Memorial aims to bring first world war to life for America’s new generations
David Smith in Washington
On a typical day the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington draws old soldiers from that conflict to run their fingers over the names, etched into polished black granite, of more than 58,000 comrades who died.
So the creators of a first world war memorial in the nation’s capital faced a particular challenge: no one who fought in it is still living.
Their answer is a monumental bronze sculpture that features 38 hyper-realistic, larger than figures to depict the great war, accompanied by information panels that tell the story of its origins, costs and consequences.