About
Welcome, my name is Steve West and this is my blog on statues, plaques, and memorials to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. War Memorials is a blog I started when I realized that I had taken photos of dozens of them over the years. I love to travel and when I do, I invariably find myself going to the same types of places. War memorials is obviously one of these. It seems that I have visited war memorials in dozens of countries on five continents. Many years ago, my late mother remarked “you always take lots of pictures of buildings and places, but hardly any of people”. Although I do take loads of photos of my sons, I do tend to have more of places than people. I suppose it was odd when I was a small kid, but now it seems perfectly normal, or at least normal for me. In addition to memorials, I also love to visit colleges and universities, and for some reason court houses. I have two other blogs (www.university-grounds.com and www.courthousearchitecture.weebly.com) dedicated to these topics as well. In my day job, I am a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research at the University of Memphis.
We build war memorials for many reasons. To remember, to reflect, to appreciate the sacrifice of others. At some point, they become something we see or drive past. The pain of loss fades, at least for those not directly affected. Who is around to remember the grief of a family who received a telegram telling them their son died in the trenches of France? I believe it is incumbent on us all to remember and to be grateful. Let us not forget.
We build war memorials for many reasons. To remember, to reflect, to appreciate the sacrifice of others. At some point, they become something we see or drive past. The pain of loss fades, at least for those not directly affected. Who is around to remember the grief of a family who received a telegram telling them their son died in the trenches of France? I believe it is incumbent on us all to remember and to be grateful. Let us not forget.