5 war memorials everyone must visit
They combine incredible architecture, fascinating history and sombre reflection. Put these five war memorials on your bucket list.
1. World War II Valor in the Pacific Monument, Hawaii
This unique monument is perched in the middle of the ocean, directly above the wreck of the USS Arizona. The warship was one of the United States’ first casualties in World War II when it was bombed by the Japanese in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Over 1,100 sailors were killed when the ship when down and the memorial honours them and more than 1,000 other military personnel and civilians who were killed in the raid.
2. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin
More commonly known as the Holocaust Memorial, this abstract monument is both moving and troubling. Designed by American architect Peter Eisenman, it covers almost five acres in the centre of Berlin with 2,711 concrete slabs of varying sizes. It’s designed so that people must walk through in single file, closely surrounded by slabs that get higher and higher, to evoke the sense of unease and intimidation felt by the Jews in the lead up to the war. An information centre at the edge attempts to explain what it means.
The Menin Gate memorial in Ypres, Belgium.
3. Menin Gate, Belgium
This vast arch is set in the town of Ypres, one of the focal points of World War I and the battles of Flanders Field. Tens of thousands of young men marched through the town’s gate on their way to the trenches and many never returned. The memorial bears the names of 54,896 of them whose bodies were never found, making for an endless wall of lives cut short. The Last Post is played every evening at 8pm and there won’t be a dry eye in the house.
4. Australian War Memorial, Canberra
Our very own national memorial is easily one of the world’s best. It covers our service in all wars from the colonial period through to modern day, but it also paints a picture of Australia as a nation and how we have evolved over time. It is a world-class museum, a shrine and a huge archive that creates a moving and insightful experience for visitors. A new First World War gallery opened in 2014 and holds one of the greatest collections of memorabilia in existence, with uniforms, machinery and weapons, medals, art, photographs, film and personal items like letters and diaries.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, USA.
5. Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington DC
19 soldiers stand fully dressed and ready for battle in the grounds of this memorial in the US capital. The lifelike steel statues represent every branch of the armed forces and make for an arresting sight. Photographs of soldiers are etched into the granite walls and the phrase ‘Freedom Is Not Free’ looms over the entire site. It's a confronting experience that reminds us that war is not always in the distant past.
Have you been to any of these memorials?