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World War I Memorial
You are standing in the National World War I Memorial. Before you is the American Expeditionary Forces Memorial, dedicated in 1981 to honor the American forces who served in Europe during the war and their commander, General John J. Pershing. In 2020 the memorial was expanded to honor not just the AEF but all Americans who served, including U.S. Navy sailors, Coast Guardsmen, men and women in uniform who did not serve in Europe, and those who served in civilian capacities.
To your right across a pool of water is the sculpture A Soldier's Journey, based on the myth of "the hero's journey" and representing the American experience of World War I, as described in one of the adjacent panels. On the reverse of the sculpture wall is the Peace Fountain, a cascade of water flowing over lines form the poem "The Young Dead Soldiers." The poem, a call to remember those killed in war and give meaning to their sacrifice, is by Archibald MacLeish, an artery captain in the war who later won three Pulitzer Prizes and served as the Librarian of Congress.
Interpretive panels along this wall describe American accomplishments in the war, the roles played by Americans of all backgrounds, and the legacy of the war. The center medallion depicts the figure of winged Victory portrayed on the medals awarded to members of the AEF and other Allied forces. Inscribed on the front of the wall are the names of the major campaigns for which Army and Navy units were awarded battle honors.
The final element of the memorial is a pair of quotations inscribed on planter boxes farther to your right. One, from Willa Cather's 1922 novel One of Ours, is a testament to the achievements and sacrifices of American armed forces in the war. The other, from Alta May Andrews of the Army Nurse Corps, speaks of her own pride in having a chance to serve, and more broadly for the contributions of all Americans -- including women, African Americans, Native Americans, and immigrants -- to the American war effort.
"We leave you our deaths. Give them their meaning. We were young, they say. We have died. Remember us."
-- Archibald MacLeish |