Psychiatr News February 15, 2008
Volume 43, Number 4, page 13
© 2008 American Psychiatric Association
War Memorials Encourage Reflection, Pride
Eve Bender
Some of Washington, D.C.'s most popular tourist destinations are the
memorials built to honor the men and women who gave their lives in the
nation's wars.
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."
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A platoon of stainless-steel sculptures of soldiers on patrol lend a
human element to the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The memorial also features
a Pool of Remembrance, which lists the numbers of soldiers wounded, missing in
action, or held as prisoners of war.
Credit: David Hathcox
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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
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American Psychiatric Association.
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