Conclusion

The Korean War Veterans Memorial presents a complicated narrative. It challenges our understanding of America’s participation in wars in some ways, emphasizing the struggle that servicemen faced, but in many ways, it conforms to the dominant narrative of praising soldiers’ sacrifice to preserve freedom and democracy. While the Korean War Veterans Memorial moved away from other monuments in Memorial Park by emphasizing the suffering and pain of war itself instead of the glory of achievement, it also furthers the idea that war is justified and that sacrifices are needed for the cause of freedom. Ultimately, the memorial tries to balance both these objectives, but in the context of a park full of other war memorials, it doesn’t challenge much.