World War II Memorial
Because it is such a gorgeous day, Julie and I headed down to the mall on our bikes to check out the new World War II memorial.
I couldn't help but reflect on the controversy that surrounded this edifice from the moment it was proposed. The idea of building a memorial across the entire width of the National Mall is unprecedented in the history of that hallowed space. The original design proposals only made matters worse. A ring of roman style soldiers around a central plateau evoked nasty memories of Nazi parade grounds.
It is fair to point out that our founders also embraced the imagery of the Roman Republic. George Washington thought of his role in our history in terms of the actions of the great citizen general of Rome, Cincinnatus. While the images of Rome, the eagle, legionnaire, and the standard do not belong to Nazism exclusively, in the context of a WWII memorial they are not appropriate.
To accommodate these critiques, the backers of the mostly privately funded project replaced the soldiers with monoliths, lowered the marble field below the level of the surface of the mall, and replaced the center with a glorious fountain.
The result is a solemn, though emotionless, tribute to the conflict. A field of star represents the soldiers that were lost and the columns represent the states and territories that lost soldiers in the war.
Overall, I do recommend this memorial. It doesn't compare to the FDR or Vietnam memorials but has its own strength and dignity. Perhaps next time we build a major memorial we will look to our contemporary successes for inspiration instead of trying to harken back to an earlier style.
Who is this guy?
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