PROCESSION -SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23,
2001

The following information is provided to assist you in preparing for
and enjoying the procession with country of service flags from the
Lincoln Memorial, across Memorial Bridge to the Amphitheater in Arlington
National Cemetery where the conference closing ceremony will be held.

Getting to the
Lincoln Memorial

It will take about 20 minutes to walk from the Hotel Washington to
the reflecting pool. NOTE: Metro does not open until 8:00 AM and the
closest stop is Foggy Bottom-GWU on the Blue Line. It will take about 20
minutes to walk south on 23rd street to the Reflecting Pool. Anyone
further than a 10 minute Metro ride should consider alternative
transportation. Parking is available on Constitution Avenue and Ohio
Drive on a first come basis but should be available that early on a
Sunday morning.

Assemble

We will assemble in country of service groups on both sides of the
reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial from 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM.
NOTE: FLAG CARRIERS SHOULD BE IN FRONT OF THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL BETWEEN
7:15 AM AND 7:30 AM TO PICK UP THE FLAGS FOR PHOTOGRAPHS. We will
provide the flags and light weight aluminum flag poles. We are
requesting each country of service group or someone from those countries
that do not have a formal group to designate one person to pick up their
flag from the truck which will be parked on the south side of the
circular service road that rings the Memorial.

The flag carriers will then move to the designated places by the
reflecting pool. To find your country group we will have small signs in
alphabetical order with country names A through L on the north side and M
through Z on the south side.

Because we are not allowed to take flags or banners inside Arlington
National Cemetery, we are asking you not to bring personal banners or
flags in the cemetery. If you do be prepared to leave them outside of
the cemetery before entering. We will not be able to put them in our
flag truck for safekeeping.

If you would like to look at the world flags you can see them on
various web sites such as www.un.org <www.un.org, www.flags.net,
<www.flags.net , www.furtunecity.com/victorian/crayon/1098/index.html,
www.furtunecity.com/victorian/crayon/1098/index.html www.alamoflag.com ,
to name a few.

We have invited members of the Diplomatic Corps from our countries
of service and are asking each country group to designate one person to
meet and escort their Ambassador or ranking member(s) from their embassy
throughout the Sunday morning events if the come. As we receive
information from the various embassies, we will share this with the
designated persons from each country of service.

By showing their identification to the Park Police officer at
Constitution and Henry Bacon Drive, Ambassadors or ranking embassy
officials will be allowed to drive up to the north side of the Lincoln
Memorial circular road and join our group.

Ambassadors and others embassy personnel are invited to walk with
their country of service groups and attend the closing ceremony in the
amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery. If they do their drivers
will be able to pick them up at the amphitheater. If they chose not to
walk but want to attend the ceremony in the amphitheater from 11:00 AM to
noon, their drivers will be authorized to drive them to the amphitheater.



The Procession

We will start to walk promptly at 8:30 AM. We estimate 3,000 RPCVs,
staff, diplomats, family and friends will participate in the procession.
To allow all of us to be seated in the amphitheater at Arlington National
Cemetery by 11:00 AM for the one hour conference closing ceremony, we
will need to start promptly. The United States Park Police will close
the three outbound lanes (north side) of Memorial Bridge and various
access roads so we will have an unobstructed and safe procession. We
will have procession monitors along the route and inside the cemetery to
keep the procession moving along the authorized route.


The Route

The route is from the reflecting pool around the north side of the
Lincoln Memorial, across Memorial Bridge, along Memorial Drive past the
Cemetery Visitors Center (on your left) to the main entrance of the
Cemetery in front of the new Women in Military Service for America
Memorial (It’s a long sentence and approximately 1 and ½ miles walking).
The flag bearers will put the flags and flag poles in our truck which
will be parked just outside the entrance to the cemetery. When all of
the flags are collected the truck will then be driven to the mast of the
USS Maine, approximately 100 yards from the West/main entrance to the
Amphitheater. NOTE: Please remember that personal flags, banners, food,
and drinks other than water are not permitted in the cemetery.

The procession will enter the Cemetery through the north entrance on
Schley Drive, turn left up the 27 stairs on Custis Walk, turn left again
on Sheridan Drive to the JFK and RFK graves where we can view the wreath
from the National Peace Corps Association that will have been placed
earlier that morning. There are two water fountains close to the JFK and
RFK graves. The procession will return to Sheridan Drive and turn left
on Crook Walk, up and down narrow descending stairs which will take us to
the north entrance of the Amphitheater. The elapsed time of the
procession is approximately 1 and ½ hours. The streets and Memorial
Bridge are mostly flat with a slight incline on the bridge and there are
hills and stairs on the narrow roads and walks in the cemetery.

For those who might not be able to walk the cemetery route there
will be a Tourmobile shuttle bus from the entrance to the cemetery
directly to the Amphitheater. Seating in the Amphitheater in
unrestricted except for a few designated and press areas. Because we
will be in the sun for approximately four hours that morning and there is
no shade on the marble benches in the Amphitheater, we suggest you
consider bringing sun screen and a hat and of course a camera/video to
capture the glory and emotion of this day. The designated flag carriers
for the procession are asked to go to the truck outside of the
amphitheater by 10:35 AM to again get the flags and flag poles and form
up to walk in a procession into the amphitheater just before the ceremony
begins at 11:00 AM. There will be designated chairs on both sides of the
stage for the flag bearers to sit and hold the flags during the ceremony.
During the end of the closing ceremony we will have a recession of the
flags back to the truck so we can account for and safeguard the flags and
poles which we are responsible for.

Transportation back to the box lunches and the picnic in Washington
is on your own by Metro, taxi, or on foot. NOTE: The nearest Metro stop
is further from the picnic area than the cemetery. For safety purposes
we suggest you walk on the south side (opposite of the procession) of
Memorial Bridge and bear right across Independence Ave. to the
intersection with Ohio Drive.

Other important
information

The Amphitheater is behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where
there is a changing of the guard ceremony every half hour. We have been
asked to keep our voices to a normal level as we assemble in the
Amphitheater for our ceremony. Also note that there will be tourists
throughout the cemetery as we hold the procession.

You are encouraged to bring water. Please note that food and other
drinks, flags, and banners are not allowed in the cemetery or the
Amphitheater.

Bathrooms are located on the south-side ground level of the Lincoln
Memorial and portable toilets will be across Independence Ave on the
picnic grounds. More bathrooms are in the cemetery Visitors Center, the
Women In Military Service for America Memorial at the entrance to the
cemetery and by the south side entrance to the Amphitheater. All have
handicap access.

There are no restrictions on cameras or videos. However, tripods
are not permitted above the mid level steps (white) of the Lincoln
Memorial or in the Amphitheater, except for press with proper
credentials.

We encourage everyone to come and bring their family and friends of
the Peace Corps. Those who do not think they can walk the procession can
take the Metro Blue line to Arlington National Cemetery which is about a
½ mile walk from the Amphitheater or Tourmobile Ride (approximately
$5.00). Both the Metro, www.metroopensdoors.com
<http://www.metroopensdoors.com> (202-637-7000) and the paid parking lot
at the Cemetery www.arlingtoncemetery.org
<http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org> , (703-607-8052) open at 8:00 AM.
Parking costs $1.25/hour for the first three hours and $2.00 for each
additional hour.