Chapter 21 - Monuments and Memorials

Summary

World War I triggered a memorial boom unparalleled in US history as constituencies of every stripe rushed to commemorate the role of “their boys” in the conflict. The memorials, numbering in the thousands, assumed both traditional forms and myriad new guises, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a host of unprecedented “useful memorials”—such as bridges, community centers, and football stadiums—whose commemorative suitability was hotly debated. “Great men” sculptures were eschewed while honor rolls of the dead became ubiquitous. Well-known artists created powerful sculptural memorials, including some that evinced disillusionment with the war, but most memorial sculpture—to the chagrin of the art world—comprised commercially produced doughboys, often in heroic poses. Despite their omnipresence, the memorials largely failed to fix the war’s place in American memory: No commemorative form could sufficiently compensate for the war’s ambiguous narrative and unsettled meaning, especially in the wake of US participation in the Second World War. The centennial period has brought renewed attention to World War I memorials and has catalyzed an effort to erect a national World War I memorial in Washington, DC.