DC Scenes

Jeff Malet • March 19, 2014

Once a year, hundreds of otherwise normal people gather on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., dressed as Santa Claus. They call the event Santarchy. Also spotted were Frosty the Snowman, the Gingerbread Man, assorted reindeer, Gumby and Santa Dog. We followed the marching Santas from the steps of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum to the Carousel on the National Mall, up to the Washington Monument, the National Christmas Tree and the White House. They were last seen in the Penn Quarter, looking for sustenance at several of the local watering holes.

As the group says on its website, “Santarchy takes place in major cities all over the world involving tens of thousands of Santas. It is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious and non-sensical celebration of holiday cheer, goodwill, and fun. There is no good reason to dress up in cheap Santa suits, run around town, give gifts, sing songs, have strangers sit on our laps, and decide who is naughty or nice — but it’s a lot of fun — so Santa does it anyway. Everyone loves Santa, and Santa loves everyone! Santarchy is your chance to be Santa, so step up and be jolly.”

View our photos of Santarchy 2013 – Washington, D.C., by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101577,148001,148006,148010,148014,148018,148024,148028,148058,148044,148050,148039,148054,147996,147991,148033,147962,147968,147935,147941,147947,147952,147957,147973,147976,147982,147987,148061" nav="thumbs"]

Jeff Malet • March 13, 2014

The U.S. Congress held a ceremony on Capitol Hill back on November 2, 2011 to award the Congressional Gold Medal, its highest civilian honor, to more than 1,000 Japanese-American veterans, many now in their 90s, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.

The actual gold medal presented to these war heroes went on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in a special ceremony this Wednesday, Feb. 19, the “Annual Day of Remembrance,” marking the 72nd anniversary of the signing of the 1942 law by President Franklin Roosevelt which led to the imprisonment of 110,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Ten of these veterans attended the ceremony, followed by a panel discussion at the Smithsonian. The medal will return to Washington, following a seven-city tour throughout the United States.

Japanese Americans born in the U.S. called themselves “Nisei.” Many were placed in internment camps after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Even though they were also exempt from the draft, about 19,000 Japanese-American soldiers volunteered for service. For many, it was a chance to show their loyalty to the United States.

The Gold Medal was presented collectively to the Army’s three Japanese-American units that fought in the Mediterranean and European theaters: the 100th Infantry Battalion, nicknamed the Purple Heart Battalion, the “Go for Broke” 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS).

Fighting their way through Italy, southern France and Germany, and finally sent to the Pacific Theater to serve as part of the occupation force in Japan, members of the 442nd made the unit the most highly decorated regiment in Army history. All told, the 13,000 soldiers serving in the regiment, received 21 Medals of Honor, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 4,000 Bronze Stars and 9,486 Purple Hearts. One of those distinguished Medal of Honor winners, the late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) took part in the original ceremony.

The 100th Battalion was absorbed by the 442nd , but initially was a separate unit. It was composed of men from Hawaii who were part of the National Guard.

There were 3,000 Army trained linguists that served in the Asia-Pacific theater part of the MIS. These men had a numerous duties which included translating enemy documents, interrogating prisoners of war and persuading enemies forces to surrender. Because of the nature of their work, MIS achievements have been classified and are just now coming to light.

In 2010, Congress approved a special gold medal for the unit. President Obama signed the bill into law authorizing the award a year ago. A replica of the gold medal was given out to veterans, family members of deceased veterans, next of kin of soldiers killed in action and family members of veterans who participated in the ceremony.

You can view the actual medal now by visiting the National Museum of American history. The medal will be on display in the American Heroes exhibition now through June 1 on the third floor, east wing on the museum.

You can view our photos of the special ceremony on the “Annual Day of Remembrance” at the Smithsonian by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101645,145443,145462,145447,145467,145471,145492,145476,145479,145489,145437,145432,145413,145418,145389,145395,145401,145406,145422,145427,145456,145485" nav="thumbs"]

Jeff Malet •

Despite frigid temperatures, hundreds of runners once again stripped down for charity in the fifth annual Cupid’s Undie Run on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., on Feb. 15. The event, which started in the District in 2010 and takes place around Valentine’s Day, has expanded to more than 30 cities across the country and around the world to benefit the Children’s Tumor Foundation in its fight against neurofibromatosis, a rough cancer that affects the nervous system of small children. The aim of the event is to raise close to $3 million for the cause. Founders and organizers of Cupid’s Undie Run, Bobby Gill and Brendan Hanrahan, were on hand to lead the festivities and award prizes for the best undressed. Temperatures hovered around 37 degrees outside, but participants were able to warm up before and after the race at participating watering holes along Pennsylvania Avenue, NE, including the Pour House, Hawk ‘N’ Dove and Capitol Lounge. The approximately one-mile course on Capitol Hill took runners past the Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol with many stopping to pose for photos along the way.

View all our photos of the race and all the after-event festivities by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="145949,145880,145876,145871,145866,145862,145857,145853,145848,145843,145839,145834,145885,145890,145894,145945,145940,145935,145932,145927,145922,145918,145913,145908,145904,145899,145829,145825,145757,145952,145742,145737,145731,145727,145722,145717,145711,145751,145747,145761,145765,145770,145820,145815,145810,145806,145801,145797,145793,145787,145784,145779,145774,101642" nav="thumbs"]

Jeff Malet •

What is billed as the “Largest Parade Celebrating Washington’s Birthday in the USA” kicked off in Old Town Alexandria on President’s Day, Feb. 17, 2014. The parade actually dates back to 1923.

See our photos of the bands, floats, reenactment units and George Washington himself by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="145708,145650,145644,145639,145633,145630,145625,145619,145613,145655,145660,145665,145701,145705,145696,145690,145685,145679,145675,145671,145609,145604,145599,145539,145534,145530,145525,145502,145520,145511,145516,145544,145550,145553,145596,145591,145585,145581,145576,145571,145565,145559,101643" nav="thumbs"]

Jeff Malet • March 6, 2014

The Big Easy’s Mardi Gras is unlike any festival in the world, and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art brought the New Orleans’s party to the District on March 1 with costumes, crafts, and zydeco music from Baltimore’s the Crawdaddies.

The French words “Mardi Gras” mean “Fat Tuesday” in English and invoke the Carnival Season, beginning on or after the Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. The words are descriptive of the practice of eating fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. Popular practices include wearing masks and costumes, dancing and parades. This year’s Mardi Gras falls on March 4. Laissez les bons temps rouler.

View our Mardi Gras images from Family Day by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101658,145130,145142,145140,145122,145117,145107,145112,145127,145101,145095,145089,145135" nav="thumbs"]

Jeff Malet • February 28, 2014

Baseball great Hank Aaron, in celebration of his 80th birthday, discussed his life and accomplishments with ESPN personality and Aaron biographer, Howard Bryant, at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., Feb. 8. Aaron spoke as part of the Living Portrait Series in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery’s Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium. An oil painting of Aaron by artist Ross Rossin of Atlanta was also unveiled in the National Portrait Gallery. Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron was born on Feb. 5, 1934, in Mobile Alabama. On April 8, 1974, as a player for the Atlanta Braves, Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run to break Babe Ruth’s home-run record, which had stood for 39 years.

Some highlights of Hank Aarons remarks at the National Portrait Gallery:

Aaron spoke about his boyhood in segregated Mobile Alabama as one of 8 children living in a three bedroom house. “The first one that got into the bed got all the covers”. He was a “skinny” kid and was initially overlooked by many of the clubs offering tryouts in his home town. But he always had confidence in his ability to succeed as a ballplayer.

Aaron did not enjoy the year and a half leading up to his breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record. He was not able to stay at the same hotel as his teammates. A fellow ballplayer had to bring him his meals in his room and Aaron had to leave the ballpark through a back door. His children felt threatened and had to be driven to school. Today he tries to remember the good things about “that chase” like the thousands of pieces of mail he received during that time wishing him the best.

Alluding to the current controversy about Hall of Fame voting and drug abuse, Aaron simply encourages fans to make their voices heard by writing to the Commissioner of Baseball.

Aaron is disturbed that more African-American youths have been opting for different sports like Football. Baseball, according to Aaron is the safer sport and “you can play much longer”. (Aaron played for 23 years).

Aaron maintains that his 1957-58 Braves were one of the best in baseball, noting their great pitching staff led by Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette.
The toughest pitcher Aaron faced was Stan Williams of the Dodgers, a big strong pitcher with wild control who knocked him out with a high pitch and subsequently hit him again on a pickoff throw to first base.
Aaron’s favorite city to play in was Chicago because “they played all day games, and gave me a chance to move around at night”.

Aaron’s advice to any athlete: “Give it all you’ve got and do the very very best that you can do, and do it honestly”.

“I’m so blessed that I’ve been able to play ball in Milwaukee, and making a career in Atlanta Georgia”, and associating with civil rights leaders such as Dr. Benjamin Mays. “Hitting a baseball was easy to do compared to what he had to go through.”

Aaron and his wife started “Chasing the Dream Foundation to help kids all over the world”. “Its not how much you achieve in life but what you can give back to help other people.”

The event concluded with two rousing choruses of “Happy Birthday” sung by the hundreds in attendance.

View our photos of Hank Aaron at 80 by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101623,146274,146276,146266,146261,146257,146239,146253,146248,146244,146269" nav="thumbs"]

Jeff Malet • February 20, 2014

Thousands of animal lovers braved the cold weather and construction on the Metro Red Line to greet four-month-old giant panda cub Bao Bao for her first day on public display at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park on Jan. 18. The giant-panda house, which had been closed to the general public for six months, re-opened for extended hours for the three-day Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend to accommodate the expected 10,000 visitors. They would be allowed only 10 to 15 minutes at a time in front of the baby panda, but many would come back to wait in line for a second or a third look. Although members of the Friends of the National Zoo had already been given preview peeks, this Saturday marked the first time members of the general public would be allowed to view the 18-1/2 pound cub . (When fully grown, female giant pandas weigh in excess of 200 pounds.) Infant pandas sleep quite a bit, up to 20 hours a day, and visitors were warned not to expect too much action from Bao Bao. We were lucky to see the cub wide awake for some exercise with handler Nicole MacCorkle. Bao Bao’s mother, Mei Xiang, was enjoying a meal of bamboo in the adjoining enclosure. The amount of time that visitors will be able to see Bao Bao will vary, depending on how much time the panda spends in her private den. Zookeepers try to allow animals as much free will as possible. Our advice: make this your first stop on your visit to the zoo. If the panda is out of view or asleep, just come back a bit later in the day.

Bao Bao was born August 23, 2013. She was the first giant panda to survive birth at the zoo since 2005. Many watched the event on the Pandacam. Bao Bao, which means “precious” or “treasure,” was formally named 100 days later. More than 123,000 votes were cast on the cub’s new name on Smithsonian.com.

Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China, in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. They have been classified as endangered in the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Species. There are an estimated 1,600 living in the wild and another 300 in zoos and breeding centers around the world, mostly in China. Their diet is almost exclusively bamboo.

View our photos from Bao Bao’s opening day by clicking on the photo icons below.
[gallery ids="101606,147048,147051,147057,147060,147065,147069,147073,147078,147082,147043,147039,147011,147089,147005,147014,147019,147024,147027,147031,147035,147087" nav="thumbs"]

Jeff Malet • February 3, 2014

Thousands descended on Chinatown in Washington D.C. on a seasonably warm Sunday Feb 2 to welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year “Year of the Horse” with a parade that featured lion dancers, martial arts demonstrations, musical performances and firecrackers. In this election year, D.C. politicians were in abundance, joining prominent members from the Chinese community. The horse is part of a 12-year-cycle of animals that make up the Chinese zodiac.

View our photos of the celebration in Chinatown by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="146606,146546,146535,146532,146527,146521,146516,146512,146507,146501,146497,146492,146487,146541,146613,146552,146611,146602,146597,146592,146588,146583,146578,146574,146569,146565,146561,146557,146482,146477,146389,146385,146381,146375,146370,146366,146361,146356,146351,146347,146341,146440,146395,146400,146445,146472,146466,146461,146455,146435,146429,146425,146421,146415,146410,146405,146450,101620" nav="thumbs"]

Jeff Malet •

President Barack Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union Address before a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. on Jan. 28. The president touched upon a wide range of issues, including income inequality, climate change, guns, Guantanamo, gay rights, health care reform, education and voting rights.

View our photos from inside the House chamber by clicking on the photo icons below. (All photos by Jeff Malet) [gallery ids="101619,146672,146677,146681,146685,146690,146693,146699,146703,146707,146712,146715,146720,146723,146668,146663,146659,146737,146739,146733,146616,146619,146624,146627,146632,146636,146641,146646,146650,146655,146728" nav="thumbs"]

Jeff Malet • January 25, 2014

Thousands of anti-abortion protestors rallied on the National Mall for the 41st Annual “March for Life” up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court Building on Jan. 22. The event takes place every year on the anniversary of the court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized access to abortion. This year’s event took place despite 15 degree temperatures and a sub-zero wind chill factor.

View our images of the “March for Life” by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="101608,146925,146931,146936,146941,146945,146951,146957,146962,146966,146971,146977,146981,146985,146991,146921,146916,146846,146867,146862,146851,146857,146871,146876,146881,146885,146891,146896,146902,146906,146911,146992" nav="thumbs"]