Memorial Day at Fort Rosecrans
Every year I am in town, I visit Fort Rosecrans on the weekend before Memorial Day. Below is a section of images, followed by more information below the gallery.
Clicking on any of the images will launch the gallery.
The weather in most of San Diego this weekend was dark and gloomy. A cloud layer at about 3,500 feet hung above the coast. Because of this, most of the images I made were monochrome black and whites, which I found to be suitable to the holiday.
Fort Rosecrans hosts thousands of people on Memorial Day, and Cabrillo National Monument is even closed. Many volunteer groups, including my own Scout Troop, assist with flag planting on the Saturday morning before Memorial Day. Following those groups in the cemetery is a great way to mark the occasion.
This year, I took some time to look up every Schultze located at Fort Rosecrans. I don’t have any family with the Schultze name beyond my brother and father. A couple years ago, I parked near Section V to get the hillside photo looking towards the Coronado Islands in Mexico. A Phillip Schultze was just off the roadside. I located all 5 Schultze interrments and thought it was a great way to celebrate my name, even if they are not immediate family.
Nearby, on the way back to my car, I found a Lois Lane. There is always something interesting at Fort Rosecrans.
Memorial Day at Fort Rosecrans is incredibly popular, as it is with many National Cemeteries. Coming on Saturday or Sunday afternoon used to be the time to visit, get the images with all of the flags planted, and make great pictures. That secret is out now. I was stunned by how busy it was. I was able to make a lot of images, but there were a lot of people there.
Thank you reading, and I hope you enjoy the images.
T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographer’s Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.