On February 19, the Presidio Trust Board of Directors voted their approval of the design and location of the Korean War Memorial. This is a major milestone in our long journey to get this Memorial built. The design must still meet final environmental and historic preservation compliance requirements, but this Board approval now opens the door for the completion of design drawings and the beginning of construction work some time this year.
A rendering of the Memorial site and design by local artist Art Zendarski
The Korean War Memorial will stand in a prominent place at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Sheridan Avenue, adjacent to the National Cemetery. It will face west toward the Golden Gate Bridge, the Pacific Ocean, and the now democratic and prosperous Republic of Korea. The site will consist of a paved plaza bound by a curving granite wall onto which iconic images of the war and informative text will be inscribed. The peaceful garden setting will allow for remembrance and reflection.
In its resolution in approval of the design and site, the Presidio Trust Board stated that “the association between the Presidio and the Korean War is of exceptional national importance,” and “the proposed memorial is the best way to express the association between the Presidio and the Korean War.” A Presidio Trust Staff Report to the Board in support of the Memorial stated that:
- The Sixth Army, headquartered in the Presidio since 1946, played an active role in training combat and support troops that were required for the buildup from 600,000 to 1.5 million U.S. soldiers between 1950 and 1953.
- The Presidio’s Letterman Hospital was often the first stateside facility treating the wounded and sick returning from the conflict.
- The Golden Gate Club overlooking the Memorial site was the location of two major treaty signings with Asian countries intended to support the United Nations’ role in the Korean War.
- The adjacent National Cemetery, just a few yards from the Memorial site, is the final resting place for 2,273 members of the military who served in the Korean War.
This approval by the Presidio Trust Board of Directors now makes possible the signing of a formal Agreement between the Presidio Trust and the Korean War Memorial Foundation, the selection of designers and contractors, and the construction of the Memorial. KWMF, in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Presidio Trust, is now planning a formal Groundbreaking Ceremony to take place on the Memorial site some time this spring. The exact date will be announced soon.