On my recent trip to DC, I took a day to visit each of the war memorials on the National Mall, beginning with the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
We arrived in the late morning amid a light drizzle, which cast a shadowy light across the space; I can only imagine how hauntingly beautiful this must be in the silence of a thick morning fog.
Nestled near the reflecting pool and the Lincoln Memorial, the space is thoughtful and thought-provoking. 19 figures march in formation; when reflected in the soaring granite walls, their numbers double to 38, symbolizing the 38th parallel. The granite wall is etched with nameless faces, depicting the land, sea, and air troops that served. It is an interesting contrast to the faceless names of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which sits on the opposite side of the reflecting pool.
Following the wall takes you to the point of the memorial's triangle, where the path meets a reflecting pool with a simple phrase:
Looking back at the silent figures on patrol is eerie, even with dozens of other visitors around you. As you continue around the memorial path, gaining distance from the scenes etched into the granite, the faces fade in detail. It seems a harsh metaphor inherent in the space, this distance and this fading from memory. The phrase is often tossed around for political impact, but there is a true gravity to its reality: indeed, freedom is not free.
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