A Grateful Nation

Every nation honors its veterans and the wars in which they fought. The US is no different. There are many war memorials in Washington DC (and elsewhere). Many have been built in my lifetime. They are often controversial, as everyone seems to view history differently. The monuments themselves are often critiqued. New statues, monuments, and memorials continue to be erected (some taken down). Efforts to erect a National Civil War monument in Washington DC have met with resistance. I doubt it will happen as the Civil War era continues to be controversial, especially under the Tangerine Toddler.

Wall of names

One of the most controversial memorials in my memory, at least in the beginning, was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (a.k.a. the Vietnam Wall). It opened to the public on Veteran's Day in 1982.  Some people did not like the design of the memorial. It wasn't gung-ho enough for them; they thought it was unpatriotic. They also didn't like the fact that the designer was a young Chinese-American woman. 

Minimalistic in design, the Vietnam War Memorial is ~246 feet long and composed of 72 shiny black granite panels. When it was first constructed, the panels were inscribed chronologically with the names of the 57,939 soldiers who died or were missing. Additional names have since been added. Many people trace the names of their loved ones or leave objects beside the wall. Over time, the memorial has become highly respected (by most). It is the most-visited memorial on the National Mall.

Another component of the Vietnam Memorial is the bronze statue of the Three Servicemen (soldiers). It was unveiled on Veteran's Day in 1984. One soldier is white (European), one is black (African-American), and the third is meant to represent all other ethnic groups in America. The three soldiers monument was seen as a compromise to the more controversial wall.  

Three Servicemen Monument, c. 1984

The Vietnam Women's Memorial was dedicated on Veteran's Day in 1993. It honors the 265,000 military and civilian women who served around the world during the Vietnam War. It is the nation’s first—and still its only—memorial to military women on the National Mall. It took 10 years for the monument to come to fruition, as there was a fight to have women recognized for their wartime contributions. Misogyny with a capital M.

Vietnam Women's Memorial, c. 1993

Bronze sculpture by Glenna Goodacre

My favorite monument (not war) is the Korean War Veterans Memorial. My dad was a veteran of the Korean War era. He did not have to go to Korea. He served stateside. I'm not sure if he ever saw the memorial.  It was dedicated in July 27, 1995, on the 42nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the war (1950-53). 

Korean War soldier

The column

The monument includes 19 statues. They represent a platoon on patrol, drawn from branches of the armed forces; fourteen of the figures are from the US Army, three are from the Marine Corps, one is a Navy Corpsman, and one is an Air Force Forward Air Observer. They are dressed in full combat gear, dispersed among strips of granite and juniper bushes which represent the rugged terrain of Korea. In 2022, a granite wall was added to the Korean War Memorial. The wall lists the names of 36,634 Americans, along with 7,174 South Koreans who died under US command.  It has been controversial due to its inscriptions. Supposedly many names were omitted or misspelled. 

Nineteen soldiers

Larger than life

The World War II Memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004 and was dedicated a month later by President George W. Bush. It is the largest of the memorials on the National Mall. The memorial consists of 56 granite pillars, representing the US states and territories. There are two arches for the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. There is also a reflecting pool and Freedom Wall. The location of the memorial was controversial because it occupies prime real estate between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. 

Dedicated May 29, 2004

Atlantic theater

Posing with the Minnesota pillar

Pacific Arch

Memorial wreaths

D-Day quote 

Reflecting Pool

The Freedom Wall is on the west side of the plaza, with a view of the Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial behind it. The wall has 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. In front of the wall lies the message "Here we mark the price of freedom".

Freedom Wall 

Reflecting Pool, Freedom Walls, and Lincoln Memorial