Georgia XXIII

For some personal reason, I have not been able to travel as much as I would like. As a result I find myself resorting to spending time reviewing trips and photographs that I have taken in the past.

This is not always a bad thing. I often find things I may have over looked or forgotten to come back to for another look.

Today, I was looking over some pics from trips to Georgia. I have been there a couple of times and noticed some details in pics I think are worth sharing. As is often the case, these details are frequently in the faces I find in the memorials.

Long time readers know that faces are important to me. They bring home in a stark manner the trials and horrors of war.

These come from the haunting memorial at Roswell:

The original posts from Roswell may be seen here and here.

To see additional memorials from Georgia, or any other state, please click on a state name on then left side of this page. Please note that Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico have been added to the list of states.

Next time, on the 1st of July, we will return to Maryland, so, as always, join me there at 9:00 am.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a  number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron, and Molly from Florida have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed.

Georgia XIX

Regular readers will know that from time to time I post about the faces I have seen forever cast in the memorials I visit. I call this subset of photos Faces of Remembrance and today I will share some taken from Roswell, Georgia.

The memorial here can be said to be nearly all faces. The soldier reaches out to the child, perhaps his daughter, while the myriad of faces behind him look on.

Here is the complete memorial called the Faces of War Memorial:

The faces:

 

The Soldier

 

The Child

 

Another Soldier 

                                           An unknown woman

                                             One more soldier

Close examination of this memorial reveals fifty faces of soldiers and others all impacted by the war. At another time I will attempt to isolate some of them and being them to you.

Next time, on the 11th, I hope to have a Veterans Day post. Please join me then, on the 11th, at 11am.

To see additional memorials from Georgia, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

Georgia II

I found this incredibly beautiful and poignant memorial in Roswell, Georgia. I visited, first, at night ,in the rain. I did not realize how emotional the faces would look, in fact I doubted that I could capture any good images at all. I returned in the sun light and got a few more but it turns out that I think the first are the best. The faces in the wall represent many many people who were affected by this conflict. I, also, did not realize there was water running over the wall to create the same effect I thought the rain created!

The following is taken directly from the website for the memorial.

"The Roswell Vietnam War Monument is fourteen feet in height and twenty feet across, highlighted by Georgia marble cap stones and old colonial bricks. The plaza and walkways contain hundreds of memorial bricks purchased by supporters of the project.

Fifty faces, cast in bronze, depict an array of emotions, including fear, grief, and courage. They represent American serviceman and women, medical personnel, and Vietnamese civilians. One figure in the sculpture is that of a soldier reaching out to clasp the hand of a little girl. A sheer waterfall cascades over the backdrop faces. Viewers will be able to see a reflection of their own faces and at that instant become a part of the memorial.

As you visit the Memorial, remember those who served to protect the sovereignty of our country, not only in the Vietnam War but in all wars, and their families."

Inscription

"The Faces of War-heroic and tragic
Faces of the past held present in our memories
Faces of soldiers and civilians - men, women, children all ages, all colors

And our own Faces - observes who can never know the entire story
The whole concealed and reflected by a thin veil of water - water representing tears separation of past and present a cleaning

And emerging from the Faces, one soldier stepping toward the future into a garden - Stepping toward the next generation- a child - His legacy and ours"