Korean War Memorial

Deborah Copenhaver Fellows, a Montana artist whose father was a Korean War veteran, created the piece "as a way for people to reflect on war and the price it extracts from those who participate."

The sculpture renders three battle-weary soldiers shrouded in rain gear, huddled around a meager campfire. The base of the sculpture depicts a muddied terrain, intended to puddle in Olympia's wet weather. Behind the sculpture fly 22 flags representing each of the nations who joined the U.S. in the war effort. The site includes stone tablets inscribed with the names of Washington state soldiers killed in battle, and informational signs to educate visitors about the conflict. 

In 1989, thanks to the efforts of veterans’ organizations, business owners, and citizens, the Washington State Legislature approved the Korean War Memorial. Fundraising for the memorial was led by Chosin Few, an organization of Korean War veterans. The project represented the gratitude of Washingtonians towards all who served in Korea and their spirit of service, sacrifice, and freedom. Around 122,000 Washington soldiers served in the Korean War, often called the "forgotten war."

The memorial is installed on East Capitol Campus; it's the only monument sited on this side of Capitol Campus.

The statue was forged in Montana and loaded onto a flatbed truck headed to Washington state. The truck exhibited its cargo in seven Washington communities — Spokane, Pasco, Wenatchee, Seattle, Tacoma, Silverdale, and Aberdeen — before arriving in Olympia. People in these communities across the state had participated in raising funds for the memorial.

Once the truck arrived in Olympia, the statue’s land-based journey was complete.

Rather than the solid ground beneath the stone pedestal of Winged Victory, for example, the Korean War Memorial is located just above a parking garage. Planners knew that the rooftop would hold the weight of the statue, but not a heavy crane. Without a crane, there was no earthly way to move the statue into place. So, the state commissioned a helicopter.

After months of paperwork with the City of Olympia and the Federal Aviation Administration, the airborne stage of the statue’s journey took just five minutes. The landing site was small, as the concrete pedestals for informational signs had already been poured, but the pilot set the statue right on target.

The Korean War Memorial was dedicated on July 24, 1993, just days before the 40th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. Nearly 3,500 people attended the ceremony. The memorial originally listed the names of 532 Washington residents killed in Korea, with more names added in 1994, 1998, and 1999.

Inscriptions

The names of all Washingtonians killed in the war and informational plaques about the war are inscribed on the memorial along with:

Korean War Veterans Memorial 1950-1953

The Forgotten War