Disabled Vet memorial in DC
Someone sent us a link to Military.com article that there’s going to be a memorial in DC near the Capitol for disabled veterans;
The $81.5 million memorial, which will feature 48 glass display panels, will open on Oct. 12, 2014, according to the Disabled Veterans’ Life Memorial Foundation. It will sit on a 2.4-acre site across from the U.S. Botanic Garden. Its centerpiece will be a star-shaped fountain — each point representing a service branch — and pool that will capture the reflection of the nearby U.S. Capitol.
“We looked at 22 sites that were given to us by the National Park Service. We selected [the C Street] location because of its proximity to the U.S. Capitol,” said Rick Fenstermacher, chief executive officer for the project. “We wanted Congress to be able to look at the memorial and see that the cost of war is more than [the price] of bullets and bombs.”
Inscribed on the thick, transparent panels will be quotations that help tell the story of war’s wounded and crippled, along with historic images of servicemembers and veterans reproduced from archival photos. Behind the images — seen through the transparent panels — will be bronze sculptures depicting the returned wounded veterans.
Thanks, I appreciate the sentiment, really I do, but I’d much rather they spend the money on clearing the backlog, improving the conditions in VA hospitals, just about anything except another empty gesture to veterans. They said that they chose site near the Capitol to remind Congress about the cost of war beyond dollars…by spending more dollars on something that no Congressman will look at after the opening ceremony. When I moved to DC, just being there every day reminded me of the cost of our freedom in human sacrifice. If they can’t be inspired every moment of every day just by being in the nation’s Capitol, no little fountain which will probably cost billions to maintain and will end up being another trash bin for tourists can inspire them.
No, thanks, I’m not impressed. Stick another yellow ribbon magnet on your car instead.
Category: Veterans Issues
Well said, Jonn, and thank you for writing that.
We don’t need more memorials. Every single veteran is a memorial. Spend the money where it’s needed, not on some piece of dirt that would be best left as green grass.
I have grown to detest Washington the city as much as I do Washington, the culture. We need some serious changes to be made.
This and $1.09 will get me a cup of coffee.
JUST RUN THE GOVERNMENT PROPERLY!!!! Try THAT.
/thankyouverymuch.
Of the memorial: “Its centerpiece will be a star-shaped fountain — each point representing a service branch — and pool that will capture the reflection of the nearby U.S. Capitol.”
Yeah, capturing the reflection of the very location that is responsible for screwing veterans of all services/wars.
That’s appropriate. //sarc off//
I completely agree jonn. I do not need a memorial, what we all need is better care via the veterans administration.
BREAKING NEWS:
One of 48 glass display panels will be entitled, “Bat Shit Crazy – I Caught the PDTS After the War in My Head” and will be dedicated by DullAss Wigetfield himself.
DullAss, a self-described loon and clown who parachutes even though he claims 100% disability, lobbied for his own glass display panel but that request was turned down. The organizers said, “if we made a glass panel to represent DullAss Wigetfield the size and complexity of the panel who be cost prohibited.”
“The project is entirely funded by contributions — from individuals, organizations and corporations — with Congress providing the space and authorizizing the organization to establish the memorial. To date, more than 1.1 million donors have contributed, according to Fenstermacher.” (Military Times) The effort started 25 years ago.
Doing little for veterans, disabled or not, the memorial is destined to serve well as all others before it; a depository of pigeon crap.
@5. The memorial could include a quote from him, though I don’t know how visitors would react to all the sputtering, profanity, and mindless word drool that spews forth from Dullard.
they need a memorial for the wounded, especially while pushing women into combat arms and dropping standards. with the mass influx of wounded and disabled that are soon to be around, they needed a fountain as a consolation prize.
“thanks for participating in the social experiment we call the military, we regret to inform you that our enemies forgot to use the newer, softer bullets and you are now crippled. please enjoy this fountain”
“Thanks, I appreciate the sentiment, really I do, but I’d much rather they spend the money on clearing the backlog, improving the conditions in VA hospitals.
AMEN!
This effort was started by a well-heeled woman in the 1980s. She spear headed a drive that raised the money, both from individuals and private companies. The gov’t allotted the space and Congress authorized the monument. I understand the anger and predomoinant sentiment but this wasn’t taxpayer money or a Congressional look-here-what-we-did-for-Veterans scheme. These were private funds. So, what’s wrong with that?
Jonn,
“No little fountain which will probably cost billions to maintain and will end up being another trash bin for tourists can inspire them.”
Don’t get me started. Each time I go to DC for leisure and inspiration or business … I visit the WWII and Korean Memorials.
It friggin” drives me nuts to see all the foriegn tourists (probably French, German, and/or other Euro Trash) … wanding their nasty dirty feet in the Memorial Fountain.
I even saw a guy WASH his feet in it … then he broke out his prayer rug and spoke to his whatever …
From the AlGore.net:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=853&bih=568&q=wwii+memorial+washington+dc&oq=wwii+memorial&gs_l=img.1.1.0l10.1092.3963.0.5540.13.10.0.3.3.0.141.1311.0j10.10.0….0…1ac.1.24.img..0.13.1358.DNj7wXZ9k2M#bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&fp=b652f57ab20677ff&hl=en&q=wwii+memorial+peolple+wading+in+fountain&sa=1&tbm=isch
People Wading in WWII Memorial Fountain: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=853&bih=568&q=wwii+memorial+washington+dc&oq=wwii+memorial&gs_l=img.1.1.0l10.1092.3963.0.5540.13.10.0.3.3.0.141.1311.0j10.10.0#bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&fp=b652f57ab20677ff&hl=en&q=wwii+memorial+people+wading+in+fountain&sa=1&tbm=isch
Sorry, 2/17 Air Cav, after the day I just had, I guess I’m too cynical for my own good.
Seems apropos. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. I went into a public-‘ouse to get a pint o’ beer, The publican ‘e up an’ sez, “We serve no red-coats here.” The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die, I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I: O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”; But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play, The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play, O it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play. I went into a theatre as sober as could be, They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me; They sent me to the gallery or round the music-‘alls, But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls! For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, wait outside”; But it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide, The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide, O it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide. Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap; An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit. Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, ‘ow’s yer soul?” But it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll, The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll, O it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll. We aren’t no thin red ‘eroes, nor we aren’t no blackguards too, But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you; An’ if sometimes our conduck isn’t all your fancy paints, Why, single men in barricks don’t grow into plaster saints; While it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, fall be’ind”, But it’s “Please to walk in front, sir”, when there’s trouble in the wind, There’s… Read more »
Speaking of Other Country Trash:
Check out the hose bag self-described Chinese-American woman (not attractive) at her web site.
Scroll down about 5/6 or 7/8 of the page to see what she thinks about the WWII Memorial Fountain.
http://msyang28.xanga.com/
But while it won’t do shit for the veterans who actually NEED help, it’ll make Shinseki and the rest of the ‘tard bureaucrats and politicians FEEL better.
And that’s all it’s about, in their minds, anyway.
@12 WASHING HIS FEET? We should hold his head in the water too until he stops wiggling, lousy turd pile…
Oh, I think cynical is a nice word for it.
We don’t need anymore memorials.
We need action on claims and service.
Ex-PH2 #19: There it is! I don’t care about the genesis. Mind you I’m one of those who called The Wall “a big black slash in the earth” until I actually saw it.
@14. There are bad days and there are BAD DAYS. I hope yours is the lower case variety.
@12 I’ve mainly seen American shitbags doing it. To add insult to injury, it was on the 4th of July.
They need another reminder to be responsible with our military? The last time I visited D.C. it took me all day to visit the various military memorials across the mall. Obviously that plan isn’t working.
Regardless of how the money was raised, I still think that $81.5 million given to Wounded Warriors would memorialize more disabled veterans than a memorial in D.C. that peace activists are bound to vandalize anyway.