Crayon

Marine. Iraq War Vet. Gen X.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

My answers to the @GWOTMF survey. I really hope you're listening.

What's your immediate reaction in one word or phrase?

I was beside myself with disgust, disappointment, and bewilderment that the sacrifices of 20+ years of GWOT was so clearly misunderstood and poorly represented. Where are the names of our fallen? This will not stand.

What does the Memorial mean to you personally?

The GWOT Memorial in the current design means nothing to me. There is nothing that invokes reflection, appreciation, or a sense of grounding for my personal experience in combat. Above all of this, there is no place for me to find my fallen, say their names, and have their names remembered by the countless Americans who will visit this site in the centuries to come. Fix it.

Which design element resonates most with you?
Please share any thoughts on why this element resonates most with you.

The use of reclaimed steel from the conflict is not a bad idea. It's the execution that is left wanting. Melt the steel down and make proper monuments that tell a clear story.

Which design element would you like the learn more about? Please share any specific questions you have.

None. Scrap the whole thing and start over. None of this resonates.

Are any of the design elements unexpected?

It's all unexpected and highly inappropriate. There is nothing in this modernistic collage that clearly represents the sacrifices made by millions of American servicemen during the GWOT.

What, if anything, would you change before moving forward?

You will scrap this design and start from the beginning. You will consult combat veterans from various phases of the conflict, you will consult Gold Star families, and you will hire an architect who has an understanding and appreciation of the source material. I am sympathetic to the current architect's loss on 9/11. This however is not a qualifier for such an undertaking. We already have a 9/11 Memorial. That memorial has the names of all the fallen from that day. The GWOT Memorial will have the names of all who fell in combat after answering the call of their nation. This is a nonnegotiable.

Are there specific areas of learning or awareness you would like to see further integrated?

The names of the fallen first. Then a chronological account of the key aspects of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

My answers to the @GWOTMF survey. I really hope you're listening.

What's your immediate reaction in one word or phrase?

I was beside myself with disgust, disappointment, and bewilderment that the sacrifices of 20+ years of GWOT was so clearly misunderstood and poorly represented. Where are the names of our fallen? This will not stand.

What does the Memorial mean to you personally?

The GWOT Memorial in the current design means nothing to me. There is nothing that invokes reflection, appreciation, or a sense of grounding for my personal experience in combat. Above all of this, there is no place for me to find my fallen, say their names, and have their names remembered by the countless Americans who will visit this site in the centuries to come. Fix it.

Which design element resonates most with you?
Please share any thoughts on why this element resonates most with you.

The use of reclaimed steel from the conflict is not a bad idea. It's the execution that is left wanting. Melt the steel down and make proper monuments that tell a clear story.

Which design element would you like the learn more about? Please share any specific questions you have.

None. Scrap the whole thing and start over. None of this resonates.

Are any of the design elements unexpected?

It's all unexpected and highly inappropriate. There is nothing in this modernistic collage that clearly represents the sacrifices made by millions of American servicemen during the GWOT.

What, if anything, would you change before moving forward?

You will scrap this design and start from the beginning. You will consult combat veterans from various phases of the conflict, you will consult Gold Star families, and you will hire an architect who has an understanding and appreciation of the source material. I am sympathetic to the current architect's loss on 9/11. This however is not a qualifier for such an undertaking. We already have a 9/11 Memorial. That memorial has the names of all the fallen from that day. The GWOT Memorial will have the names of all who fell in combat after answering the call of their nation. This is a nonnegotiable.

Are there specific areas of learning or awareness you would like to see further integrated?

The names of the fallen first. Then a chronological account of the key aspects of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@RobManess @SecWar We have to get his attention on this Colonel. The GWOT Memorial, as currently designed, has been rejected by the vast majority of the veterans who fought in the conflict. The current members of the board are having hard time accepting this.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@Todd_MMiller @ControlledPairs The names are for the fallen first, for us now, and for the generations of Americans who will visit the memorial long after we're gone. It has nothing to do with being a Boomer.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@JayJosephVet @Del6711 @Branhitsthesilk @MYoha8of8 Thank you brother.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@SharrellAnne2 Agreed. Those that gave the ultimate sacrifice in direct engagement with the enemies of our nation have earned a unique place in American history. They are by their very nature separate from the rest of us. Their names should be viewed long after we're gone.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@AmberSmithUSA @Johnny_Joey None of us can.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@PeteHegseth @SecWar Sir. Please join the fight to have the GWOT memorial redesigned. It has been greatly rejected by the vast majority of GWOT veterans as it has no reference to our experiences. Most prominently is the absence of the names of our fallen. Thank you Sir.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@JerryDunleavy @GWOTMF And listen they will. We won’t allow our fallen to be disrespected like this. Their names will be listed for all to remember long after the last GWOT veteran has departed this world.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@nobleheartopenI Thank you for writing this Ma’am.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

We’re attacking the design, not people. Many of us have multiple deployments, were wounded, and have lost brothers and sisters. No one I know was consulted. At the end of the day, they are the ones on the board. They will listen, and put the names of our fallen for all to see. Surely that is one thing that can be agreed upon.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

Take notice. Please share to ensure @GWOTMF sees this.

[SharrellAnne @SharrellAnne2]

To the Commission,

As a Gold Star spouse, I am grateful that our nation is finally building a memorial to honor those who served and sacrificed during the Global War on Terrorism. This generation answered the call after September 11th and carried the burden of nearly two decades of war. Their service deserves to be remembered.

That said, I have serious concerns about the proposed design.

When I look at the concept images, I see an abstract landscape. I see architecture, symbolism, and reflection spaces. What I do not see are the men and women who fought these wars or the names of those who never came home.

My husband, SSG Alan Shaw, was killed in Iraq in 2007. He was 31 years old. He had a name. He had a family. He had children who grew up without their father. Like thousands of others, his sacrifice was not abstract.

Nothing about the current design makes me want to take my grandchildren there to learn about their grandfather and the sacrifices made by him and thousands of others. A national memorial should do more than inspire reflection. It should teach. It should tell a story. It should ensure that future generations understand who served, who sacrificed, and what was lost.

The men and women we lost were not concepts. They were individuals with dreams, families, and futures that ended in service to this country. I believe names matter because names force us to confront the true cost of war. They transform statistics into people.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial remains one of the most powerful memorials in our nation because visitors are immediately confronted with the scale of the sacrifice through the names of the fallen. The names are not a design element. They are the memorial.

I am not opposed to symbolism or artistic expression, but I believe the Global War on Terrorism Memorial should provide direct recognition of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. If someone visits this memorial fifty years from now, they should not have to guess who it was built to honor. The memorial itself should tell that story clearly and unapologetically.

The combat fallen deserve more than an abstract representation of their sacrifice. They deserve to be remembered by name.

Respectfully,

Sharrell Shaw
Gold Star Spouse

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@abceedee002 Respect. It’s amazing what happens when designers understand the subject matter.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@GWOTMF Perhaps take the survey of every comment on this platform. You have fundamentally dismissed the views of your brothers and sisters and their experience in this conflict. You will redesign it.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@SenJoniErnst @GWOTMF It absolutely does not. This needs to be reworked from the bottom up Senator. There is overwhelming rejection for this design among GWOT veterans.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@BrainLeakage03

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@i_Dunadan @SenMikeLee IDGAF. This is not the thing to procrastinate on.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@SimoneLedeen @GWOTMF Exactly. The names of the fallen die again when they are not spoken.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@wayofftheres @X9_redux Please talk to him brother.

[Crayon @thecrayonbox]

@GWOTMF No. You actually are going to put the names of those who fell in combat. To attempt to pass the buck for this design under the pretense of "classified missions" is not the move. Just accept that it is an ill conceived design and not worthy of the sacrifices made.