"THe forgotten war"
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How does a war that lost almost 5 million soldiers and civilians get forgotten? How does one memorial change that forgotten war into something to remember? The history of this such war is to not be forgotten. How does one describe such an amazing and beautiful memorial about something that is considered forgotten? The Korean War might have been forgotten but the memorial makes sure whoever sees it won't forget about all that happened.
The Korean War started on June 25, 1950 when 75,000 people from the North Korean army crossed into the 38th parallel. In July, American troops entered the war on South Korea's behalf. American officials tried to fashion some sort of armistice with the North Koreans. There was fear that this was going to be a wider war with Russia and China and possibly be World War III. After more than two years of negotiations, the adversaries signed an armistice on July 27, 1953. Nearly 5 million people died during this war. More than half of these people were 10 percent of Korea's prewar population and they were civilians. The rate of civilian casualties was higher than World War II's and Vietnam's. Almost 40,000 Americans died during battle in Korea, and more than 100,000 were wounded. “If the best minds in the world had set out to find us the worst possible location in the world to fight this damnable war,” U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson (1893-1971) once said, “the unanimous choice would have been Korea.” President Harry Truman thought that Korea can't be let down because the Soviets will keep taking over one place after another. The Korean War was forgotten because it came right after World War II and right before The Vietnam War. Two wars that were very long in time compared to The Korean War that lasted three years. Americans just didn't pay attention to The Korean War as to the other wars. Through all of this, the Korean Peninsula is still divided today. (Korean)
The Korean War Veterans Memorial is in the form of a triangle intersecting a circle. Within the walled triangle there are 19 stainless steel statues, each larger than life-size. Between 7 feet and 3 inches and 7 feet and 6 inches tall. Each statue weighs nearly 1,000 pounds. To the north of the statues is a path, forming one side of the triangle. Behind, to the south, is a 164-foot long black granite wall; on the wall are photographic images sandblasted into it depicting soldiers, equipment and people involved in the war. This forms the second side of the triangle. The third side of the triangle, facing towards the Lincoln Memorial is open. (Washington)
The location of the memorial isn't just any location. The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located in Washington D.C. where other well known memorials are located. The Lincoln Memorial, The Pentagon Memorial, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, The Washington Monument, and many more memorials are all in Washington D.C. Washington D.C. is no unknown location, it is perhaps the most popular location for memorials to be apart of. (Washington)
The Korean War Veterans Memorial is in the form of a triangle intersecting a circle. Within the walled triangle there are 19 stainless steel statues, each larger than life-size. Between 7 feet and 3 inches and 7 feet and 6 inches tall. Each statue weighs nearly 1,000 pounds. To the north of the statues is a path, forming one side of the triangle. Behind, to the south, is a 164-foot long black granite wall; on the wall are photographic images sandblasted into it depicting soldiers, equipment and people involved in the war. This forms the second side of the triangle. The third side of the triangle, facing towards the Lincoln Memorial is open. (Washington)
The location of the memorial isn't just any location. The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located in Washington D.C. where other well known memorials are located. The Lincoln Memorial, The Pentagon Memorial, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, The Washington Monument, and many more memorials are all in Washington D.C. Washington D.C. is no unknown location, it is perhaps the most popular location for memorials to be apart of. (Washington)
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The statues leave a person knowing what the Korean War was all about and what those soldiers fought for. Probably the most famous quote of the Korean War is "Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met." The statues are like looking at a real life person; forever frozen in time. The artist of the statues by Frank Gaylord captures the audiences attention with the facial expressions of the soldiers. The facial expressions show that the soldiers were in a series state of being; they weren't smiling or happy. They were series and they were on a mission to protect the people of South Korea, even if that meant losing their lives for people they never met.
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The Mural wall was designed by Louis Nelson of New York, NY and fabricated by Cold Spring Granite Company, Cold Spring, MN. The wall has 41 panels that make up the length of 164 feet. There are 2,400 photographs on the wall and it shows that there were just normal people in the war. In normal I mean non soldiers. There were a lot of civilians who died and we need to know that it wasn't just soldiers who died but men, women, and children died because of this war. (Deming) (Washington)
To the north of the statues and path is the United Nations Wall, a low wall listing the 22 members of the United Nations that contributed to the Korean war effort. The circle contains the Pool of Remembrance, a shallow pool lined with black granite and surrounded by a grove of trees with benches. Inscriptions list the numbers killed, wounded, missing in action, and held as prisoners of war, and a nearby plaque in inscribed: "Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.” Also to the right next to the numbers of American soldiers are those of the United Nations troops in the same categories. (Washington)
The Korean War Veterans Memorial will make you see what the soldiers went through and not let you forget it. The history behind the war is one to remember. The details that were put into the memorial will never be forgotten. Location has a huge part in dealing with a memorial. Why in the first place was The Korean War ever forgotten? We lost so many lives and it seemed like it meant nothing. The lives that were lost during this war deserve to have their story be told and not have people forget it. “Freedom is not free” (Find Quotes).
To the north of the statues and path is the United Nations Wall, a low wall listing the 22 members of the United Nations that contributed to the Korean war effort. The circle contains the Pool of Remembrance, a shallow pool lined with black granite and surrounded by a grove of trees with benches. Inscriptions list the numbers killed, wounded, missing in action, and held as prisoners of war, and a nearby plaque in inscribed: "Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.” Also to the right next to the numbers of American soldiers are those of the United Nations troops in the same categories. (Washington)
The Korean War Veterans Memorial will make you see what the soldiers went through and not let you forget it. The history behind the war is one to remember. The details that were put into the memorial will never be forgotten. Location has a huge part in dealing with a memorial. Why in the first place was The Korean War ever forgotten? We lost so many lives and it seemed like it meant nothing. The lives that were lost during this war deserve to have their story be told and not have people forget it. “Freedom is not free” (Find Quotes).
Works cited:
"Korean War." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
"Washington D.C. Memorials." Washington D.C. Memorials. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
"Find Quotes." Showing All Quotes That Contain 'the Korean War'. N.p., n.d. Web.
Deming, Angus. “The Remembered War.” Newsweek 126.6 (1995): Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Mar. 2014
"Washington D.C. Memorials." Washington D.C. Memorials. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
"Find Quotes." Showing All Quotes That Contain 'the Korean War'. N.p., n.d. Web.
Deming, Angus. “The Remembered War.” Newsweek 126.6 (1995): Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Mar. 2014