Pittsburgh, PA Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum (September 4, 2024)
Dog tag memorial outside of the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Pittsburgh 
Blanket embroidered by soldier serving in the Spanish American War as record of his service 
Arrangement of wildflowers growing on the field during the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 
Japanese doll found and brought home by a US soldier, 1944 
Coffee pot engraved with its tour of service, 1944-1945 
iPod used in Iraq during the War on Terror 
War on Terror Monument
Pittsburgh, PA Monuments (September 4, 2024)
The structure of the Vietnam Veterans Monument in Pittsburgh, PA was inspired by a hibiscus flower pod. The organic shape was meant to evoke rebirth. I found it touching that a small plant was growing under the foot of one of the soldiers.
The three major war memorials in Pittsburgh (WWII, Korea, and Vietnam) are all located in between the beautiful riverwalk and a bustling commercial area. People use the areas as parks, jogging along the river and eating lunch on the steps. No one else was visiting the memorials at the same time as me, but the trash indicates some interaction (though negative or passive at best).
I highlighted those who died from Washington County. That county neighbors my own and is where I was married last year.
The WWII monument in Pittsburgh is a more recent addition, as its style indicates. In addition to some classic elements, it also incorporates translucent images from the war and large panels of information.
Bethany, West Virginia – Bethany College War Memorial (September 4, 2024)
My first stop for this project was the Bethany College War Memorial. This memorial is a small lectern with the names of Bethanians who died in World War II. It sits in a place of prominence, outside of the central administrative offices in Old Main, but I’ve never noticed anyone engaging with it. Some of those who died were locals, from places like Wellsburg and Wheeling, but some traveled to Bethany from great distances, such as Buffalo, NY and the Dominican Republic. They died all over the world – in India, the Philippines, Japan, Germany, France, among other places. All of them spent some time in the place I’ve called home for the last six years.
Sabbatical 2024 Project: Dark Politics
Kayce Mobley 