War Memorials Encourage Reflection, Pride

Each of the war memorials on D.C.'s National Mall draws millions of visitors, many of them veterans, to the city each year. Together the memorials honor the many brave U.S. military personnel who fought on behalf of the United States or who supported the war effort from home.

Visitors will find that the newest monument stands as a reminder of the most widespread and deadliest conflict in world history. The National World War II Memorial was dedicated nearly 59 years after the end of World War II, on May 29, 2004.

The memorial took approximately three years to construct and honors the 16 million people who served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II, the 400,000 Americans who died in action, and the millions who supported the war effort from home.

Rhode Island–based architect Friedrich St. Florian designed the monument, which is located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. The design features a sunken circular plaza surrounded by 56 pillars representing the states and territories whose citizens fought the war.

In the middle of the plaza is a pool flanked by two fountains. On the west side of the memorial is the Freedom Wall, with a view of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial behind it. On the wall are 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war.

The memorial was funded primarily by private contributions, including more than $197 million in cash and pledges from individuals, corporations and foundations, veterans groups, and various states and territories. In addition, the federal government provided $16 million. Leading the funding campaign was former Sen. Bob Dole, the national campaign chair, and his co-chair, Frederick W. Smith, president and CEO of FDX Corp.

Perhaps one of the most popular of the war memorials on the National Mall is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which receives more than 3 million visitors each year. The Memorial Wall, in all its stark beauty, was designed by Maya Ying Lin and dedicated in 1982. It is made up of two walls of black granite imported from India. Each wall, which is 246 feet long, is angled slightly and has 72 panels. One wall points toward the Washington Monument, and the other points toward the Lincoln Memorial.

The walls taper upward from a height of eight inches and form an apex 10 feet high in the middle of the structure.

On the granite are listed the 58,256 names of those who perished or were declared missing in action in the Vietnam War, including eight women. The list of names that continues toward the apex brings to mind the devastation of and sacrifices made in the conflict, while the reflective nature of the granite walls encourages introspection in relation to the Vietnam War.

It is along the concrete path in front of the memorial where visitors stroll. Some make a pencil rubbing of a particular name, while others stop for a moment of silence in remembrance of a loved one. Many leave sentimental items, drawings, or messages at the base of the walls.

A short distance away is another part of the memorial, known as The Three Soldiers. This bronze statue was unveiled in 1984 and depicts an African-American, Hispanic-American, and white soldier standing together in solidarity.

Located a short distance south of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is the Vietnam Women's Memorial. The sculpture, designed by Glenna Goodacre and dedicated in 1993, depicts three uniformed women with a wounded soldier.

There is also a memorial plaque dedicated in 2004 at the northeast corner of the plaza to honor veterans who died after the war as a direct result of injuries suffered in Vietnam, but whose deaths fell outside Department of Defense guidelines for inclusion on the walls. The plaque is a carved block of black granite and reads, “In memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.”

The Korean War Veterans Memorial lies just southeast of the Lincoln Memorial and directly south of the Reflecting Pool. The memorial honors members of the U.S. Armed Forces who served in the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953. President Bill Clinton and South Korean President Kim Young Sam dedicated the memorial on July 27, 1995.

The centerpiece of the memorial, which was designed by Frank Gaylord of Barre, Vt., humanizes the conflict with 19 stainless-steel sculptures standing in the grass and representing a squadron of soldiers on patrol.

At 7 feet 3 inches tall, the statues are larger than life and represent a cross-section of soldiers of different racial and ethnic backgrounds serving in the Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force. All have solemn countenances and are dressed in combat gear and ponchos. At night when the statues are illuminated, they have a ghostlike appearance.

North of the statues is the United Nations Wall, which lists the 22 member countries of the United Nations that contributed troops or medical relief to the war effort. To the south of the statues is a 164-foot-long black granite wall depicting sandblasted images of the soldiers and equipment involved in the war.

If the images seem realistic, it's because they were designed from 15,000 photographs of various aspects of the war and include more than 2,000 etched images of people in action—medical personnel, soldiers, radio communication officers, and even dogs who assisted the soldiers.

Situated on a peninsula-shaped area (which represents Korea itself) is the Pool of Remembrance, which is lined with black granite and surrounded by trees and benches. Inscriptions give the numbers of those killed, wounded, missing in action, and held as prisoners of war. A nearby plaque adds poignancy to the statistics. It reads, “Freedom is not free.”

Visitors will find the African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and Museum in D.C.'s historic Shaw neighborhood. The museum opened to the public in 1999 and features photographs, documents, and audiovisual equipment to capture the sacrifices made by African Americans during the Civil War.

The memorial itself, known as the Spirit of Freedom, is a sculpture located at the center of a granite-paved plaza. The sculpture is 10-feet tall and features uniformed black soldiers and a sailor standing together in a circle. The statue was designed by Ed Hamilton, an African-American sculptor from Louisville.

The war memorials are located on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial and can be accessed on Metrorail via the Smithsonian stop on the Orange and Blue lines.

MORE INFORMATION

National World War II Memorial

17th Street and Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C., (202) 619-7222, www.wwiimemorial.com

Vietnam Veterans War Memorial

Bacon Drive and Constitution Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C., (202) 426-6841, www.thewall-usa.com

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Daniel French Drive and Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C., (202) 426-6841, www.nps.gov/kwvm

African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and Museum

1200 U Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., (202) 667-2667, www.afroamcivilwar.org▪