The upcoming Memorial Day weekend may evoke images of barbeques, gardening and relaxation but to the 1.3 million active duty military and 800,000 reserve forces, as well as the millions of Americans who have lost a family member in military service this day can be a painful one and doesn’t have anything to do with frying up burgers on a grill.
For those of us looking for a meaningful way to take time out to reflect upon the loss of more than 1.1 Million fallen soldiers that have died in battle since the Revolutionary War, we wanted to highlight some of the commercial construction industry’s newest contributions to memorials, monuments and museums that are dedicated to remembering our military’s sacrifice.
- The National Veterans Memorial and Museum – This brand new space, which opened in October of 2018, features artifacts, multimedia exhibits and installations throughout the building and site which sits on the river banks in Columbus Ohio. The building is an architectural wonder and features cast in place architectural concrete with light filled exhibits and an open air amphitheater.
Courtesy of Brad Feinkopf
- Soldiers Memorial – This lesser known museum and memorial is in St. Louis Missouri and had been all but forgotten even though it’s been open for nearly 80 years. A $25 Million endowment paid for the bulk of a recent $30 million renovation to convert the lower level into additional galleries and give the exterior façade a brand new look. Exhibits feature St. Louis’ role in nearly every US Military event from Revolutionary war to modern day and the exterior features a reflecting pool and fountain to represent the five branches of the armed forces.
- The American Civil War Museum – Located in Richmond, VA, this brand new museum opened to the public on May 4 and offers up exhibits unlike any other museum. Among the highlights is a recreation of a home exploding into shards from the ceiling and video projections of battlefields, digitally colorized photos and a glass curtain wall enclosing the remnants of the Tredegar Iron Works which dates to the 18i00s and produced munitions for the Civil War.
And one to keep on your radar? The National WW1 Memorial in Washington DC has been 100 years in the making but several delays have impeded its progress until recently. The details of its design is still being finalized but it looks like this project is a go and is planned to be completed in Fall 2021 and will be located in Pershing Park in Washington DC.
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