Remembering the Stone

The official dedication of the D.C. War Memorial on Nov. 11, 1931, included more than the usual local gentry. Both major radio networks at the time – CBS and NBC – broadcast the ceremonies live.

President Herbert Hoover gave the official dedication, and Gen. John J. Pershing also spoke. The Marine Band also played “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” led by the composer himself, the 77-year-old John Philip Sousa.

The memorial served as a bandstand for concerts during the years, and the last major recorded event seems to be Noyes’ funeral in 1948. The American Legion paid tribute to the man behind the monument, and Rep. John Rankin called for expansion of the U.S. Air Force to prevent another war.

By that time, World War I – and its monument on the National Mall – seemed distant and without purpose, given the enormity of World War II and the specter of the still-escalating Cold War. People didn’t think as much about the Great War; as the 20th century came to a close, the veterans of that conflict became very, very few and disappeared from parades and tributes.

The drift from the public eye seemed to affect the D.C. War Memorial. Responsibility for the structure passed to the National Park Service in the 1960s, and other attractions on the National Mall overshadowed the little temple. In the past two decades, the other war memorials became the focus of public attention.

The memorial, when I saw it last September, looked sad. The dirt and grime showed the lack of a good stone cleaning for years, if ever. The base suffered from plenty of cracks and nicks. A large crack in the cupola provided a base for a healthy and growing tree branch.

An interpretive sign gave some bare basics on the monument, but few people wandered by to read it. In the 20 minutes I spent there, the only other person I saw was a NPS ranger a couple hundred feet away who eyed me suspiciously, as if I’d found the entrance to the secret lair of Vice President Dick Cheney.

To be honest, even I’d forgotten about the monument until the recent publicity geared up for the adjoining World War II memorial. I made several inquiries to various Washington offices about the D.C. War Memorial, but I was passed along or ignored. The little temple seems to be in limbo, slowly dying of a typical disease: People forget.

They shouldn’t, either, considering the other project dear to the biggest supporter of the memorial. The Noyes family also backed full representation for District of Columbia residents, including a voting member in Congress; today, the effort continues in showy fashion, with license plates declaring “Taxation Without Representation” and the planting of symbolic “liberty trees.”

So here’s a suggestion for Washington residents to make a statement of independence: Why not fix your monument, which symbolizes freedom, equality and sacrifice made by your citizens for the nation?

Things may be looking up for the D.C. War Memorial, however. Just as Stone Business went to press, Richards reported that the NPS and several other groups are going to do a study and determine the scope of restoration and the cost. And, there are plans to initiate some fund-raising to pay for the work.

Citizens of The District should take the lead on fixing their memorial; in the end, it’s still their job. The dead of World War I deserve at least a patching and cleaning of their tribute … and I’m sure the attitude of their comrades-in-arms, honored nearby, would be: “It’s about d**n time.”

This article first appeared in the June 2004 print edition of Stone Business. ©2004 Western Business Media Inc.

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