Controlling the Narrative

The memorial is unique as veterans themselves pushed for its construction. Veterans wanted a form of recognition for their service and a space for grieving. The Korean War was known as the ‘Forgotten War’ and many veterans felt that their sacrifice was not appreciated. They hoped that the Korean War Veterans Memorial would force others to acknowledge what they went through and to remember an otherwise forgotten history. It would also be a space to remember the lives of those who died. Senator Chafee in his speech mentioned monuments’ role in remembering those who died, saying “we have to remember that those brave individuals who sacrificed their lives in Korea all died young. For the most part, they had no wives; they had no children, they had nobody to succeed them. In a way, we are all their family. And so we will look on the monument that will be built here as a way of remembering them.”[2] Through the memorial, veterans sought to control the narrative around the Korean War and force society to honor their actions.