There’s a WWII memorial at Seattle Center?
Now that I think of it, it makes sense that Memorial Stadium is actually a memorial to, you know, something. Says so right there in the name. But until it became a point of contention in the plans to revamp the Seattle Center [SC], I had never really thought about it. And I can’t be the only one.
But apparently, there’s a wall in the stadium that has the names of all the Seattle high school students who died in WWII, which kind of throws a small wrench in the plans to tear down Memorial Stadium and put in an amphitheater and parking lot, even though the plans all mention saving the wall.
Which wall is it? Oh, it’s that dark one all covered in hedges. That doesn’t really clear things up, does it? I still have no idea where this wall is.
“But veterans and Seattle activists argue saving the wall isn’t enough. People want the stadium preserved because it’s more than a place for football or concerts - it’s a war memorial [King5].”
I think that if the wall is in the plans, if someone’s actually intending to look after it and take care of it and maybe even put in some lights and trim the hedges, then that’s a better tribute than anyone on that wall is getting right now.
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I’ve spent a lot of time at Memorial so I did know that, I do know what wall has the names (I’ve seen it and everything) but I’m not surprised when people don’t know about the wall of names. It’s quite obscured, really. I completely agree with your final sentence.
If I recall correctly, MemStad has been “on the chopping block” for a few decades now, as it’s basically falling apart. And each time razing is mentioned, there’s an outcry from veterans (who are a tenacious lot that civic leaders are loathe to piss off).
But I fail to see how “Memorial Amphitheater” is any less reverent to their cause than “Memorial Stadium.” Other than pure nostalgia, there seems to be no reason to put up this fight.
Nearly-forgotten civic memorials are interesting. Each tree along the tree-lined road leading from the UW’s 45th street entrance, for example, represents a UW student who died in World War One — or at least so says a plaque around there somewhere.