As I performed participant observation this weekend, continuously walking and circling the 9/11 memorial pools in an almost figure eight fashion, I performed two different types of note taking: audio recording and hand-written. Of course, both methods had their advantages and disadvantages. First, the audio recording was great for picking up details. As I type my observations, the audio recording paints a fuller picture of the field and help me recollect events much better. However, one disadvantage is that the notes are a bit long. I recorded everything I saw or mentioned what I thought was significant, which was too tedious or later turned out to be insignificant. Second, hand written notes were often brief, which is nice. I quickly …show more content…
First, the majority of people take photos. This accounts for all racial and age groups that I encountered. Second a significant amount of people actually do not touch the memorial. They take photos or stare at the pool or memorial, interacting with their eyes, but, however, at most given times, there are very few people making hand contact. Or if they do touch it, the moment is very brief. Touching the memorial is a fleeting experience which is at times difficult to record. For those who did touch the memorial, the most popular way of touching it is with only the fingertips. People are either pointing at specific names or just make contact to the panel. Of course, there are other hand gestures people use to touch the memorial. However, the most consistent touching I noticed was with the fingertips. Similarly, younger children touch the memorial, but it is usually at a quicker pace, not as drawn out as adults. This can be seen with the Asian and white girls poking the name panels with different fingers, or the white boys climbing on it. I am not sure what the cause of this is. Quite simply, they could be children just playing around like normal, or quite possibly, it could show their lack of connection to the memorial since most of them were definitely born after 2001. This inquiry would require further research. In addition to the children, I …show more content…
I did not anticipate such a consistent practice among various guests. This leads me to ask new questions to those at the memorial. Why does one touch the name panel? What type of feelings does it give the individual? Is there a specific reason one touches it a certain way? In addition, does touching the memorial act as a conduit for their experience? Are they connected to those who died when they make contact? These questions, hopefully, will further help me figure out just what people are experiencing on this ground. One difficulty I had today was what I would call, I guess, the separation between field and home. The moment I saw the Firefighter bronze mural that was when I myself felt the emotional pull of the research. At this spot, I interpreted this as the real beginning of the memorial, where I see those who sacrificed their lives that day. In addition, after noticing so many people touching the name panels with their fingertips, I myself swelled up with emotions. Thinking about it too much definitely causes a personal reaction, one that probably an outside researcher would not experience. In addition, because of these feelings, I hope my research is not tainted based on my own experiences with the memorial. Is there an actual significance with certain types of touching or am I the one interpreting significance through my own sensations and
Ever take a midnight train to Georgia? No, well ever drive through Georgia? When driving through Georgia on State Road 49, there is a little town called Andersonville that is very easy to miss. To many it is just another town. Yet this town has its own trail. The Andersonville Trail is a small brown dirt road that leads visitors to the Andersonville National Historic Site (Roberts xi). This National Historic Site looks like a “well- tended” national cemetery. On closer examination, this cemetery is nothing like Arlington (Roberts xi). “In this national cemetery, the marble headstones are so close together, they almost touch. The markers appear to be one long head...
I felt this morbid and realistic presence of the soldiers and for a mere second felt the gloom and menace of the war they were in. I walked around the site to gather more information on what the memorial was dedicated to. I walked past the mural wall and as I did, I paid particular attention to the various images of people and equipment on the wall. All of the facial expressions of the people on the wall gave the memorial a very real presence to it. I continued walking down the granite walk
Memorials not only remind people about specific events and leaders, but also sets history in stone for future generations. When creating and building a memorial for a specific person or event, many factors should be considered. Sometimes, these memorials honor great achievement while others pay homage to deep sacrifice. However, there are many ways to memorialize people or events, locally or nationally, ranging from pictures to monuments. When considering to memorialize a person or event, agencies and groups should consider purpose, location and size of the monument in order to effectively pay homage to deep sacrifice and great achievements.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has struck my interest for the past few years. I have always been interested in historical events that impacted many lives. The Holocaust, the Berlin Wall, and World War I and II have always been something I take very seriously and I am very interested in learning about America’s history. The backstory behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is fascinating and after researching it I learned new things that made me more motivated to write this essay in hopes that I get the honor of laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. If I am chosen to take part in the wreath laying ceremony it would mean so much to me because laying a wreath is a very symbolic ritual and I believe it shows how much people care about all the soldiers who served in World War I.
Americans from all walks of life watch, tears clouding the eyes as a young Boy Scout lays a red, white and blue wreath at the foot of the tomb. The soldier stopped and announced that all in attendance were to stand in silence, with their hand laid across their hearts. All Veterans or current military personnel are encouraged to salute. I was fascinated by the young family beside me who were visiting from France. As they all placed their hands over their hearts, I realized that American soldiers don’t just fight for America, they fight for the world.
As the birds are singing their sweet melody, the terrain of Arlington National Cemetery is filled with sadness. Although the brilliant rays of sun are shinning through the thick colossal treetops, there is a chill in the air. While watching the mourners, the feeling of their sorrows is all too real.
According to “The Wall-USA”, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial organization was originally started by “Jan Scruggs, who served in Vietnam (in the 199th Light Infantry Brigade) from 1969-1970 as a[n] infantry corporal”. Being a wounded war veteran himself, once Scruggs got back stateside he began studying PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder, and wanted to create a memorial for those who have fallen in order to make the transition easier for other veterans. Needing a place for the memorial, Scruggs lobbied for a land near the Rose Gardens and was granted 2 acres on July 1, 1980 by President Jimmy Carter. Instead of using government funds for the memorial, Scruggs and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund raised almost nine million dollars from “...corporations, foundations, unions, veterans and civic organizations and more than 275,000 individual Americans.”(“The Wall-USA). After they had enough money to create the memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial group had to determine what design they would use, so they held an open contest in which applicants submitted their ideas to be judged anonymously. The only regulations in the contest were “...the memorial should contain the names of every American who died in Vietnam or remained missing in action, make no political statement about the war, be in harmony with its surroundings and be contemplative in character”(Greenspan). The designs that were submitted, were anonymous to remove any prejudice towards a candidate because of their nationality. Also, the designs were to be judged by a panel of eight judges consisting of various sculptors, structural architects, landscape developers, and landscape architects. Although more than 1,400 designs had been submitted, including designs by professional architects and designers, the panel of judges chose Entry Number 1026, the 20 year old Maya Lin’s design. The winning design received
The design of a memorial needs to be intriguing, representative, and appropriate for it's environment. Creating a memorial that is tasteful and intriguing will help draw people towards it. When designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Maya Lin decided that the memorial should be only the names of the veterans, and that there was, "no need to embellish the design further"(Source G). Lin also chose black granite to construct the memorial. The surface of the granite was intriguing, reflective, and peaceful. Instead of names, speeches were carved into the Lincoln Memorial(Source A). The Lincoln Memorial is said to only be representative of Abraham Lincoln. The memorial is composed of, "a colossal marble statue and the text of two speeches carved on enormous panels, all housed in a neoclassic temple" (Source A). The memorial is not paying homage to a deep sacrifice, it is entirely representing the greatness of Lincoln. Along with the Lincoln Memorial, the monument of Christopher Columbus in Riverside Park, Easton, Pennsylvania, is another memorial which is representative(Source B). In the statue of Columbus, he is posed heroically. This stance is to represent the heroism and courage Columbus displayed when founding America. Another memorial that has a breathtaking design is the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.(Source E). Placing the museum on The Mall in Washington, D.C., the
Forensic audiology involves applying the knowledge on hearing science and audiology to legal issues. It is not considered as a sub-specialty in audiology, rather, it’s an application of expertise in acoustic, psychoacoustic and noise to work within the legal system. It covers a board spectrum of cases such as occupation or environmental noise, audibility, speech understanding, the effects of noise, pediatrics, central auditory processing and cochlear implants. Forensic audiology is often associated with working with an attorney, especially for cases that involve workers compensation, administrative law and constitutional law.
Throughout the years, there have been thousands of American soldiers killed in battle. Out of these thousands, there are some that are unidentified and unknown. This means that the families of these soldiers are never able to see their son or daughter ever again. To honor these unidentified soldiers, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was created in Arlington National Cemetery in 1921. On top of this hill, this monument contains the remains of unknown soldiers from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The tomb is guarded twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. It has been guarded every minute of every day since 1937. Photographer D. Myles Cullen captured one of these tomb guards in action. This visual depicts this tomb guard in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is significant because it honors the many soldiers that have died in war without being identified.
Klaassens, Mirjam, Peter Groote, and Paulus P. P. Huigen. "Roadside Memorials From A Geographical Perspective." Mortality 14.2 (2009): 187-201. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Apr. 2014
Washington, DC is a spectacular place. This being my first time in DC, I was in awe of everything and all the historical places I encountered. The presence of the monuments and history is what made the capitol so magnificent. Having only read about the Lincoln memorial, I never had the chance to experience the sensation of being inside such an honorable place of importance. The imposing white marble walls of the memorial and the many people surrounding it could be seen from afar. Arriving at the location, an unknown feeling came over me. I was experiencing history in a whole different level. When I think about a memorial, the term remembrance comes to mind. Seeing the statue of Abraham Lincoln brought pieces of memories from history class and evoked thoughts of what it might have felt like to be in his shoes. I was astonished by the statue’s enormousness and how grand Abraham Lincoln looked in his chair. The size of the statue compared to pictures from books and elsewhere was surreal. Abraham Lincoln was a very “powerful and prominent individual” in the history of our nation, the statue’s design and size reflected upon that. Looking around me, I wanted to know what the others thoughts were on seeing his statue and how they felt in that building. I finally had the courage to ask one or two people what they thought; they all had the same appreciation as me. Hearing about an important person or learning about them in a history book gives you vast knowledge but it doesn’t evoke the feeling of utter appreciation as the memorial does. When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, many people wanted to build a memorial in honor of him. They wanted to be able to show how important he was to shaping our nation and to “honor his existence”. Ce...
Tom Van Putten served nine years in the U.S. Army, two of which were spent in Vietnam. In a phone interview with Tom, I asked him if he had ever visited the monument. In fact, he did and he discussed with me how hard it was to see a dozen names of men he knew that were put on that wall. "It's really an awesome monument; it is hard remembering what it was like coming home. I was definitely changed for life " (Van Putten).
Why do sentinels guard the tomb 24/7? Why is the tomb so sacred to America? There is no specific way to answer all these questions that so many American’s ponder, but there are many possibilities to consider. The tomb of the Unknowns has a special place in many American’s hearts. Since the remains in the tomb are unidentified many mothers, fathers, wives, and other family members feel a strong connection with the tomb. The families that lost soldiers that never returned after these wars connected with the tomb because they felt that the tomb may contain their sons, husbands, or brothers. What if you were somehow related to one of the four soldiers in the tomb? John Eisenhower wrote a newspaper article about the significance of the tomb. In his article he states, “Its significance is staggering going to the very core of how democracy defends itself in a perilous world.” This quote reveals that the tomb represents America’s fight for democracy in this dangerous world. After every war America remains a democracy even when the world around may not agree. Eisenhower thought this monument was different from any other because it honors soldiers. Most monuments honor men that are high up in the military, but this one honors those who are simply the soldiers. The soldiers in the tomb signify all the other soldiers that have lost their lives at war. The tomb of the unknown soldier is found in many other countries
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial recognizes and honors the men and women who served in one of America's most divisive wars. The memorial was conceived and designed to make no political statement whatsoever about the war. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a place where everyone, regardless of opinion, can come together and remember and honor those who served. By doing so, the memorial has paved the way towards reconciliation and healing, a process that continues today. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial accomplishes these goals through the three components that comprise the memorial: the Wall of names, the Three Servicemen Statue and Flagpole, and the Vietnam Women's Memorial.