Our readings, presentations, and
discussions in class greatly changed the way I approached and experienced the
memorials that we visited. I have visited all of the memorials we visited
today, except for the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, before, but had never
really analyzed their mechanisms and effectiveness. What I have learned about
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier made our
visits to these sites especially powerful. At the Vietnam wall, I thought that
the gifts left at its base were the most powerful components of
memorialization. We read about how the practice of gift giving has given the
public agency in remembering their loved ones, and this was highlighted by a
typed personal stories, a high school trophy, and coins. I came into the
memorial looking for this type of ritual and interaction, and I’m glad that we
were able to see some of it. My research on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and
the rituals surrounding it made our visit more meaningful than my first visit.
I was better able to connect the guard’s actions with their purpose of
protecting and honoring the unidentified soldiers. It was my favorite stop on
my last tour of the D.C. memorials and it was my favorite again this time!
I thought that it was interesting
how the ceremony for VE day transformed the World War II monument. During my
first visit, I had agreed with our discussion in class about how the memorial
does not seem to evoke much feeling or meaningful reflection, and while we did
not get to walk inside the memorial, the ceremonial set gave it a different
sense of purpose. I do still agree that the Korean War memorial has a confusing
message. I felt that each separate piece was influential and meaningful, but
together they did not portray a clear message. I could see the traces of
veteran involvement in planning the memorial in the statues of the soldiers.
Their expressions were very realistic and made me feel as though I was in the
situation and feeling the same anxiety, fear, distress, etc. Lastly, I most
surprised by the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. The set-up of the space
seemed to hide King more than emphasize his presence. I thought it was
interesting that his statue, which does not face the entrance and can only be
seen by standing by the water, is off center in order to accommodate a view of
the Jefferson Memorial across the way. I thought that the quotes were
interesting, but they seemed to guide visitors away from the statue of King and
the layout of the landscaping did not seem to contribute to commemorating him.
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