Korean War Veterans Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial

The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was dedicated on July 27, 1995. The Memorial was designed and financed by private contributions and erected under the auspices of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Advisory Board composed of Korean War veterans appointed by President Reagan.  The memorial commemorates the sacrifices of the 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed services during the three-year period of the Korean War. The War was one of the most hard fought in our history. During its relatively short duration from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, 36,574 Americans died in hostile actions in the Korean War theater. Of these, 8,200 are listed as missing in action or lost or buried at sea. In addition, 103,284 were wounded during the conflict. The Memorial consists of four parts.

The 19 stainless steel statues were sculpted by Frank Gaylord of Barre, VT and cast by Tallix Foundries of Beacon, NY. They are approximately seven feet tall and represent an ethnic cross section of America. The advance party has 14 Army, 3 Marine, 1 Navy and 1 Air Force members. The statues stand in patches of Juniper bushes and are separated by polished granite strips, which give a semblance of order and symbolize the rice paddies of Korea. The troops wear ponchos covering their weapons and equipment. The ponchos seem to blow in the cold winds of Korea. The statues are identified below:

The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located in Washington, D.C.’s West Potomac Park, southeast of the Lincoln Memorial and just south of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. It commemorates those who served in the Korean War. The Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, Inc., is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization originally entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that the Korean War Veterans Memorial in our Nation’s Capital will be maintained in perpetuity and to assist with ceremonies at the Memorial honoring all those who have served. A recent law added a new purpose. In October, 2016 legislation tasking the Foundation with raising the funds necessary to build and establish a “Wall of Remembrance” as part of the Korean War Veterans Memorial was signed into law. The Wall is to become the permanent home to the names of the 36,574 who gave their lives in the service of freedom—names that might otherwise remain Forgotten.