Memorialization Project: American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial

Introduction/Context

As someone who comes from a long lineage of veterans, with my father having served in the army himself, I have felt as though the many conversations I have witnessed surrounding their times in the military have given me the confidence to say that I know what serving is generally like. Not to mention my independent pursuits to research, learn, and educate myself on the history of war have guided me in my assumptions of knowing what war is actually like. Yet as much as I can get my family to joke about the unappetizing taste of an MRE or the nauseating intensity of early morning physical training, it is typically impossible to observe them speaking about their times in actual combat. With that said, throughout my childhood, I have grown to learn and witness the manifestations of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in my father and how it prevents him from engaging with certain aspects and emotions of life. Even 15 years later, my father admits he still struggles with some of the things he experienced overseas. Nevertheless, for this project, I wanted to explore the American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial to evaluate how society recognizes and represents military disability and domestic struggle.

Throughout the semester, I have been able to tour the various war memorials on the National Mall and engage with American culture’s tendency to commemorate soldiers’ experiences overseas. As with the Korean War, Vietnam War, and WW II, memorials have heuristically catered towards perpetuating society’s immediate understanding

that it occurs abroad, involves weapons, and ends when returning home. However, as Obama noted during his speech at the inception of the Memorial, “with this memorial, we commemorate, for the first time, the two battles our disables veterans have fought – the battle over there, and the battle here at home – your battle to recover, which at times can be even hard, and certainly longer.”

History

The creation of the Memorial started with the recognition that there was no centralized relic to honor those with disabilities. As a result, in 2000, Bill Clinton signed a bill that allowed the Disabled Veterans’ Life Memorial Foundation to start fundraising to build a new memorial. Construction was led by the Disabled Veterans’ Life Memorial Foundation, and the entire project cost $81 million from private donations. Following the legislation surrounding its inception, an invitation design competition in 2003 selected Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Ltd., of Alexandria, Virginia to design the Memorial.

Design

The Memorial is built on a 2.4-acre triangular site across from the U.S. Botanic Garden and is within sight of the U.S. Capitol. The purpose of this placement was “so members of Congress can be continually reminded of the human cost of war and the need to support America’s veterans.

Central to the Memorial’s design is the star-shaped fountain, which is incorporated into a large reflecting pool and serves as both the Memorial’s literal and metaphorical focal point. At the center of the star lies the ceremonial flame, which is “meant to embody the elemental forces of injury, loss, and renewal. It emerges from the water as a reminder of the hope that springs from perseverance in the face of adversity.” The different heights of each pool were an intentional design implementation to allow them to be visually engaging for both standing and wheelchair-bound visitors.

Another component of the memorial adjacent to the pool is large granite walls with quotes by President Dwight Eisenhower and President George Washington on them.
The granite walls serve as a material juxtaposition to the glass used later in the Memorial. Moreover, it symbolizes an overarching interplay of strength and vulnerability, loss and renewal.

Next, beyond the reflective pool stand 48 laminated glass panels that display soldiers’ stories through quotations and photographs. The quotations reveal “their personal journeys of courage and extraordinary sacrifices made in the service of their country.” Furthermore, the messages are meant to create a complex yet universal narrative intended to reach across time, gender, race, rank, and branch of service. The panels represent the entire continuum of American military conflict and are brought to life by changing daylight and artificial light in the evening. An impression of memory, loss, struggle, and strength is captured by the weaving of voices, layered pictures, and silhouettes continually shifting and changing with the light.

A final characteristic of the Memorial is the surrounding landscaping and the use of Ginkgo and Cypress trees. According to the designer, “The ginkgo and cypress trees represent survival under difficult circumstances. The trees’ overhead canopy creates a sense of ceiling, while the dappled light through the leaves and the cooling effect of the plants contribute to both physical and psychological comfort.” In addition to their psychological effect, the trees provide an aesthetic quality, for they bloom and produce tones of gold during the fall, specifically around Veterans Day.

Importance

As with any aspect of diversity and inclusion, recognizing underrepresented minorities is important in promoting cultural humility, equity, and sensitivity. The American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial demonstrates the human condition as being individually unique yet a part of a collective and unified narrative. For veterans, this Memorial acknowledges that they are not overlooked and are very much integral to the nation’s success. As mentioned earlier, the importance lies in the Memorial’s ability to meaningfully communicate its messages to any viewer, while injecting semblances of empathy, inspiration, and hope. Nevertheless, audiences should be reminded that disability doesn’t always leave physical scars and that there is a level of privilege to be acknowledged for viewing the Memorial, having not suffered from such scars.

Youtube Link

Works Cited

Additional Reading

1. Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity (Reassigning Meaning: pages 9-33): Book by Simi Linton
   1. https://tinyurl.com/2dknf2wb
   2. Offers an analysis of Disability studies and how it explores the significance we assign to differences in human behavior, appearance, functioning, sensory acuity, and cognitive processing rather than just the differences themselves.
2. The Rejected Body: Social Construction of Disability (pages 57-68): Book by Susan Wendell
   1. https://tinyurl.com/34syjrvr
   2. Wendell offers an examination of how cultural views about the body contribute to the stigma associated with disabilities and the general reluctance to acknowledge and accommodate the body’s inevitability of weakness.
3. I’m Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much: Ted Talk (9 minutes)
   1. https://tinyurl.com/wabre6db
   2. This video explores how disabled individuals are frequently seen and appreciated as sources of inspiration. With the objectification of non-bodied individuals for the inspiration of this film being deconstructed, it pushes viewers to perceive people with disabilities as actual people. The social impairment of persons with disabilities is discussed in this video, as is the myth that having a disability makes one or more people an exception.
4. Equal Health Care: If Not Now, When?: Article by Tim Gilmer
   1. https://tinyurl.com/ab9fv3yx
   2. Seeks to explain why it is taking the healthcare sector so long to adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
5. American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial: CBS News
   1. https://tinyurl.com/26k3x32m
   2. Provides an overview of the memorial’s construction process, structural meaning, and societal importance.