Korean War Memorial

The Korean War Memorial was controversial, moving, simple, yet elegant, right from the start. It memorializes a war that not a lot of Americans even know a lot about. In an effort to show the war to common, everyday Americans, it depicts an ordinary, everyday, American patrol crossing an open field. Some Veterans say that it depicts a damn well equipped patrol, as they rarely had all the gear these G.I.s seem to have, but still, it gets it's point across that these larger than life figures are together, while at the same time, alone in a dangerous place.

 One of the bones of contention is the simple fact that each and every figure has a poncho.... the Vets say this was rarely the case.....

On another panel, like this one, it makes the statement, "Freedom Isn't Free", and I could not agree more...

Yes, I know, another problem with these figures is that in real combat you wouldn't want to be bunched up so close, one arty round and everybody is poofed.... but, the artist only had so much ground to work with, so we'll give em a break, what d'ya say?

These panels have been laser etched with figures from photographs of people taken during the conflict. Great effort was taken to depict as many different services and elements as possible in order to honor the effort of even individual soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in this unknown and forgotten war.

(Note the tankers up in the middle far left panel)

The detail was exacting, down to clothing, haircuts, even individual characteristics of race. It is a truly awesome thing to see up close. These feeble pictures of mine do not do it justice.

The panels stretch all along the right side of the monument across from the figures in the field, and the figures are reflected in the marble panels. The images on the panels seem to be reflections of those thousands of individuals that fought there, as if they are standing beside us as we peer into the past....

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(you should be hearing the theme to "Apollo Thirteen" right now)