I’ll reserve judgement until I see it for myself, but from what I hear the overall response is less than stellar.

Here’s an editorial from the post that pretty much typifies reactions to the WWII memorial. I’m torn on the subject. While it does look good in pictures, the most common criticism I hear is that it doesn’t connect with the visitor. The Vietnam memorial, and the Korean War Memorial are both very powerful for the visitor.

WWII represents the most important struggle in moddern times, and the seeming eternal theme of the modern world. The struggle against tyranny and opression. Yes, comming out of the Great Depression, the world was cynical, and things were not as black and white as they may seem in retrospect. But it’s hard toargue agains the evil that faced the world.

Nanking
Comfort Women
The Bataan Death March
Auschwitz
Dachau
“The Final Solution”
Hitler
Mengele
Eichman

and on and on

these represent evil pure and simple.

Yes, there was ambiguity, and attrocities were committed by the allies. Dresden for example. But that’s the nature of Total War. You can’t equate the Rooseveldt administration with the Nazi’s, or Imperial Japan.

But the task that generation faced, the sacrifices they made, and the success they achieved demand something special. An overblown, yet patriotic unfocused memorial just seems almost like an insult. I suppose a significant memorial is long overdue, and better this than nothing. Still, I wish they’d have gotten it right.