These coordinates will take you to the "new" Disabled Veterans Memorial. The second set of coordinates will take you to the back of the memorial to one of the four bronze panels with a silhouette of a soldier. This is one of the ones that struck me as very moving, it is a soldier with an amputee and as you look through it it’s almost as this soldier is looking at some of their buddies that gave the ultimate sacrifice. Throughout our US history there have been a lot of wars being fought which has resulted in more than 4 million seriously injured veterans. As time goes there are more and more seriously injured veterans that are leaving the battlefield, getting home and finding that is only the beginning of their battle.
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A. Using a magnifying glass measure the grain sizes you see in these three types of Granite. What do you see that is different, ie shape, size etc.
B. In your own words describe how and why all this Granite looks so drastically different.
C. The original plans called for the use of marble in the building of the memorial. They decided to use granite instead. Why do you think granite was chosen versus using marble?
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The Granite
The original idea was to use marble in building the memorial. The National Parks Service requested a more durable material so they decided to use granite instead.
There are three main types of granite in this memorial.
The one that is most noticeable is the Black Granite (St. John's Black) that is all around the fountain and the reflecting pool.
The next one that is also noticeable is the White Granite (Bethel White) walls with the engraved quotations from George Washington and Frederick D Eisenhower.
The third type of granite may not be as noticeable at first but it is Gray Granite (Virginia Mist) and is actually the paving stones that you are walking on.
The St. John's Black Granite:
St. John's Black Granite is found at least in part in the southern part of the Burin Peninsula, in southeast Newfoundland Canada. Newfoundland is east of Quebec Canada and north of Maine, USA. This type of Granite is marked by extensive Carboniferous granite magmatism.
The Bethel White Granite:
The Bethel White granite is quarried at least in part in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont, USA. This type of granite has an even grain that is very striking.
The Virginia Mist granite:
The Virginia Mist Granite is a medium grained granite that is charcoal black with white flurries. It is quarried at least in part in Virginia, USA
It was the North Carolina Granite Corporation that actually provided the granite for this memorial. The NCGC provided 6,000 sq. ft. of their Bethel White granite for the memorial wall, 35,000 sq. ft. of their Virginia Mist granite for the paving Tile and Benches and 7,000 sq. ft. of St. Johns Black granite for the fountain.
This part is taken in part from the description of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial and the Annual Disability Statistics Compendium.
Dedication
This memorial was dedicated on October 5, 2014. President Barack Obama addressed a crowd of about 3,100 visitors and guests, many of them disabled veterans, who witnessed the memorial's unveiling. In the United States of America, those who have fought for our freedom should never be shunned and should never be forgotten," Obama said. "When our wounded veterans set out on that long road of recovery, we need to move heaven and earth to make sure they get every single benefit, every single bit of care that they have earned, that they deserve. Also in attendance at the event was Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. Actor Gary Sinise spoke at the event as national spokesperson for the memorial foundation. Speaking to the crowd, McDonald said, "Few have given more to America. This imposing memorial stands as a powerful reminder of their service and their sacrifice."
About the memorial
The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial is located on a 1.72-acre (7,000 m2) parcel of land (roughly in the shape of a right triangle) bounded by 2nd Street SW, Washington Avenue SW, and the on-ramps from both streets to I-395.The site is adjacent to and east of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building, headquarters of the United States Department of Health and Human Services; adjacent to and northeast of the Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Federal Building; and southeast and adjacent to the Bartholdi Fountain portion of the grounds of the United States Botanic Garden. The site is federally owned, and under the administrative jurisdiction of the National Park Service. The memorial was designed by Michael Vergason of Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, with sculptor Larry Kirkland consulting. Architectural services were supplied by Shalom Baranes Associates, and engineering services by RK&K Engineers. Technical assistance for the fountain and reflecting pool were provided by Fluidity, Inc. Technical assistance in graphic design was provided by Cloud Gehshan Associates, and consultant Claude Engle assisted with the lighting design.
The memorial consists of five elements:
• The first element is a fountain in the shape of a five-pointed star, 30 inches (0.76 m) in height and set on the northern end of the site. The fountain is clad in a nearly black granite known as St. John's Black. Water in the basin overflows the sides of the fountain, and is collected in a small trough at the base of the structure. In the center of the fountain is an eternal flame. Jets below the surface of the water generate bubbles of natural gas, which rise to the surface. Two igniters, hidden among five decorative stones which just break the surface, ignite the gas, which rises to a flame about 3 feet (0.91 m) high (although this varies due to weather). Sensors monitor the flame to ensure a smooth flow of gas and that the igniters function properly. Pressure sensors in the basin automatically stop the flow of gas should anyone attempt to climb into the fountain. The system is monitored and controlled remotely via the Internet, allowing both the operator (the National Park Service) and the fabricator (Technifex) to operate the system. The fountain is designed to remain filled but not overflow during winter months.
• The second element is a reflecting pool which extends south and southeast from the star-shaped fountain. The reflecting pool rises 10 inches (25 cm) from the plaza and is also made of St. John's Black granite. The memorial is designed so the water in both the fountain and the reflecting pool reflect the nearby United States Capitol building.
• The third element is a "Wall of Gratitude", which consists of two long, 12-foot (3.7 m) walls of reinforced concrete clad in an almost pure white granite known as Bethel White (quarried near Bethel, Vermont). This wall extends along the western wide of the site, and inscriptions are carved into the east face of both segments. On the northern segment are quotations from General George Washington and General Dwight Eisenhower, and the name of the memorial. Quotations expressing gratitude for the sacrifices of disabled veterans are inscribed on the southern segment of the wall. A passage between the two segments is cut so that it orients visitors toward the Capitol dome.
• The fourth element is the "Voices of Veterans" area, which forms the southern portion of the site. This exhibit consists of three staggered glass walls consisting of a total of 49 panels. Each panel is 8.58 feet (2.62 m) high, 48 inches (1.2 m) wide, and 4 inches (10 cm) thick; weighs 1,800 pounds (820 kg); and consists of five 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) sheets of Starphire glass laminated together. On the interior sheets of glass are inscribed photo-realistic images of veterans and quotations from veterans describing their devotion to duty, what it was like to be wounded, and how they came to terms with their disability. Four bronze panels, with silhouettes of soldiers cut from their center, stand behind some of the glass panels. The four bronze panels feature a saluting soldier in full dress uniform, a soldier rescuing a wounded comrade (who is slung over his shoulders), a running soldier bowed beneath a full pack, and a soldier with an amputated leg using crutches to hold himself upright.
• The fifth element consists of a grove of memorial trees. The "Voices of Veterans" element is set among the trees of the northern part of this grove. A pedestrian walkway passes through the grove south of the "Voices of Veterans", to give local workers a means of passing through the site. Landscaping elements form an integral part of the memorial design. A row of gingko trees lines the side of the site west of the "Wall of Gratitude", as well as both sides of the wide sidewalk on the Washington Avenue side of the site. Planting beds approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) deep exist behind each glass wall. Ground cover consists of mondo grass and lily turf. Shrubs used at the site include Carolina allspice (Calycanthus floridus), dwarf sweet pepperbush, Harry's garnet sweetspire, "Gulftide" holly osmanthus, and Burkwood viburnum. Perennial plantings at the site include marginal wood fern, autumn fern, lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis), Virginia bluebell, and woodland sedge. Most of the memorial is paved using a type of gray granite known in the stone trade as Virginia Mist. All paving stones have been treated with a thermal coating to help them resist weatherization. Perimeter lighting along city sidewalks bordering the site is provided by standard single- or double-globe D.C. standard streetlights. Metal halide lights illuminate the eastern side of the "Wall of Gratitude", the flagpole, and the memorial grove. LED lights are used to backlight each glass wall, and for under-lighting the granite benches at the site. The Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial Foundation raised the funds for, oversaw the design of, and constructed the memorial. After the memorial is dedicated, the memorial will become the property of the U.S. federal government and will be administered by the National Park Service.
Disabled Veterans
And in 2014, there were 9,750,976 civilian veterans’ ages 18 to 64 years living in the community, 1,170,385 of which were individuals with disabilities—a prevalence rate of 12.0 percent. Puerto Rico had the highest prevalence rate, 29.1 percent, while Maryland had the lowest prevalence rate, 11.8 percent.
According to the 2000 census the oldest veterans had the highest disability rates. Almost 3 out of every 10 veterans (29.1 percent) were disabled. However, 1 in 3 Korean War veterans (33.6 percent) and almost 1 in 2 World War II veterans (45.2 percent) were disabled. Approximately 1 in 4 Vietnam veterans (24.8 percent) was disabled. The disability rates for those who served most recently, from September 1980 to July 1990 or in August 1990 or later, were the lowest, at 18.2 percent and 16.3 percent, respectively.
References:
Disabled Veterans' Life Memorial Foundation, Inc http://avdlm.org/
A list of veteran's resources http://avdlm.org/veteran-resources
Granite http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granite/
National Park Service http://nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/
And thank you to CBS news for the use of their picture.