La Mirada Blog's Christopher Guerra in front of our Nation's Capital

Exclusive! Note: Third entry in a series

Washington D.C.~Five score and about six month ago (February 8, 1910), our scouting fathers brought forth on this continent, a new program to teach this country's youth "responsible leadership, character development, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities, educational programs, and, at older age levels, career-oriented programs in partnership with community organizations." (Wikipedia)

On the morning of July 23, we pulled ourselves out of bed and filled up at the breakfast buffet.  Our first tour of the day was Gettysburg National Park. We toured the many battlefields

Troop 826 on the steps of the Capital

such as Little Round Top that made this place a major turning point in the Civil War. Many American lives were lost on these fields and there are several monuments to remind us all why we should always remain united.  In the high temperatures, we slowly climbed an observation tower. From there, we had a magnificent view of the city and park.  Our Gettysburg ranger told us how the outnumbered Union army held off the Confederate forces at this site by forming a defensive line in the shape of a fishhook.  After the Union victory, President Lincoln later came to Gettysburg to deliver his famous speech.

For lunch, we ate lunch at a place where they had a huge food court of various restaurants.  Something for everyone.  We ate and headed back to the buses only to find out that Troop 818's (Galaxy) bus driver misplaced his keys. So we waited out in the hot sun until our leaders came up with a plan.  It was decided that we would all board the buses with the Galaxy troop taking the empty spaces left on the other three buses.  We were grateful to be back on the road and cheered when the cold air finally filled our bus.

We headed towards our nation's capital, Washington D.C. Our first stop was the National Holocaust museum.  I was not prepared for what I saw in this museum.  It was one of the most heartbreaking, breathtaking, and saddest places I have ever experienced. The one exhibit that got to me the most was the exhibit where you are walking across a bridge and the shoes of the victims were to our sides. We left there with a lot to think about.

Second in a series of articles from Christopher Guerra, La Mirada Boy Scout attending the 2010 National Scout Jamboree in Virginia

 It is 9:00 pm on July 21. I am sitting around the airport near the check-in area with my troop. Scouts around me occupy their time with crossword puzzles, phones, iPods, and lots of chatter. The air is heavy with excitement as take-off time draws near. At 9:15 pm, we took a group picture and said goodbyes to our families as our leaders moved us to the security check area. This will the longest and farthest I have ever been away from my parents. Despite the time and distance, there isn't a scout that isn't looking forward to what's to come.

We boarded the plane and took our seats. As the plane started climbing, I took one last glimpse of the lights of Los Angeles, California. I won't see them again for 16 days. I looked over our itinerary for the next few days and it looks like they have us up and running from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm every day.

As the plane reached cruising altitude, scouts soon succumbed to sleepiness including myself. Five hours later, I woke to a beautiful sunrise on my left and an even more magnificent city to my right. We had arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!

As I exited the plane, I thought to myself "One small step for a scout, one giant leap for Christopher!". We walked out of the airport and met Howard our tour bus driver. We loaded our small duffel bags in the bus and climbed aboard. We didn't get food on the plane so the bus was filled with moans of hunger. I looked out the window as we rolled along taking in the city. Picture Los Angeles with more greenery, fewer skyscrapers, and open spaced, less crowded neighborhoods and you got Philadelphia.