The English Tenderfoot: The Science of Memorials

Neil Patel

9/14/14

1st hour

The Science of Memorials

A huge amount of effort is put into making memorials some of the most evocative forms of art on the planet. Everything from the location to the materials used are painstakingly chosen in order to immortalize the event it stands for. For example, part of the materials used in the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial are from the building destroyed by the blast. This memorial has one of the most vivid resemblances to the event it represents. Also, physical features are important in cases like the Korean War Veteran's Memorial because of the fact that its 19 soldier statues and their 19 reflections on the naming wall stand to represent the 38th parallel, or the border between North and South Korea after the end of the war. The Vietnam War Memorial has an aspect of time in its design; to elaborate, if one looks on the right and left of the memorial, they will see the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. Thus, the memorial tells visitors that every life lost in the war were as important as the country's most famous presidents. I have never looked at memorials so closely before, but after learning about the hidden meanings each one carries, I just want to see more.