Korean War Veterans Memorial In Washington DC #DCtrip2019

One of the most beautiful part of our DC trip is going through war memorials such us the Korean War Veterans Memorial which is located near the Lincoln Memorial. According to the information I read online, this memorial  was dedicated on July 27, 1995 and was designed and financed by private contributions.   

The 19 stainless steel statues that were sculpted by Frank Gaylord of Barre, VT and cast by Tallix Foundries of Beacon, NY are fascinating. They are approximately seven feet tall and represent an ethnic cross section of America.  The statues stand in patches of Juniper bushes and are separated by polished granite strips, which give a semblance of order and symbolize the rice paddies of Korea.  - info source

 Reading history of the war that US military have gone through, makes me appreciate the freedom that we have now. A lot of family suffered loss of love ones and I can't even imagine how they must have felt upon knowing that their family members were killed in the battle.

The troops wear ponchos covering their weapons and equipment.

The memorial commemorates the sacrifices of the 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed services during the three-year period of the Korean War which is one of the most hard fought in our history. During its relatively short duration from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, 36,574 Americans died in hostile actions in the Korean War theater. Of these, 8,200 are listed as missing in action or lost or buried at sea. In addition, 103,284 were wounded during the conflict. . - source credit

The Pool of Remembrance - the memorial has a reflective pool,  it encircles the Freedom Is Not Free Wall.  The Pool is encircled by a walkway along which benches are located.

The Alcove at the base  numerically listed the soldiery cost of the war in terms of KIA (Killed in Action), WIA (Wounded in Action), MIA (Missing in Action), and POW (Prisoners of War). 

I wonder if the kids that usually goes on tour in these historical places  even understand the importance of these brave soldiers that  sacrificed their lives in order to have the freedom that everyone enjoys.  Freedom is not free after all, it cost so many lives.