having lived a rather nomadic life, rarely do i get the opportunity to dig in deep anywhere.  this means a whole bunch of things, but importantly it means that i don’t often get the chance to enjoy an intimate familiarity with a town, city, or state.

when the invite came to me to see a national treasure in a town where i have lived – i jumped at the chance and then grabbed my camera.

driving into the golden gate national cemetery is humbling, to say the least.  sounds are quieter.  movements are more deliberate.  when we rounded the corner from the main entrance, the scope of what my eyes were seeing literally took my breath away.  There are over 137,000 people interred there.

i had never been on the grounds which covers 161 acres, though have driven by it many times.  as we slowly made our way through the carefully maintained roads, we read aloud the names of men and women who served our country as nurses, sergeants, and other distinguished ranks in our armed forces.  as palpable as our gratefulness was, i don’t know that i could adequately convey in words the kind of gratitude that hits you when you’re actually there.