honor Flight Chicago’s video
Promotional excellence: Honor Flight Chicago's video

I have the opportunity to work in an advisory capacity to Honor Flight Chicago and want to congratulate them on the release of a beautiful, moving and professional video on the Honor Flight movement. Narrated by Gary Sinise and with a beautiful guitar background by Jay Farrar, the piece was cut in Chicago and Los […]

Robert Tills Returns Home
Robert Tills Returns Home

Jeff and Tam Miller escorted Mrs. Viicki Lee, former fiance of Robert Tills, the first US serviceman to be killed in combat in the Pacific Theater, to attend his burial 68 years later at Arlington Cemetery. Defense Link has a brief synopsis of the Tills incident and why he was being buried sixty-eight years later. […]

Fountains and Posted Schedule
Fountains and Posted Schedule

The fountains are on and the April schedule is posted.  Senator Dole normally arrives at WWII Memorial at 10:30 and while he is supposedly there only to shake hands with veterans, I’ve never seen him turn down a handshake. He may be the most shaking guy on the planet!  Jeff Miller and his lovely wife Tam […]

Signs of Spring at World War II Memorial
Signs of Spring at World War II Memorial

From the front lines!!! …Emails from George Kerestes and Kari Beasley are sure signs that Spring is on its way and the flights will soon beginning. Judy Lemmons wrote that three flights will be here April 23, 24th and 25th. The fountains are still off but the World War II Memorial is still crowded with […]