Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington DC

Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington DC

Located in the West Potomac Park, the Korean War Veterans Memorial commemorates the 5.8 million Americans who served in the Korean War that lasted from 25-June 1950 to 27-July 1953.

Located in the West Potomac Park, the Korean War Veterans Memorial commemorates the 5.8 million Americans who served in the Korean War that lasted from 25-June 1950 to 27-July 1953. The memorial is laid out as an isosceles triangle intersecting a circle around its vertex which has an American flag on a flagpole. The triangle is outlined by the Mural Wall, a 164 feet long black granite wall sandblasted with over 2500 images of land, sea, and air troops who supported those who fought in the war. The dedication stone at the vertex is inscribed with –'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 triangle encloses 19 stainless steel statues sculpted by Frank Gaylord - 14 Army, 3 Marine, 1 Navy and 1 Air Force members. The statues stand in patches of juniper bushes separated by polished granite strips, which represent the rugged terrain and rice paddies of Korea. The United Nations Wall enumerates the 22 members of the United Nations that contributed troops or medical support to the Korean War effort.

The intersecting circle contains the Pool of Remembrance which is lined with black granite and surrounded by a grove of 28 linden trees with benches. A nearby granite wall features the powerful message 'Freedom Is Not Free'.