Veteran’s Day: Is Freedom Free?
On Veteran’s Day, this is something we should all reflect on as we give thanks to all of the men and women who have served our country and helped to preserve our freedom – something we should never take for granted.
Veteran’s Day
The National Park Service honors our veterans at locations all over the country with National Memorials. Some very special ones are on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
National Memorials
Inscribed on a granite wall at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC is the message “Freedom is Not Free”, a testament to the one and a half million American men and women who fought to preserve the freedom of people they never met and to defend a country they didn’t know.
The mural etched on the black granite wall is haunting, based on photographs of unidentified American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
Reflected on its polished surface are the adjacent statues that depict a squadron on patrol through scrubby juniper bushes, enduring the harsh weather wearing their wind-blown ponchos.
A granite curb lists the 22 countries of the United Nations that sent troops or gave medical support in defense of South Korea. Adjacent to this is the Pool of Remembrance, opposite which the number of those killed, wounded, missing in action and held prisoner-of-war is etched in stone.
The Korean War Veteran’s Memorial is just one of the many memorials honoring the Americans who have fought for our freedom. You will find it on the National Mall in Washington DC along with the National World War I Memorial, World War II Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, all National Park Units.
Free Admission to National Parks
The National Park Service invites all visitors to remember our veterans by visiting any National Park Service site for free on Veterans Day weekend, November 11–12, 2017.