District of Columbia World War One Memorial
I visited Washington D.C. monument to the fallen men of World War One for the first time in April 2016. My wife and I woke up early on Sunday and borrowed two of the hotel's bike so that we could make our way over to the Jefferson Memorial. On our way over we passed the Supreme Court Building, Capital Hill, the Botanical Gardens, the Museum of Native American, the Smithsonians, the Washington Monument, and ended up stopping at the District of Columbia World War One memorial to take a break. It is a grand structure made of marble and sat neatly on a well manicured lawn. The elevated pediments hold up an marvelous marble domed temple top. On the bottom of the monument was the engraved names of all the District of Columbia soldiers who perished during the war.
I always wondered why Washington D.C. did not have a memorial for for the nation's fallen. As a result I started looking into it more. Initially, I found in the following article from 2013 talking about Congress' decision on how to commemorate the centennial celebration. Then, I also found another article (April 2014) discussing the altering of Pershing Park, near the White House, to be the designated National World War One memorial. This would include altering the current layout to put in a few features at the cost of $10 million dollars. This article also talks about the plans. Note: the World War One Memorial cost $167 million dollars ($16 million from the federal government)
I eventually wandered onto one of the proposed National World War One Memorial websites (another one), which has the opening page with the lat survivor of the Great War, Frank Buckles. As they explained the need for a national monument on the Mall, the following resonated with me, " The World War I is the most forgotten of this nation’s wars, yet it sowed the seeds of World War II, and as noted, it marked the emergence of the United States as a global power, and as a defender of democratic allies against forces of totalitarianism and aggression." It reminds me of our earlier discussion about the importance of World War One.
I remember when I was in eighth grade. Our class decided (I don't know how this came about) during our WWII IDU unit to raise money for the World War Two memorial. I remember speaking in chapel in front of the entire school and being really nervous. I also remember collecting money during a dress down day. At that time I did not realize the effects of my actions. At the time I remember thinking that it was an important endeavor and that my grandfather had said how great it was. It was not until I visited the memorial in 2006 when I realized what I had contributed to.
Below is a screen shot of the National Park Service's website of the District of Columbia War Memorial. I find it fascinating that there is not a national monument on the mall in Washington, D.C. With the bi-centennial well under way it will be interesting if there will be a final push to get one constructed.
I always wondered why Washington D.C. did not have a memorial for for the nation's fallen. As a result I started looking into it more. Initially, I found in the following article from 2013 talking about Congress' decision on how to commemorate the centennial celebration. Then, I also found another article (April 2014) discussing the altering of Pershing Park, near the White House, to be the designated National World War One memorial. This would include altering the current layout to put in a few features at the cost of $10 million dollars. This article also talks about the plans. Note: the World War One Memorial cost $167 million dollars ($16 million from the federal government)
I eventually wandered onto one of the proposed National World War One Memorial websites (another one), which has the opening page with the lat survivor of the Great War, Frank Buckles. As they explained the need for a national monument on the Mall, the following resonated with me, " The World War I is the most forgotten of this nation’s wars, yet it sowed the seeds of World War II, and as noted, it marked the emergence of the United States as a global power, and as a defender of democratic allies against forces of totalitarianism and aggression." It reminds me of our earlier discussion about the importance of World War One.
I remember when I was in eighth grade. Our class decided (I don't know how this came about) during our WWII IDU unit to raise money for the World War Two memorial. I remember speaking in chapel in front of the entire school and being really nervous. I also remember collecting money during a dress down day. At that time I did not realize the effects of my actions. At the time I remember thinking that it was an important endeavor and that my grandfather had said how great it was. It was not until I visited the memorial in 2006 when I realized what I had contributed to.
Below is a screen shot of the National Park Service's website of the District of Columbia War Memorial. I find it fascinating that there is not a national monument on the mall in Washington, D.C. With the bi-centennial well under way it will be interesting if there will be a final push to get one constructed.
Image: J. Moore (2016)
Memorial Roots
The above thoughts got me brainstorming and thought it would be fun to sketch up an idea for a national World War One moment for our Nation's capital. I was very much inspired by my trip to Ypres, Belgium and Ottawa, Canada. Those experience made me reflect on what the important elements, materials, and themes a war memorial for the Great War or The War To End All Wars would have to look like. Below is a gallery from my trip to Belgium (Images: J. Moore, 2016).
,Below is a gallery of some of my pictures from my trip to Ottawa, Canada. (Images: J. Moore, 2016)
There were a few experiences in these places and during my travels that had deep effects with my understanding of the war. It is rooted in my first experience in World War One warfare in Ottawa's Canadian War Museum. In their World War One exhibit they had set up a simulated World War One trench that allowed museum goers to get closer to the "action". There was simulated noise overhead through large speakers in the dimly lit ceiling. I remember the feeling of being buried by the large walls.
There are feelings that arise from about the conflict for over 7 years. I have come to appreciate and fear the War To End All Wars. Mainly, there is an appreciation for the soldiers, while there is the fear of warfare technology. There is a personal interest in representing that struggle visually. There is a professional interest in teaching about the war's change on nation relationships and people's relationship with modern warfare. There is a confusion over numbers and the effects of warfare on the dead, surviving, and families. There is an understanding of the importance of remembering. There is a hope for a better, more peaceful future. There is the knowledge of events after World War One that were horrific as well.
During my trip to Belgium I was given the opportunity to visit the century old trenches and battlefields. I visited Menin Gate where everyday at dusk British citizens and soldiers pay tribute to the 54,000 British soldiers who died at the battle. During my trip I visited Hill 64 where I stood in an enormous hole which was created by a mine bomb. I was able to pace out the steps from German line to British line. I walked down into century old trenches and smelled the fresh grass but imaging a different time and event.
I finally took into account the numerous amount of war memorials I have visited throughout my life. To the Avignon, France World War One memorial with its large gothic looming soldiers guarding the names of the soldiers who parished from that city. To the "Doughboy" World War One memorial down the street from my boyhood dentist in Robbinsville, New Jersey.
There are feelings that arise from about the conflict for over 7 years. I have come to appreciate and fear the War To End All Wars. Mainly, there is an appreciation for the soldiers, while there is the fear of warfare technology. There is a personal interest in representing that struggle visually. There is a professional interest in teaching about the war's change on nation relationships and people's relationship with modern warfare. There is a confusion over numbers and the effects of warfare on the dead, surviving, and families. There is an understanding of the importance of remembering. There is a hope for a better, more peaceful future. There is the knowledge of events after World War One that were horrific as well.
During my trip to Belgium I was given the opportunity to visit the century old trenches and battlefields. I visited Menin Gate where everyday at dusk British citizens and soldiers pay tribute to the 54,000 British soldiers who died at the battle. During my trip I visited Hill 64 where I stood in an enormous hole which was created by a mine bomb. I was able to pace out the steps from German line to British line. I walked down into century old trenches and smelled the fresh grass but imaging a different time and event.
I finally took into account the numerous amount of war memorials I have visited throughout my life. To the Avignon, France World War One memorial with its large gothic looming soldiers guarding the names of the soldiers who parished from that city. To the "Doughboy" World War One memorial down the street from my boyhood dentist in Robbinsville, New Jersey.
Memorial Sketch
At the end of the visit, I wanted the visitors to see a solid dark granite wall at the end to see that the future is not always bright at the end of a conflict. I do not want them coming out to no consequences. In addition the granite wall reflects the poppy field so visitors can see the inverted colors/darkened colors of warfare. In addition, by having the visitors to visit in, almost, single file line, it represents them as soldiers headed off to World War Two.I wanted visitors to enter on a different level than they exit so they see that perspective can change after experiencing the memorial. I would like them to start taller (prouder) than they finish to represent the fallbacks of entering war. I realize that even though we may have been on the winning side, during World War One if one side suffers another will feel the pain as well.
Visitors should feel closed-in by the memorial walls like soldiers would have felt closed in by the trenches. I know this takes on a similar feeling of the Vietnam Memorial but in this case both sides would be built up. I also want visitors to feel the expanse but also closeness of the middle field. Expansive in comparison to the "stalls" they will be standing in, but closed in because you still will be able to see the faces of those on the otherside.
The center field should be littered with red poppies to represent shell craters of artillery. Cold concrete craters will be placed sporadically in the field to represent the loss of natural and physical life. The number of craters represent the number of nations involved in the conflict.
Visitors should feel closed-in by the memorial walls like soldiers would have felt closed in by the trenches. I know this takes on a similar feeling of the Vietnam Memorial but in this case both sides would be built up. I also want visitors to feel the expanse but also closeness of the middle field. Expansive in comparison to the "stalls" they will be standing in, but closed in because you still will be able to see the faces of those on the otherside.
The center field should be littered with red poppies to represent shell craters of artillery. Cold concrete craters will be placed sporadically in the field to represent the loss of natural and physical life. The number of craters represent the number of nations involved in the conflict.
I also thought of expanding the memorial so that visitors enter and exit at different perspective. In the sketch above you can see this idea planned out. Visitors would enter in the foreground and then exit in the far right side. This designs allow for more time within the bowels of the memorial's trenches. I'm not sure if I will keep this idea because I am not sure if I like how the one trench divides the field but this sketch does provide insight in the process that I am going through to adapt ideas and add new concepts. Ultimately, I have to remember the core ideas behind the memorial: experiential learning and reflection by using depth and deepness. I realize this might change in the future but for now that is the focus.
I'm tinkering around with water elements in the memorial. I believe that water elements are an important part of the/a memorial as well. Firstly, for this memorial, they could represent the tides of human conflict, the ebb and flow of terror and joy. Secondly, they could represent the water elements of trench warfare. As you can see from my second sketch above, the water elements line the left side of the memorial and flow down into the center confined "trench" and flow under the walk way. Visitors must be careful to navigate the stones for two reasons. First, visitors must watch where they step to keep from getting their feet wet. Secondly, In order to navigate this area visitors must physically keep their heads down and focused on the present and not the hopefully future of the end of war.
The Base Reliefs on the (left) wall will represent the the multiple perspectives of the war.
a. Animals in warfare
b. Saying good by
c. Naiveté of warfare
d. Terror of gas and bombs
e. Life in the trenches
f. "Peace"
g. Home
a. Animals in warfare
b. Saying good by
c. Naiveté of warfare
d. Terror of gas and bombs
e. Life in the trenches
f. "Peace"
g. Home
Citations
-Images: J. Moore, 2016-2018