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WASHINGTON – They came from all over the world -- from as close-in as the Washington suburbs to as far away as London. No matter where their home, though, people on the National Mall Tuesday had one goal in mind – to be part of President Barack Obama’s historic swearing-in.
Here’s a look at some of the diverse individuals who watched history as it happened at the foot of the Washington Monument.
**
Just how cold was the National Mall Tuesday morning?
So cold that Annie O’Brien’s cup of hot chocolate froze.
O’Brien, 23, of Smithtown, N.Y., knows cold. She went to school in Vermont.
But even wearing four layers of clothes and a blanket tightly wrapped around her wasn’t enough to combat temperatures in the low 20s.
“This is probably the coldest I’ve ever been,” she said.
**
One of the more pressing decisions for visitors before the inauguration was what time to arrive on the National Mall.
Near the Washington Monument, people who showed up at 5:30 a.m. stood right next to those who showed up at 9:30 a.m. For some, getting there early did not provide much of an advantage.
“I’m here to see Obama, here to see my man. It’s the start of a great era. There’s a good vibe here,” said Chatham Reed, 24, of Shreveport, La., who arrived about 9:30 a.m.
By then, Nathan Zingg, 45, of Millersburg, Ky., and his son, Cameron Zingg, 10, had been staked out for four hours in folding chairs. They came well prepared with snacks and drinks.
They had gotten up at 2 a.m. to make the trip by bus from Pennsylvania. They said the energy of the crowd was keeping them awake.
“We want to witness history,” Zingg said. “I wanted the next generation to see it.”
Zingg, who previously lived in the Washington area, said he was impressed by the number of local people who decided to brave the crowds.
“It really feels like a Fourth of July,” Zingg said. “I’ve just been surprised by the people who have walked an hour to get here. It’s really an inspiration.”
**
Many parents wanted their children to experience history.
Jasper Boykin Jr. of Atlanta initially cajoled his two sons and two nephews, all teenagers, to come to Washington for the inauguration. But when Boykin’s father fell ill, he almost canceled the trip.
The boys pushed him to go, telling Boykin that they really wanted to make the voyage.
Boykin wanted to hold Obama up as an example of what a black man can do.
“I want them to know they can’t have any excuses anymore,” Boykin said
**
Mark Drissel brought his son Linus, 8, to the mall from the nearby suburb of Great Mills, Md.
“I was waiting for this day for a long time and I would have felt sick if I missed it,” Drissel said.
Perhaps one of the youngest witnesses to history was Ellen Nidy’s 10-month-old son, Oscar. The way he was bundled up, he also may have been one of the warmest.
“It’s so important to me,” Nidy said. “I want him to be a part of it.”
“We’ve been trying to teach him how to say ‘Obama’ but he just thinks it’s a funny word,” she added.
**
For some, coming to Washington doubled as a family reunion.
Crystal Moses, 37, of Oak Park, Mich., said she wanted to be here for such a special day. Ahem, interrupted her cousin Marilyn Parks, 53.
“And to visit your loved ones,” prodded Parks of Herndon, Va.
“Obama first, family second,” said Moses and she laughed.
**
Fredrica Higgs and Kelly Reid, both 23, were running on fumes when they got to the mall.
They drove through the night from Georgia State University in Atlanta to reach their Maryland hotel. They then took a shuttle to the Metro, and the Metro to the mall.
But all that travel and exhaustion couldn’t dampen their spirit. Reid couldn’t seem to take enough pictures.
“It was important to be here because I just really wanted to partake in this moment,” Higgs said. “I didn’t think it would happen in my lifetime and now that it has I feel obligated to be here.”
**
As Obama spoke, Alberta Williams, 59, looked around at the faces in the crowd and thought about how far the United States has come and how peaceful the crowd was.
She shouted, “Yes!” as Obama spoke about the need for all Americans to give back to their country.
“It’s just good to hear him talk about service,” said Williams of Flint, Mich. “We all have to remember to serve.”
Inspired by Obama, her husband, Melvon Williams, 62, thinks he will volunteer more with his church’s mentoring program. But he was thinking of what’s next as Obama spoke.
“I am constantly thinking, where do we go from here?” he said.
His wife stressed that the country is moving forward into a new era.
“It’s also a beginning,” Alberta Williams said. “You have to start somewhere.”
Contact Amy Dominello at 202-662-7671 or adominello@mediageneral.com
Here’s a look at some of the diverse individuals who watched history as it happened at the foot of the Washington Monument.
**
Just how cold was the National Mall Tuesday morning?
So cold that Annie O’Brien’s cup of hot chocolate froze.
O’Brien, 23, of Smithtown, N.Y., knows cold. She went to school in Vermont.
But even wearing four layers of clothes and a blanket tightly wrapped around her wasn’t enough to combat temperatures in the low 20s.
“This is probably the coldest I’ve ever been,” she said.
**
One of the more pressing decisions for visitors before the inauguration was what time to arrive on the National Mall.
Near the Washington Monument, people who showed up at 5:30 a.m. stood right next to those who showed up at 9:30 a.m. For some, getting there early did not provide much of an advantage.
“I’m here to see Obama, here to see my man. It’s the start of a great era. There’s a good vibe here,” said Chatham Reed, 24, of Shreveport, La., who arrived about 9:30 a.m.
By then, Nathan Zingg, 45, of Millersburg, Ky., and his son, Cameron Zingg, 10, had been staked out for four hours in folding chairs. They came well prepared with snacks and drinks.
They had gotten up at 2 a.m. to make the trip by bus from Pennsylvania. They said the energy of the crowd was keeping them awake.
“We want to witness history,” Zingg said. “I wanted the next generation to see it.”
Zingg, who previously lived in the Washington area, said he was impressed by the number of local people who decided to brave the crowds.
“It really feels like a Fourth of July,” Zingg said. “I’ve just been surprised by the people who have walked an hour to get here. It’s really an inspiration.”
**
Many parents wanted their children to experience history.
Jasper Boykin Jr. of Atlanta initially cajoled his two sons and two nephews, all teenagers, to come to Washington for the inauguration. But when Boykin’s father fell ill, he almost canceled the trip.
The boys pushed him to go, telling Boykin that they really wanted to make the voyage.
Boykin wanted to hold Obama up as an example of what a black man can do.
“I want them to know they can’t have any excuses anymore,” Boykin said
**
Mark Drissel brought his son Linus, 8, to the mall from the nearby suburb of Great Mills, Md.
“I was waiting for this day for a long time and I would have felt sick if I missed it,” Drissel said.
Perhaps one of the youngest witnesses to history was Ellen Nidy’s 10-month-old son, Oscar. The way he was bundled up, he also may have been one of the warmest.
“It’s so important to me,” Nidy said. “I want him to be a part of it.”
“We’ve been trying to teach him how to say ‘Obama’ but he just thinks it’s a funny word,” she added.
**
For some, coming to Washington doubled as a family reunion.
Crystal Moses, 37, of Oak Park, Mich., said she wanted to be here for such a special day. Ahem, interrupted her cousin Marilyn Parks, 53.
“And to visit your loved ones,” prodded Parks of Herndon, Va.
“Obama first, family second,” said Moses and she laughed.
**
Fredrica Higgs and Kelly Reid, both 23, were running on fumes when they got to the mall.
They drove through the night from Georgia State University in Atlanta to reach their Maryland hotel. They then took a shuttle to the Metro, and the Metro to the mall.
But all that travel and exhaustion couldn’t dampen their spirit. Reid couldn’t seem to take enough pictures.
“It was important to be here because I just really wanted to partake in this moment,” Higgs said. “I didn’t think it would happen in my lifetime and now that it has I feel obligated to be here.”
**
As Obama spoke, Alberta Williams, 59, looked around at the faces in the crowd and thought about how far the United States has come and how peaceful the crowd was.
She shouted, “Yes!” as Obama spoke about the need for all Americans to give back to their country.
“It’s just good to hear him talk about service,” said Williams of Flint, Mich. “We all have to remember to serve.”
Inspired by Obama, her husband, Melvon Williams, 62, thinks he will volunteer more with his church’s mentoring program. But he was thinking of what’s next as Obama spoke.
“I am constantly thinking, where do we go from here?” he said.
His wife stressed that the country is moving forward into a new era.
“It’s also a beginning,” Alberta Williams said. “You have to start somewhere.”
Contact Amy Dominello at 202-662-7671 or adominello@mediageneral.com