us monument washington dc

US monument washington dc: As they walk across the thousands of flags of white that cover an area of 20 acres along the National Mall to honor the Americans who died from covid-19, tourists are able and write some lines of goodbye on the flags. They are goodbyes that a lot of people have did not get to express in person. It’s a personal goodbye. It is also a national one at that.

A plethora of flags were arranged into 149 parts. Each flag is one foot off the ground. A vast white sea. The scale of loss is staggering. The installation of the exhibit took a team of workers, comprising more than 300 volunteers, three days to finish.

In one corner in section 29, Ellen Benson, from Bergen County, N.J., holds a white flag that says: “In our hearts and in our souls, every single day. I think that you are watching over me and the boys and all the people you cherish. I’m shocked to think that you’re gone. Still feels like a horrible dream.” with red hearts covering the reverse of the flag.

In the days following the countries’ decision to secure their borders, schools were shut, and people were placed in lockdowns; Benson lost her husband as well as her sons, who lost their father. Jim Judd, 63, an owner of a tiny construction company, passed away at his home from the covid-19 virus on April 7 in 2020. It was the day they celebrated. It was their 30-year anniversary.

While it’s been a year and an hour, it seems like it was just yesterday, Benson said. “What you believe your life will appear to be like is abruptly halted and leaves you in the feeling of a gap. It was just the three of us. Now, we’re three.” she cried.

The trip to the memorial is the start of her healing process as well as the opportunity to be able to say goodbye, she explained. She must grieve the loss of her husband’s death but hopes people would understand that the entire nation, regardless of race, grieves too.