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Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Questions on the Korean War memorial

On Saturday I dropped by the Korean War Veterans Memorial. (No, I didn’t see Justice Breyer fracture his shoulder.) I hadn’t been there before. I kind of liked it. It is hyper-realistic, a real contrast to the Vietnam memorial just on the opposite, north side of the National Mall’s Reflecting Pool. As I walked around ...

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On Saturday I dropped by the Korean War Veterans Memorial. (No, I didn't see Justice Breyer fracture his shoulder.) I hadn't been there before. I kind of liked it. It is hyper-realistic, a real contrast to the Vietnam memorial just on the opposite, north side of the National Mall's Reflecting Pool.

On Saturday I dropped by the Korean War Veterans Memorial. (No, I didn’t see Justice Breyer fracture his shoulder.) I hadn’t been there before. I kind of liked it. It is hyper-realistic, a real contrast to the Vietnam memorial just on the opposite, north side of the National Mall’s Reflecting Pool.

As I walked around it I counted 19 statues of soldiers, of which several appeared to be carrying radios. (As in this foto, 3 appear to be carrying.) Why so many radios?

Nineteen also struck me as an odd number — kind of midway between a squad and a platoon. I asked a docent and he said that the number, when reflected in the black rock, signifies the 38th parallel. I dunno.

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1
Tags: History, Military, National Security Agency

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