soldiers Archives

Vietnam !

We are now approaching a memorial that hits very close to home. This is my generation. This is the first War of which I have any remembrance. I remember the horrible news casts, the political unrest, the demonstrations to end the war, and the flag draped caskets being unloaded from the returning planes. This memorial was painful and I took the coward’s way out.

The Wall

At the entrance you’ll find Three Serviceman’s Memorial. I can see the Wall from there. The Wall is actually 2 walls meeting . They are tallest where they meet and taper down, one toward the Washington Monument , the other toward the Lincoln Memorial. The configuration is meant to symbolize a “wound that is closed and healing. To my mind I wonder if it will ever heal.

While all of the memorials are moving in their own way, I found this one, like Pearl Harbor, almost too much to bear. I spent my time with the Three Soldiers and avoided the Wall. Like I said I was a coward. I just could not bear to look at all those names, all those young lives, gone.

On the walls are the names of servicemen classified as KIA (Killed in Action), or MIA (Missing in Action) when the walls were constructed.

Those who died in action are denoted by a diamond, those who were missing (MIA’s, POW’s and others) are denoted with a cross. When the death of one who was previously missing is confirmed, a diamond is superimposed over the cross. If the missing were to return alive, which has never occurred to date, the cross is to be circumscribed by a circle.

The Three Serviceman’s Memorial

Back to the 3 Soldiers, the lead figure represents a Marine, identified as such by the body armor vest he’s wearing.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p459294250/h86690419#h86690419

The man on the right is also wearing an armor vest but a different type that was used primarily by the army. Around his neck the Soldier carries a GI towel, which served to absorb sweat and cushion heavy loads, and was a common practice of many Soldiers in Vietnam.

http://dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com/p459294250/h8669041a#h8669041a

The third soldier wears no armor but he appears to be a U.S. Army Soldier, as he wears a Tropical (“Boonie”) Hat which was widely worn by Army combat personnel in Vietnam.

In order to identify the major ethic groups that served in Vietnam, the leader is depicted as a European America, the man on the right is African American and the one on the left Latin American.

This was enough for me. I had paid my respects, if from afar, and I returned to the bus to wait for our next stop.

Leaving the Martin Luther King Memorial we thought we were heading to the Lincoln memorial but Joey had another stop in mind for us first. After pouring out of the tour bus, we crossed a busy street while Joey stopped traffic only to approach a memorial of individual statues.

The Forgotten War

This is the Korean War Memorial. Often considered the “Forgotten War” Joey was determined that we would not “forget” to visit the memorial. These soldiers suffered terribly, spent much time unprepared, untrained for combat and under supplied. Even so, they managed to delay the advance of the North Korean forces until reinforcements could arrive.

Officially the Korean War was not a war, it was a “police action”, one of the early attempts by the United Nations to provide a stabilizing influence on the affairs of the world.

The Symbolism at the Monument

The monument is hard for me to describe. I was struck by the lifelike statues of the soldiers and as Joey described the conditions the servicemen endured , my heart ached.

The first thing that caught my attention were the ghostly statues. Done in stainless steel, their faces clearly visible, you can see the hardship on each visage. These 19 servicemen are surrounded by granite boulders and juniper bushes representing the harsh environment of Korea.

The figures represent a platoon on patrol. 14 figures represent the US Army, 3 represent the US Marines, 1 is a Navy corpsman, and one is an Air Force Forward Air Observer. They are dressed in full combat gear.

The Wall

A highly polished wall of “academy black” granite stands beside the field of Soldiers. More than 2,500 images representing the land, sea, and air troops who supported those who fought in the war are sandblasted onto the wall. When the light is right, the images of the soldiers reflect on the wall. There now appears to be 38 soldiers. The number 38 represents 38 months, and it is also representing the 38 parallel that separated the North and South Korea.

Pool of Remembrance

A visit to the memorial is not complete without a look at the Pool of Remembrance. This shallow pool is artistically surrounded by trees for the most visually pleasing reflections. Inscriptions list soldiers killed, wounded, missing in action and held as prisoner during the Korean War.

Conclusion

A nearby plaque is 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.”

Organized by the National Park Service, students of Tuscarora High School in Frederick County Maryland and students of CheongShim International Academy in the Republic of Korea interviewed Korean War veterans in their respective countries. The students shared these interviews with each other through the internet. The letters are moving and enlightening. I encourage you to take a moment to read some of these memories.

https://www.nps.gov/kowa/learn/historyculture/index.htm