The Partly-Cloudy WWII Memorial



The WWII Memorial dishonors what should be the essence of democracy- freedom. Designed by Friedrich St. Horan, the memorial sits at the heart of the National Mall in Washington D.C. The oversized oval structure consists of 56 pretentious pillars and two even bigger arches that remind how powerful our country is. Engravings of the triumphant U.S. soldiers, the proud Eagle and the olive branch signify the glorious victory. After marveling at the giant pillars and arches on raised platforms, the visitors’ eyes step down onto the field of stars.

Embedded with 4,000 odd stars, it honors the 400,000 American lives lost. The dedication, service, sacrifice of a hundred individuals with their own stories crunched into a single star. The great country that holds up the world likes to shove its martyrs into a corner to honor their service. Below the field of stars are the words “Here lies the price of freedom.” The costly “price” for the very founding principle of our country is overshadowed by signs of “patriotism.” This is an injustice to the 400,000 graves to say victory and becoming a world power is the legacy of the U.S. in WWII. By pushing aside the atrocities of war, the brave souls are dehumanized and slowly forgotten. Ironically, the memorial was built to honor the service of those whom it overlooks.

Freedom is what makes America so special, the liberty to protest the government. Before the construction of the memorial, thousands had stood in the very place to listen to King’s “I Have a Dream” speech or to protest the Vietnam War. Sarah Vowell agrees in her essay, “The Partly Cloudy Patriot.” She states that “the true American patriot” is always questioning the government and doesn’t just “sing-along” (1059,1064). By this definition of freedom, the ideal patriotism that the soldiers gave their lives for was figuratively buried as the dishonorable memorial was literally built. 

~Room for Growth~
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s D-Day Prayer is written in the WWII Memorial. Here are the last lines:
…
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen. 
When a country is united, does it increase or decrease patriotism?

Sources: Memorial facts The Language of Composition 2nd Edition by Aufses, Scanlon, Shea, D-Day Prayer Google Images

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 17, 2017 at 9:38 AM

    That is an interesting view of what the memorial actually represents. Since you perceive the memorial as actually dishonoring the soldiers' lives, how do you think that families of the soldiers feel? I would think that they are glad that there is even some recognition for their fallen loved ones. On the other hand however, I would also agree that some would believe that the memorial isn't a sufficient way of honoring the soldiers. This blog post was great, it really opened my eyes to a new perspective!

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    Replies
    1. UnknownSeptember 17, 2017 at 1:16 PM

      That is an interesting question. I think it is certainly less personal in remembrance than say the Vietnam Memorial. However, like you said, the fact that their family member is being honored in the middle of D.C. gives them some comfort.

      Delete
  2. Jenna YounessSeptember 17, 2017 at 2:22 PM

    I appreciate this post, especially since it isn't the dull, usual type that only praises the memorials. It's also very well thought out. One thought I have, though, has to to with the victory portion. If the memorial were built only honoring the victory, there would a problem, but since it does recognize the lives lost, I see no problem. I feel like the people whose lives were lost would want to think they weren't lost for nothing- they, or at least I, would want to feel remembered by helping the country reach victory, not just someone who fought and died. In my eyes, adding the victory recognition to the monument adds a sense of optimism instead of pure regret. Again, though, I really love how you took on this new perspective.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownSeptember 17, 2017 at 3:17 PM

      Thanks for the thought! I think that the memorial would have been better served to separate the victory and honoring the dead into two different memorials. Putting the two concepts together is bound to have repercussions because one idea would be more prevalent than the other which is obviously the case in the WWII Memorial. I think it just portrays the wrong message. But it is a fair point.

      Delete
  3. UnknownSeptember 17, 2017 at 3:15 PM

    "Freedom is what makes America so special, the liberty to protest the government."
    That line of your blog was eye-opening to me. Not only is the entire blog a unique perspective of memorials, it makes me think about my opinions of them. I believe that one memorial will never be perfect. Due to clashing opinions, some family members of the fallen will not like the memorial while some will. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on memorials.

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