Memorial Proposal – Historical Creative Writing
After 3 years of peace, life is finally starting to return to normal here in France. However, let us not forget what transpired over the last 7 years and those brave souls involved in the war to defend our beloved France from destruction. From the soldiers on the front line, to the children on the home front, we all had a part to play which should not go unnoticed or without gratitude. The road to victory was long and not without its hardships. There was once a moment when hope had all but abandoned us, but we rallied behind our troops and carried on till the end. We lost many young brave souls, however; their sacrifice was necessary to ensure that this great country remained free from total annihilation. Any one man did not win this war. The faces of those gone may have been forgotten, but the sacrifice they made should never be forgotten.
This monument should serve as a reminder of what this great country can accomplish when we all rally around one cause. United, we can accomplish more than any one can fathom doing on their own. This is also a reminder to anyone who wishes to see France brought to her knee that they will have to face the wrath of an entire population. Finally, let us not forget the gratitude owed to those who served this nation in its greatest time of need. Such a commitment should not go unforgotten. We owe it to all the brave men who rest at the front, the workers left behind, our great leaders, the women of the factories, and the children for their patriotism and our greatest reason to fight.
This monument is for the world to see, however; its hard to argue that this monument will mean the most to us in France. We suffered through this great conflict and it is for us to be forever reminded of the sacrifices we all made for this great nation. It is troublesome to look back and wonder why so many people had to lose their lives, limbs, or minds from this “senseless violence”, but it should never be forgotten why we went to war in the first place. The wounds from this conflict will never fully heal, but for us who bear the burden of recovering from this great conflict this monument serves to remind us that there was some purpose for us to stand up and fight.
It is obvious to me that such a monument should be placed within a close proximity to the capitol. Paris would serve as the ideal location because of its ease of access to as many visitors as possible. As the most populous and most visited city in the country, it wouldn’t make sense to place it anywhere else. Paris also was a crucial city in the war. The first plan of the German onslaught included capturing Paris, and this monument serves as a reminder of how we defended ourselves.
The features of this monument were carefully chosen to accurately represent what the war represented and to commemorate those who contributed to the war effort. The first feature worth describing is that of the statues. There are four different types of human statues which will be laid out in a circular fashion upon a hill. The statues represent the soldiers, the politicians, the everyday person, and the children. What is especially important to point out is the fact that none of the statues will bear faces or resemblance to any one person. They shall forever remain faceless because it is impossible to give credit to any one person for this victory and was a mass effort by the entire nation. As noted earlier, there were no heroes in this conflict, and if there were, the great mass of bodies involved would make it impossible to account for them.
It is also important to note the general layout of the statues. At the bottom of the hill will be a trench. Within the trench will be the depictions of soldiers ready to do whatever it takes to throw down the oncoming enemy. On the layer above will be the politicians, looking over the soldiers and leading them on to victory. Behind them will stand the people. Holding tools and dressed in work attire to commemorate those who carried on at home and contributed to the war effort through labor and patriotism. In the very last row will stand the children, who provided morale and a reason to serve and protect. All of the statues will be placed in a circle around the hill and at the very top will stand the French flag., signifying our defense of our home land.
The last thing of note will be the statues surrounding the hill. These won’t be of human form; rather, they will be wolves. The wolves are there to signify the enemy. Ready to tear us apart mercilessly as the Germans intended to do. The soldiers in the trench will be completely unfazed by these beasts.
I ask that you accept this proposal because this monument symbolizes the great sacrifice this country made at all levels of our society. We united together under one banner to save our country from sure ruin and there needs to be a reminder of this endeavor. We should never forget what we accomplished as a nation, and never lose thanks for those who made the ultimate sacrifices to keep our country safe.
