The Korean War Veterans Memorial honors the men and women who served in Korea. It is the newest memorial in the city, having been dedicated on July 27, 1995, the 42nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War. Authorization was given to the creation of Korean War veterans memorial in Washington D.C. by Congress in October 1986. A national competition was held to find the design of the memorial. On June 1, 1989, the design created by a team from State College, Pennsylvania was selected. However, intense debate over how to carry out the design almost derailed the project. It took nearly three years of revision, by the Cooper-Lecky Architects, before a revised plan could receive full approval. President George Bush broke ground on June 14, 1992. The memorial was completed and dedicated on July 27, 1995.
Nineteen stainless steel statues are featured at the memorial, under the creation of World War II veteran Frank Gaylord. They depict a squad on patrol and are representative of the experience of American ground troops in Korea. The rugged Korean terrain is portrayed by strips of granite and scrubby juniper bushes. A granite curb north of the statues lists the 22 countries of the United Nations that gave medical support or sent troops to South Korea. On the south side is a wall of black granite with the etched images of more than 2,400 unnamed service men and women, composed by Louis Nelson Associates. A "pool of remembrance" also stands adjacent. Finally, etched into the curb are the numbers of those killed, wounded, missing in action, and prisoners of war. Opposite of this, the granite wall bears the message: Freedom is Not Free.
More information regarding the Korean War Veterans' Memorial can be found on the Korean War Veterans' Memorial Homepage and Virtual Visitors' Center.
