An Evening Visit to the WW II Memorial
in Washington D.C.

Part 3
A Photographic Essay

By Scot Facer Proctor

click photos to enlarge

The fountains at the memorial are stunning.

 At the official website of the memorial it states the purpose of the building of this monument:  “Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world. It will inspire future generations of Americans, deepening their appreciation of what the World War II generation accomplished in securing freedom and democracy. Above all, the memorial stands as an important symbol of American national unity, a timeless reminder of the moral strength and awesome power that can flow when a free people are at once united and bonded together in a common and just cause.”

Sculptor Raymond Kaskey of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania did all the bronze work of the monument.  At age 61 he said it’s the “biggest job I’ll ever do.”

The sculptor of all the bronze works in the monument was asked if his father served in the war:  “My father was a tail gunner in a B-17. His plane was shot down in Les Champs-Geroux, a little village in western France. He was not on that flight due to an ear infection. Last year, the village built a memorial to the people who were killed there and they had a huge celebration -- well, huge for a little town. Unfortunately my father died two years ago.”

Close up of detail of one of the eagles holding up a wreath in one of the large arches of the monument.

Two arches, each 43 feet above grade and 23 feet square, grace the south and the north end of the memorial.  Upon one is inscribed Atlantic and upon the other Pacific.

Looking west beyond the water by the Freedom Wall is the Lincoln Memorial.

One thing I love about Washington D.C. is that people come here to just look at things.  It’s a city of memory—a place where the nation reveres the past—where vigil is kept over the dead who bought her freedom.

I love capturing the flag as it is unfurled by a gentle breeze.  The 17 foot pillars, each with a bronze wreath, looked more like tombstones in silhouette in this view.

I couldn’t help but think of what Lincoln said at Gettysburg:  “But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract.”  And then I recalled the last part of his address:  “…that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

The flowing lines and sweeping design of the memorial is masterful.

In the short time we were at the memorial I think we saw visitors whose age ranged from a few weeks old to World War II Vets in their 80’s.

I couldn’t help but think about Pearl Harbor as I shot this angle.  As the rain gentle fell from the heavens I noticed the sides of the granite beginning to ‘weep.’  This was a moving scene for me.

Every year we go to the parade in our little Northern Virginia city of Fairfax.  Everyone stands and places his or her hand over the heart when each American flag goes by.  My favorite part of the parade is when the World War II vets come by.  They look like old men.  But I see beyond that.  I see young men who sailed, flew and marched into battles—battles for the freedom that I now enjoy.  I always feel deeply grateful when I see them.

I kept thinking about the living water that Christ offers us as I walked about this memorial.  It made me happy to ponder those things from the scriptures.

In many ways I cannot fathom what it really takes to defend freedom.  I think I know, but I do depend on the stories and faith and courage of others to remind me.  This place did that for me.

Click here to go to Part 4 of An Evening Visit to the WW II Memorial in Washington D.C.