As with every other nation on Earth, the United States has participated in a great number of wars throughout its more than 230 years of history. And every one of those conflicts is marked in some way with scores of famous war memorials: from The Alamo to the Civil war to the Korean War and even the most recent wars in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq, there is no shortage of monuments, preserved battle sites, and grave markers that will keep the memory of war – and its participants – alive for the ages. Here is a short list of some of the more famous war memorials and some interesting stories associated with them.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier sits majestically in the Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C. and is guarded by a team of soldiers from a nearby Army base 24 hours a day, 365 days each year. This memorial houses the remains of soldiers whose identities are “known only to God” and who died in the service of the United States in World War I, World War II and the Korean War. For a time, the memorial was also home to a soldier from the Vietnam War, but DNA testing eventually uncovered the man’s identity, and his remains were moved to a cemetery in his hometown if Missouri. Experts believe that, with the development of DNA technology, it is unlikely that any more remains will be sent to the Unknown Soldier’s tomb. Nevertheless, government and military leaders remain committed to keeping a 24 hour watch on the monument as a symbol of the support Americans have for all military troops – past, present and future. This commitment survived it’s only significant test in 2003 when Hurricane Isabel tore through Washington D.C. causing a good deal of damage and shutting down the city for several days. Despite the turmoil, the Unknown Soldier’s watch continued without interruption. Soldiers braved powerful wind and rain, and never let the tomb be unguarded for a moment during the storm.
Arguably the most famous war memorial in the United States is at Pearl Harbor over the spot where the mighty U.S.S. Arizona was sunk by Japanese bombs on December 7, 1941. More than 1,000 sailors were tried died aboard that ship when it sunk, and their bodies were never recovered. That’s why, today, the large, impressive memorial structure in the middle of the harbor serves as both a grave marker and a memorial of that “infamous” day. Efforts have long been underway to provide a better look at the sunken ship – and with it, perhaps, some of the remains – in its resting place several hundred feet under water. But such photographic and mapping project has proven difficult. An accurate image of the Arizona as it looks today is still years away, and some have said, because the ship is also a graveyard of sorts, that it is a project best left unfinished.
And, finally, we turn a quick eye toward the very memorial that is provided for most every single U.S. soldier: the traditional 3-volley gun salute. This ritual salute is a traditional part of funeral services for U.S. veterans, and, therefore, is, perhaps the memorial that has been experienced most often by Americans. An important note about this famous war memorial: it is often confused with the 21-gun salute, but they are not the same. The 21-gun salute is intended to honor great deeds and great values of men and women who are still living. The 3-volley salute is reserved strictly for veterans who are deceased.
