What on EARTH is that flag?

Veteran’s Day is coming up around the corner, and one thing that’s always dear to me is our Military service men and women. After living smack dab next to Fort Bragg, one thing I grew a deeper appreciation for is our members of our Military, past and present. And having a grandfather who I honored on our Virtual Wall of Honor (Robert Miller), as well as an uncle, who both served in different conflicts, I grew a deeper appreciation for Veterans. As many people prepare for Veteran’s Day this year with flag flying, parades, etc., I wanted to do a little research on some Veteran’s Memorials because I never fully knew their history other than an image and a name.

Tomb of the Unknowns

Tomb of the Unknowns (Arlington National Cemetery): The Tomb of the Unknowns, which is also frequently referred to as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, is a monument created by soldier turned architect named Lorimer Rich in 1921 that is dedicated to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who died while serving but who’s remains were never identified. The display of the tomb itself holds specific meanings, where the World War I unknown is below the large marble monument, holding the remains of a recipient of the Medal of Honor, as well as many of the highest  service awards available. Next to the WWI Unknown are white marble slabs on the ground, marking the crypts of the Unknown from World War II, Korea, and at one point Vietnam (in 1998 the remains of First Lieutenant Michael Blassie were identified from the Vietnam tomb.)

Since 1937, The Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by what’s known as a Tomb Guard, a special group within the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. In the Summertime the guard is changed every 30 minutes while during the Winter the guard changing takes place every hour. Even when Arlington Cemetery closes for the day, the guard still remains in place but is changed every two hours until the cemetery reopens the next day. If you’re ever in Washington D.C., the changing of the guard is truly an honor to see and I recommend taking the time to pay tribute to the fallen who gave you the right to stand there and witness it.

Vietnam Womens Memorial

Vietnam Women’s Memorial (Washington D.C.): I love this memorial, but that’s probably because I love to see that Women during the Vietnam War, served proudly and were recognized for their bravery and duties during that period of time. The Vietnam Women’s Memorial honors the women who served during the Vietnam War. Glenna Goodacre, a Texas born sculptor, designed the Memorial and dedicated it in 1993 for the women of the Vietnam War. The Memorial shows 3 women in uniform tending to a wounded soldier in memory of the large numbers of women nurses that served.  There is also a replica of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial on display at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park in New Mexico, which was the first large scale Vietnam Memorial in the United States and remains the only state park in the United States dedicated solely to Vietnam Veterans.

Marine Corps War Memorial

Marine Corps War Memorial (Arlington, Virginia): This Marine Corps War Memorial, also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial,  represents all members of the United States Marine Corps who have died in conflict since 1775, serving as a reminder of the sacrifice they gave for our Country. Sculptor Felix de Weldon, a Austrian born sculptor who became an American Citizen in 1945, designed the cast bronze memorial based on one of the most iconic photographs of Military history, the Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima. If you’ve never seen the original photograph before, it is truly an amazing shot in time that will bring out the emotion of the soldiers holding the flag.

One fact that I did learn that I thought was neat was that the location and date of every Major Marine Corps engagement up to this very day is inscribed into the base of the Memorial, honoring all of those who have served, not only our past Veterans. In November of 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the memorial in honor of the 179th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. During his time in office, President John F. Kennedy issued a proclamation that the American Flag would fly on the top of the memorial 24 hours a day, which is very uncommon for traditional U.S. Flag flying regulations.

Statue at the Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial (Washington D.C.): On Flag day in 1992 the groundbreaking took place for one of the most intricate war Memorials I’ve ever seen, the Korean War Veterans Memorial.  Constructed of solid granite, the memorial features more than 2,500 photographic images sandblasted into the wall depicting soldiers, supporters and the land the conflict took place on. Centered within the wall of the memorial are nineteen statues standing tall at over 7′ each  constructed of stainless steel representing troops on patrol from each branch of the Armed Services.  If you’ve never seen this Memorial in person, it is overpowering and truly gives the sense of the conflict and the bravery that took place during it. It is unmistakenly an amazing masterpiece of great honor.

It wasn’t until 1995 that President Bill Clinton and the President of the Republic of Korea dedicated the memorial to the brave men and women who served in the Korean War conflict. But each member of the United Nations that contributed to the Korean War effort is listed on the United Nations Wall to the North of the grand statues, signifying an honor of not only our troops, but those who also made sacrifices.

World War II Memorial

National WWII Memorial (Washington D.C.): Located right in the National Mall in our Nations capital, is 56 pillars and a set of arches surrounding a beautiful plaza adorned by a gleaming fountain in honor of the 16 million soldiers who served in WWII, the supporters of the conflict from home as well as the 400,000+ individuals who lost their lives.  This great monument is known as the National WWII Memorial. The Memorial is in the shape of two semi-circles curving around the fountain and standing between the two sets of pillars is the  Freedom Wall, which features 4,048 gold dimensional stars around a curve, each of which is representing 100 American soldiers who died in the war.

This memorial is fairly new to Washington D.C., opening to the public only a few years ago in 2004. President Bill Clinton signed the law authorizing to have the memorial built, but it was President George W. Bush who dedicated it a few days before Memorial Day. It’s amazing in its size, though it has received some criticism of its architecture and location. I was lucky enough to witness the beauty of this memorial a few years ago, and though it is large in it’s size with its pillars, it is still beautiful in all ways. All together it holds on true meaning, which is to honor those who took part in world War II.

More Veteran Memorials: I could go on forever about about Veteran Memorials. There’s so many of them around this great Nation, but only so much space to talk about them. Of course one of the most recognized memorial is the Vietnam War Memorial. I chose not to fully write about the Vietnam Memorial because there is so much information and visuals available already, that it would have been it’s own blog posting! But I do want to give some links to some other memorials, some that you may have heard of and some that are new to you.

• United States Navy Memorial – Dedicated in 1987, this memorial is located in Washington D.C. and honors the brave men and women who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard as well as the Merchant Marine.
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial – This iconic war memorial honors the brave soldiers who fought in one of the most controversial wars of our time, the Vietnam War,  and who are fallen or unaccounted for. It lists the names of over 58,000 soldiers.
• African American Civil War Memorial – Located in Washington D.C., the African American Civil War Memorial honors over 200,000 soldiers and sailors who fought during the American Civil War cast in bronze.
• Spirit of the American Doughboy – Sometimes nicknamed Iron Mike, the Doughboy sculpture is widely recognized and honors the veterans of World War I.
• Liberty Memorial – This grand memorial houses the national World War I Museum in Kansas city, Missouri

This Veteran’s Day, fly your American flags proudly, thank a Veteran if you know one, and remember the great sacrifices that these memorials were built for. And as always, we’d love to honor the brave soldiers of the past and present on our Virtual Wall of Honor. It may not have all the flashy bells and whistles of a grand monument, but it’s our way of saying Thank You to those who deserve it.

Nicki Snyder
Creative Director