KOREAN WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL
In remembrance of those who fought in the Korean War, the United States Congress confirmed that a memorial be built upon the National Mall on April 20, 1986. The most prominent and impactful section, known as the ‘Field of Service,’ depicts a platoon of patrolling soldiers in long ponchos marching among the memorial’s granite grounds and juniper bushes. The spread-out formation and the 19 stainless steel effigies, meant to represent all the branches of the U.S. Military, strike one as startlingly life-like upon first encounter. The number 19 has a special significance. A polished granite wall that runs along the field reflects the images of the soldiers, thus arriving at the number 38, a reference to the 38th parallel, the demilitarized zone established between North and South Korea. The Mural Wall, as it is known, contains more than 2,500 photographic, archival images representing the land, sea, and air troops who supported those who fought in the war. The Pool of Remembrance, a shallow reflecting pool surrounded by a grove of trees, is an especially moving, meditative space with inscriptions that list the total number of those who lost their lives, went missing in action, or were held as prisoners of war.
