The New York Korean Veterans Memorial Commission was formed in 1986 to pay tribute to the more than 181,000 New York City residents who served in the Armed Forces during the Korean War, one of the most brutal chapters in United States military history. The Memorial Commission was charged with the creation of a memorial that would be fitting to the bravery, sacrifice and international cooperation of those who fought so valiantly for the ideals of liberty and freedom. SRFA worked with members of the Memorial Commission, and:
Selected a shortlist of 8 artists from a qualified pool of over one hundred professional artists working around the nation, and the globe;
Oversaw all aspects of fabrication through installation of selected proposal;
Contributed to and informed the landscape design scheme in partnership with New York City Parks Department.
“The Universal Solider” by Mac Adams was selected as New York City’s monument to the 54,000 Americans who lost their lives in Korea during the war, which lasted from 1950 to 1954. The 20 foot high monument is made of polished black granite with a silhouette of a soldier lined in stainless steel. Mosaic flags of the 21 nations that served in the United Nations fighting forces are inset around the base. The memorial was dedicated on June 25, 1991 in Battery Park in view of the Statue of Liberty.
The marker also serves as a sundial; at 10 a.m. every July 27 -- the time and date in 1953 New York when hostilities ended -- the sun lines up so as to shine through the memorial and illuminate a commemorative plaque on the ground.
