On Sunday, November 22, BPAC organized a ride to see some of the veterans’ memorials in Alexandria. Although our original ride on Veterans Day, November 11, was rained out, we were lucky to have unseasonably warm temperatures and some lingering fall foliage for the rescheduled ride.
We started at Rocky Versace Plaza, named after the former Del Ray resident who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his courage while a POW in Vietnam. We then rode in small groups, with staggered start times, masks, and other covid-19 precautions, to visit various monuments and tributes to veterans around the City. We discussed why the Old Presbyterian Meeting House hosts the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution; honored the brave Black soldiers who petitioned for the right of their fallen comrades to be buried in Alexandria National Cemetery instead of the segregated Freedmen’s Cemetery; learned about Confederate veteran Eli Hamilton Janney, the namesake of Janneys Lane; and talked about the origin of the cannon-and-cobblestone memorial at the intersection of Braddock and Russell Roads.
Here are some photos from the ride:
Thank you to all of the amazing BPAC volunteers who made this ride possible.
If you would like to do a self-guided version of the veterans’ memorials ride, a guide to the route and stops is available here.
Alexandria Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee 