The Landscape Architect’s Guide to

Washington, D.C.

The National Mall & Memorial Parks

Korean War Memorial

Your Guide

Susan Spain, ASLA

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The Korean War memorial reflects a return to more traditional representational commemoration, but with a twist. The visitor is placed within a military patrol in a foreign land in the mid-20th century. The stainless steel servicemen are wary, and their ponchos and heavy packs illustrate the conditions they served under. The message “FREEDOM IS NOT FREE” paired with the listings of those killed, missing in action, or injured reminds us of the cost of freedom and the sacrifice of many individuals and nations that aided the Republic of Korea.

History:

The memorial was authorized in 1986. In 1989, a design competition was held for the Korean War Veterans Memorial to be located south of the Lincoln Reflecting Pool in a symmetrical position with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

The winning design was submitted by Pennsylvania State University landscape architects Veronica Burns Lucas and Eliza Pennypacker Oberholtzer, and architects John Paul Lucas and Don Leon. They withdrew when design changes were demanded by the advisory board and reviewing agencies.

The eventual design was developed by the architecture firm Cooper-Lecky Partnership.

Groundbreaking was held in 1992; and the memorial was dedicated on July 27, 1995 by President Clinton and the President of South Korea.

View Sites Nearby

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Walking Through the Memorial

Walking up toward the apex, the curb on the left lists the nations that participated in the Korean War.

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The Memorial in Snow

The memorial takes on a special character in snow, by night, in rain and fog.

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Soldiers on Eternal Patrol

The original team’s design consisted of a simple wall and row of trees, as well as 38 semi-abstract statues of marching soldiers. Cooper Lecky’s design added a grove of trees called “the chapel,” and altered the statues to depict an imaginary battle scene.

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19 Steel Soldiers

The memorial’s signature image is 19 slightly larger than life stainless steel statues of soldiers, representing different ethnic groups and branches of the military, moving through a terraced hillside, representing the rugged Korean terrain.

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Floral Wreaths

Floral wreaths, given in gratitude by the Republic of Korea, are frequently placed near a paved inscription about the selfless sacrifice of the participants from a country far away.

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Visitors are Reflected in the Wall

A highly polished black granite wall to the south holds more than 2,400 etched photos images and reflects the statues.

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Reflections in Polished Granite

The reflection on the wall produces the illusion of 38 soldiers, a reference to the 38th parallel. The Eternal Patrol is moving forward to the Pool of Remembrance, a shallow black granite lined pool.

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Seating by a Small Pool

A pool curb is inscribed with the numbers of those Americans or United Nations troops killed, wounded, missing in action, or imprisoned. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE is inscribed with inlaid silver lettering on the nearby wall at the apex of the memorial.

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Statue Details

Look at details of the statues, such as this hand.

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Allies in the Korean War

A low granite curb lists in alphabetical order the 22 countries from the United Nations that were allies in the Korean War.

Image: National Park Service