Sharing Guy's Journey

Thoughts, comments, observations, reactions, enthusiasms

  • Personal History
  • History
  • Art & Architecture
  • Music
  • Nature
  • Travel
  • Current Events
  • Journal
  • Knowledge Services

Much to see in San Diego

June 17, 2013 By Guy St. Clair

With a new camera and off on a business trip to one of America’s most beautiful places, I had a good time in San Diego last week.

Before I get too far away from the trip I want to note a couple of monuments I’ve observed on previous visits, both of which I got to see again this time. It makes me very happy to share these with friends and colleagues.

San Diego – long an important center for U.S. Navy operations – is the site of the museum build around the U.S.S. Midway, and there’s no denying that it’s an important ship for a visit (particularly when you’ve had a little bit of American history and you understand the role the Midway played over the years). It’s an amazing space, this ship, and when you stop to think that more than 225,000 sailors have been assigned to the ship, walking its decks is an awesome experience. Commissioned just after the end of World War II, the U.S. Midway was for many years the largest ship in the world.

In the shadow of the Midway are the two monuments I refer to in the title, a huge statue based on one of the most famous photographs of the war, taken during the victory celebration in New York’s Times Square. The iconic photograph, turned into a massive sculpture for San Diego, honors all the nation’s servicemen and makes it clear that they had every right to be celebratory when they came home.

A second monument honors longtime comedian and star Bob Hope (1903-2003), who spent much of this career supporting the nation’s troops and traveling wherever he needed to go to entertain the country’s service personnel. This sculpture depicts one such occasion, with an appreciative audience made up of members from all branches of the United States armed forces.

So a quick immediate impression of San Diego begins right next to the U.S.S. Midway and very naturally sets up a happy and wholesome mood for enjoying the beautiful city. Go here to see a few of my photos of the monuments.

Filed Under: Personal History Tagged With: Hope (Bob), San Diego, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Midway, World War II

Guy St. Clair is a writer and editor living in New York City. In his blog, Sharing Guy’s Journey, Guy writes about any subject that crosses his mind (some friends refer to the blog as “Guy’s online journal”).  In his professional life, Guy is the Series Editor for Knowledge Services, from De Gruyter Saur in Munich and Berlin. 

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Frances Hesselbein: A Friend of the Heart, Forever January 23, 2023
  • Personal History: Knowing Frances Hesselbein January 23, 2023
  • The Power of Purpose January 19, 2023
  • The Hours: A Follow-Up December 16, 2022
  • A New American Classic from The Metropolitan Opera December 6, 2022
  • Vancouver: A Very Different Work of Public Art November 13, 2022
  • Vancouver: Christ Church Cathedral November 3, 2022
  • Vancouver: A Very Welcoming City October 29, 2022
  • Crossing Canada by Train (4) October 19, 2022
  • Crossing Canada by Train (3) October 19, 2022
  • Crossing Canada by Train (2) October 18, 2022
  • Crossing Canada by Train (1) October 17, 2022
  • Aboard Amtrak’s Maple Leaf to Toronto October 10, 2022
  • Vienna: A Third Memorial October 9, 2022
  • Vienna: Remembering the Holocaust October 2, 2022

Copyright © 2023 Guy St. Clair. All Rights Reserved.