Remembering World War I: Designs for First National Memorial

Why it has took this long for a Memorial to be erected for those Americans who were killed in World War 1 is baffling to me. I take it as the Ultimate sign of Disrespect toward men who gave the ultimate Sacrifice. -SF

World War I is one of the most pivotal events in U.S.  history, leaving hundreds of thousands of American soldiers dead in a bloody fight to preserve freedom and democracy.

Today, tourists who descend on the nation’s capital—littered with statues and monuments of remembrance—find not a single national memorial dedicated to Americans who served during the Great War.

“No war in our history needs more visibility or more awareness than World War I because it’s actually one that many people don’t know much about,” Libby O’Connell, chief historian for The History Channel, told The Daily Signal.

“It really marked the beginning of the American century—there were changes in technology, aviation, and the whole spirit of the U.S.”

More than two years after Congress tasked the World War I Centennial Commission to establish a national commemoration site for World War I, the jury on Tuesday unveiled the design of the new memorial.

The congressional commission unanimously chose a design called “The Weight of Sacrifice,” submitted by 25-year-old architect Joe Weishaar of Chicago and veteran sculptor Sabin Howard, 52, of New York, after spending roughly eight months sifting through 350 entries. It was one of five finalists.

O’Connell, who served as a commissioner, said the monument recognizes all who were involved during the war—from the 5 million men and women who signed up to serve on the U.S. home front to support the troops to the nearly 117,000 U.S. servicemen who lost their lives.

Read the Remainder at Daily Signal