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Washington, D.C.

After making my way to the front of the platoon I notice the platoon is marching in a V-formation. Additionally, the soldiers are not only ethnically detailed, they also represent the various branches of the military. 14 are Army troops, 3 are Marines, 1 is a Navy Corpsman, and 1 is an Air Force forward observer.

In the front of the platoon is this marker. "Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."

Here are some close-ups of the individual soldiers. They look a little grotesque, but I rather like them just the same. Maybe because they are unique and fall aways outside of the typical war memorial design style. There's certainly is a bit of artistic licensing going on here.

I failed to capture the granite curb that contains the names of the countries who participated in the war under the U.N. flag. Sorry. In any event, the curb lines the walkway and stretches to the Pool of Remembrance. On it, in alphabetical order, the 22 participating countries are inscribed, starting with Australia and ending with the United States. Each country is separated by the U.N. symbol.

At the tip of the triangle, formed by the advancing platoon, I find the Pool of Remembrance. Circling the pool are benches and linden trees that provide ample space for rest and reflection. At the back of the pool is the large inscription of "Freedom is not free."