Located next to the
Lincoln Memorial between the Reflecting Pool and Independence Avenue, this memorial was erected in memory of those 1.5 million American military personnel who served in Korea from 1950-53. Dedicated in 1995, on the 42nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the war, the memorial features a polished granite wall engraved with the faces of soldiers, nurses, chaplains, and even a dog.
Sculptor Frank Gaylord created 19 bronze statues of platoon soldiers, inching through a field. Their weary expressions reflect the harsh conditions of the war. The polished granite wall reflects the images of the soldiers, and doubles the platoon's size to 38--a metaphor for the 38th parallel, the border between North and South Korea.
