FDR and Korean War memorials in D.C.

I went to D.C. in order to attend a career seminar but stayed through the weekend in order to get a little R&R away from the job hunt.

Previously, I've visited most of the district highlights (though I haven't coughed up money to do either the Capitol or White House), so this time I took in a few of the newer memorials.

The first two photos are from the Korean War memorial, and the rest are from FDR's, which is essentially a park.



From the National Parks Service:

“Freedom is not free.” Here, one finds the expression of American gratitude to those who restored freedom to South Korea. Nineteen stainless steel sculptures stand silently under the watchful eye of a sea of faces upon a granite wall—reminders of the human cost of defending freedom. These elements all bear witness to the patriotism, devotion to duty, and courage of Korean War veterans.

From Tour of DC.org:

"Viewed from above, the memorial is a circle intersected by a triangle. Visitors approaching the memorial come first to the triangular Field of Service. Here, a group of 19 stainless-steel statues, created by World War II veteran Frank Gaylord, depicts a squad on patrol and evokes the experience of American ground troops in Korea. Strips of granite and scrubby juniper bushes suggest the rugged Korean terrain, while windblown ponchos recall the harsh weather. This symbolic patrol brings together members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marines, and Navy; the men portrayed are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. "

FDR's memorial, from National Parks Service:

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." These are the words of our 32nd President, a man who embodied the meaning of the word courage. Despite being stricken with polio at age 39 and paralyzed from the waist down, he emerged as a true leader, guiding our country through some dark times: the Great Depression and World War II. The memorial honors this man, his story, and his era. "

From Wiki:

"Considering Roosevelt's disability, the memorial's designers intended to create a memorial that would be accessible to those with various physical impairments. Among other features, the memorial includes an area with tactile reliefs with braille writing for people who are blind. However, the memorial faced serious criticism from disabled activists. Some of the braille and reliefs were placed well above the reach of even a very tall person, rendering the braille pointless because no blind person could reach high enough to read it."

The FDR memorial was pretty phenomenal. It's over seven acres and even has public bathrooms. There are four open rooms with different galleries (one for each presidential term) and you kind of wander through history. (Only I did it backwards.) I'm not sure if it was because it was winter or what, but the waterfalls in each gallery was turned off. I didn't even realize there were ponds until I saw signs saying "Throwing coins damages fountains." I just thought they were strategically placed rocks.

The memorial sits on the Tidal Basin, or something like that, and is quite a hike from L'Enfant Plaza, which is where I got off the bus. I only took one sightseeing day and walked a ton, and I am glad I'd caught the tip on sportsjournalists.com to go visit this one, as well as the Korean Memorial -- especially since my knowledge of the Korean War mostly comes from "M*A*S*H."