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National World War I memorial in Washington D.C.

“We erect monuments so that we shall always remember, and build memorials so that we shall never forget.” —Arthur Danto

WWI memorial

Photo credit: Angela P.

Memorializing American Contribution in World War I

The World War I Memorial in Washington D.C. had its formal unveiling on April 16th of 2021 as an extension of the former Pershing Park, located along Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 14th Street NW and 15th Street NW. The original Pershing Park was opened in 1981 and dedicated to General John J. Pershing and the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front in WWI.

WWI memorial on DC map

See the location of WWI memorial in relation toother landmarks in D.C.
Photo credit: the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission

 

The WWI memorial features a peace fountain, engraved quotes from President Wilson on American participation of the war, and a belvedere exhibiting American victories in different campaigns. The new additions to the memorial park transforms the space into a national memorial, expanding its scope of its memorialization from General Pershing and AEF to honor the 4.7 million Americans who served during WWI both abroad and on the home front and 116,516 Americans who sacrificed their life during the war.

Leadership in war

The sculpture of Pershing in the middle of the park captures the general gazing confidently towards the battlefield with a telescope and hat in hand. General Pershing commanded the American Expedition Forces during WWI and was among the most accomplished and highest-ranking military officials, second only to George Washington. The statue depicts Pershing as remembered by his troops, honoring his patriotism and service while memorializing leadership in war.

Pershing Park

Photo credit: Angela P.

Triumph and suffering

To the South of Pershing statue is the American Expeditionary Forces Memorial, a granite plaza with two ten-foot high granite walls, honoring only not only the victory but also the suffering and sacrifice of American troop in WWI. On one hand, text and map on the granite walls celebrates the leadership of General Pershing and American triumph by detailing AEF’s contribution to victory on the Western Front and particularly the Meuse-Argonne campaign. As a focal point for remembrance, the text highlights not only the role of the army but also the contribution of the air service and supply service in securing a victory in WWI, reflecting WWI as the first modern war of attrition. On the other hand, the high granite walls recreate a sense of lifeless trench warfare, memorializing the day-to-day experience and sacrifice of American troops facing a new form of prolonged global conflict.

granite plaza

Photo credit: Angela P.

Digital Age of Memorialization

Stepping away from the plaza, in the center of WWI memorial is the belvedere, commemorating U.S. contribution by engraving names of campaigns that US forces participated in, such as Cambrai, Somme Defensive, and Atlantic Convoys (see full list). On the inside of the belvedere uses education panels as a means of remembrance, displaying a circular display of panels with information about the memorial and WWI. The panels include “information poppies” (digital QR codes) for visitors to learn more about American’s role in WWI via an augmented reality app.

digital panel

Photo credit: Angela P.

From remembering war to honoring peace 

Under the flagpole is a quote commemorating the just causes for American to enter WWI. The quote celebrates the moral high ground and make viewers remember the global humanitarian principle behind American involvement and the sacrifice of American troops in WWI.

Never before have men crossed the seas to a foreign land to fight for a cause which they did not pretend was peculiarly their own, but knew was the cause of humanity and of mankind. – President Woodrow Wilson

photo of flag and wall

Photo credit: Angela P.

The peace fountain features a cascade of water behind an excerpt from the poem “the Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak” by Archibald MacLeish. The quote is a call for people to remember those who sacrificed in the war and gave meaning to their sacrifice by making peace. The quote highlights that sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance, passing the meaning making of war to survivors and future generations. The is a critical reflection on the meaning of sacrifice, victory, war, and the responsibility of the post-war era.

peace fountain

Photo credit: Angela P.

A historical burden?

A central part of the WWI memorial remained unfinished. The wall of remembrance, titled A Soldier’s Journey, is a sculpture wall by Sabin Howard scheduled to be installed in 2024.  The wall tells the story of a soldier reluctantly entering the war but return as a hero, symbolizing American’s journey from isolationism to global leadership through entering WWI. This artwork is criticized for depicting black soldiers fighting alongside white soldiers when in fact they were in segregated units. The artist argues that despite historical inaccuracy, they need to be treated as equals for memorialization, leading to questions of how best to remember and honor marginalized community in historical narratives.

WWI memorial

Photo credit: Angela P.

History of the Pershing Park and WWI memorial

The efforts to create a memorial for General Pershing started in 1948 when General Pershing passed away. On April 2, 1956, congress authorized the erection of a memorial honoring General Pershing. The timing is also prompted by the discovery of General Pershing’s statue in Versailles, France which had vanished during Nazi’s invasion of France during WWII.

The push for a WWI memorial started in 2004 after the establishment of the WWII memorial in DC. In 2007, Frank Buckles, the last surviving American veteran of WWI, further advocated for a national memorial as it approaches the 100th anniversary of the Great War. After many failed attempts since 2004, the WWI memorial came into creation in December of 2014, when President Barack Obama signed legislation authorizing the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission to establish the memorial. The Commission launched a competition for redesigning the park into a national WWI memorial. Out of over 350 entries, sculptor SabinHoward and architect Joseph Weishaar won the design in 2015, and the construction began in 2019. The memorial opened with a virtual ceremony and amid the pandemic in April of 2021.

Recognition of the Past and the struggle of the present

World War I is the latest one to have a U.S. national memorial out of the four major 20th century wars. It is also the most recent one, merging physical memorial with its virtual presence (such as virtual ceremony, QR codes, integrated AR technology). The memorial is also a reflection of how our current society remembers and honors a complicated national history, balancing between celebrating triumph and recognizing the suffering, juggling between historical accuracy and a more equitable narrative, and grappling with what we want to remember and what we need to remember.

The memorial is a historical reflection of the rise of U.S. on the global stage and its national values, as President Biden said in the opening ceremony that “the Great War shifted America’s thinking about ourselves and redefined our place in the world. We grappled with what we stood for, what we were willing to fight and die for and to defend, principles of freedom and democracy.” In an increasing polarized American society, memorialization of a moment of unity, consensus, and pride is a way to revisit and ground American values and identity.

Video walkthrough of the park (Video and narration by Angela P):

 

See WWI memorial and Pershing Park on the map of Washington D.C.

map

image credit: google map

Further viewing and reading: