I don’t think this memorial is very well known – neither of us had even heard of it, let alone seen it – until Queenie dragged Tim across the street from a park on the Capitol grounds. I hope to go back and get a closer view of the crane entangled in barbed wire, a key feature of the sculpture.

According to the National Park Service:

The Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II honors Japanese Americans who lived in incarceration camps and those who served in the US military during WWII.

The memorial reflects on the legacy of Japanese incarceration camps in the United States during World War II. Many Japanese Americans were treated with suspicion and as potential spies, and were sent to incarceration camps, in many cases for several years, to sit out the war because of their race, not because of any actual espionage. As a result, many were displaced and were never able to return home when the war ended.

The memorial incorporates symbolism such as a Zen garden motif, but the most striking feature may be the bronze sculpture of Japanese cranes entangled in barbed wire.

For more information on the memorial: https://www.nps.gov/places/japanese-american-memorial-to-patriotism-during-world-war-ii.htm#:~:text=The%20Japanese%20American%20Memorial%20to%20Patriotism%20During%20World%20War%20II,intersection%20of%20New%20Jersey%20Ave.

Club Med, Moorea, posted earlier: