Dog Tags

Thousands of soldiers die each year, and to aid the family and loved ones of each of these brave souls, memorials are created. As stated in Postcards from the Trenches memorials serve in "closing one of the most important gaps separating the experience of soldiers and civilians." Memorials also serve as a way to pay the soldiers respect for sacrificing themselves for the better of others. Although the death of these selfless people is tragic, it also gives other civilians hope. It is an example of how, with some sacrifices of course, if you believe in something enough you have to fight until you succeed.

I believe that memorials are not always perceived in the same way, but that is the beauty of it. Each family member, each loved one, has a different memory of who the memorial is representing, but each memorial only has one physical state that represents all of those lost soldiers. Although the physical features of the memorial will not change, those features are open for interpretation. By allowing for the memorial to be interpreted it gives those who are grieving a chance to connect with those who they have lost and the ability to relate a piece of the memorial with their loved one. As Postcards from the Trenches also states, "death can only occur at the site of life." The reminiscing of those who have died could not occur without a friend or family member giving time out of his or her life to remember the deceased, and this is what i I think the purpose of a memorial is.