Overview
MOSAIC
War Monument Mystery
An Historical Memoir
By Louis Nelson
The Korean War is now America's seminal war. It was the first war conducted with the new United Nations, the first war fought against the Chinese Communists and the first war we didn't win. We've not had a win since 1945. Today, nuclear tensions between North Korea and the United States have heightened the uncertainty of of lives in America, the Pacific Rim and throughout the world.
I designed the mural wall at the Korean Veterans Memorial on the Mall in Washington DC; visited South Korea, talked to the people, lectured at the university and viewed the DMZ. Mosaic is my story about the Korean War today and its Memorial; a story of death, rescue and growth.
The last memorials we built were World War II and Martin Luther King Jr.āone commemorating a distant war, the other honoring a person who faced the war within ourselves. With all the challenges, life has been a chaotic pathāfraught with the drama of the democratic process, not always pretty, as democracy is not always sweet. But oh so beautiful, so full of human error, travail and triumph.
This book examines how this war affected me and its veteransāthen and nowā leading to my design of its mural and a new addition. Here is a look into the uncertainty of this Nation's vulnerability and the stories few have known. Here are events of men and women, surrounding the commemoration of a great and nearly forgotten American war, with contributions from its neighbors, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials. Our need to remember hooks us to the core of what happened, to the essence of its participants, and prompts questions as to why.
Least remembered of all our wars, Korea is the "tipping point." It is the first
memorial dedicated to the service of the men and women in the warānot the leader or a president. The wall of faces and the statues of the soldiers, their eyes steady, bold and determined, facing towards the next battle, re-creates the moment and the spaceāone can almost hear the sound of that time.
A mid-century cease fireāKorea was forgotten as Sputnik beeped overhead and overlooked by a distracted America enjoying a growing standard-of-living as a Cold War grew. Korea is a memorial to the common soldier, standing alone at the right hand of Lincoln with Vietnam to his left, the three together honoring our leaders, remembering service by our citizens, and healing a divided nation by those whose future was taken from them.
On these pages are stories of the men and women, some hero's, a few devils. Frank Gaylord sculpted nineteen warriors, Richard Stilwell fought to his death to get them built and Rosemary McCarthy assured that women would be remembered in a memorial. Along this path, one man had created obstacles to impede building the Lincoln Memorial and another most unlikely man became the surprising champion of design quality as a national effort, insuring we would have a Lincoln Memorial. Not to forget the terror present in North Koreaāa system run by a war mongering dictator in contrast to the South, a vital, working democracy where the results of the Korean War are more than apparent and not forgotten.
Louis Nelson
MOSAIC
This book title, MOSAIC (War Monument Mystery), ISBN: 9781098366094, by Louis Nelson, published by BookBaby (May 14, 2021) is available in hardcover. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
Unlike Amazon and other retailers who may also offer MOSAIC (War Monument Mystery) books on their website, we specialize in large quantities and provide personal service, from trusted, experienced, friendly people in Portland, Oregon. We offer a Price Match Guarantee, and QuickQuote form, to make purchasing quick and easy.
Prefer to work with a human being when you order MOSAIC (War Monument Mystery) books in bulk? Our Book Specialists are standing by Monday-Friday 8-5 PST, ready to help!