Statement of Purpose:

Rather than implying a certain viewpoint on the Iraqi War, the memorial comes to respect fallen soldiers. The memorial aims to respect that purpose and honor those deaths in a personal manner without the controversy involved. Recalling personal experiences for every visitor, the memorial recalls those who have died in the Iraq war.

The memorial consists of a memorial wall; a right triangle sandstone wall that connects with the ground and inclines towards the sky. The wall comes to an end at its highest point but its inclined line seems to reach into the sky, symbolizing eternity and remembrance. A timeline of chronological information is etched into memorial wall. The slight light brown hue of the wall accounts for the environmental color in Iraq.

The inclination of the memorial wall away from the ground represents the separation from time. This suspension of time manifests the importance of this event. The wall breaks from daily rhythms and points itself toward the skies into its own peaceful haven for those who have fallen. Trees around the wall provide a peaceful haven for visitors.

The memorial wall is also a large sundial clock, effectively utilizing the movement of time and light together and making the memorial a constantly changing force. The sun's movement will create a revolving shadow that will move through the etched names of fallen soldiers and a walkway that will surround the perimeter of the memorial, beginning at one side of the wall and ending at the other side. A memorial is never static. Remembering those who have fallen is an eternal process. So should a memorial also be moving through time.

Thank you.