Korean War Veterans Memorial Research Paper: The Korean War Veterans Memorial is an ominous depiction of an American squad on patrol next to a mural wall of 164 feet, to show that freedom is not free. The memorial is dedicated to those who served in the Korean War, but especially to those who were killed in action, are still missing in action, or were held as prisoners of war. The memorial was created by Frank Gaylord and Louis Nelson. The goal of the memorial is to remind the public of the dedication to the United States of the men and women who served in the Korean War. The memorial was designed to show the trials and tribulations that many servicemen faced during the war. The Korean War Veterans Memorial I saw that the faces of the soldiers were strangely illuminated in the dim light. The sculptures' clothing seemed appropriate due to the light rain falling on the memorial site. I noticed the wall shimmering as raindrops slid down the glassy surface and fell on the wilted flowers as the images illuminated by the glow of the rain and light. I felt this morbid, realistic presence of the soldiers and for just a second I felt the darkness and threat of the war they were in. I walked around the site to gather more information about what the memorial was dedicated to. I passed the mural and as I did so I paid particular attention to the various images of people and equipment on the wall. All the facial expressions of the people on the wall gave the memorial a very real presence. I continued walking along the granite walkway and read that it was the Korean War Veterans Memorial and I immediately understood the message the artists were trying to convey. It was very clear that they were showing the public that freedom is not free. The memorial symbolizes the soldiers who fought for the freedom of others and recognizes the importance of these actions and. The everyday viewer would not perceive the artwork the way a veteran or their loved ones would. In one particular case a woman, Kathleen Cronan Wyosnick, wrote a heartfelt letter to Abigail VanBuren [Abby], who was the first elected honorary member of the Korean War Veterans Association and a former newspaper columnist. On November 11, 1988, Wyosnick wrote to VanBuren asking that he consider a special group of men and women who fought in the Korean War, better known as the “forgotten war.” Wyosnick described in her letter how she was a former Air Force nurse who had lost her husband in the Korean War. He wrote about how war is described in no more than a few paragraphs in textbooks. He said the only media that reminds the public of the war is a TV show “M*A*S*H.” Just eight months after their wedding, her husband was shot down in North Korea during his first combat mission, and she never got him back. He asked where the memory of those who gave their lives in Korea was. He also asked what the Korean War Veterans Association will do to ensure that those who lost their lives are not forgotten. Abby's response to the letter was to send the check and publish Wyosnick's letter. The American Battle Monuments Commission received more than 27,000 donations in total