Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial |
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| United Kingdom | |
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| For | |
| Unveiled | March 9, 2017 |
| Location | 51°30′12″N 0°07′27″W / 51.5034°N 0.1243°W |
| Designed by | Paul Day |
The Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial is a special monument in London, England. It remembers all the British people, both soldiers and civilians, who helped in three important conflicts. These were the Gulf War, the Afghanistan War, and the Iraq War. These events happened between 1990 and 2015. Sadly, 682 British soldiers died during these times.
The memorial was created by a sculptor named Paul Day. You can find it in Victoria Embankment Gardens. This garden is located between the River Thames and the main building of the Ministry of Defence. It is also near other memorials for the Second World War and the Korean War.
Contents
What Does the Memorial Look Like?
The memorial was designed by Paul Day. It is made of two very large stones called Portland stone monoliths. Each of these stones weighs about 33 tonnes, which is very heavy!
On one side, one stone has the word "Afghanistan" carved into it. The other stone has the word "Iraq". On the opposite side, one stone says "duty" and the other says "service". Part of each stone is left rough. This rough part reminds us of the rocky lands in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The two stones have a small space between them. In this space, there is a thick bronze medallion. This round sculpture is called a tondo. It has detailed pictures carved into it. These pictures show members of the armed forces on one side. On the other side, they show civilian workers. This design highlights the memorial's main idea: "duty and service."
Unlike many other memorials, this one does not list any names. This was done on purpose to include everyone who helped. It remembers all who served, whether they were civilians or military personnel. It is not just for those who died.
How Was the Memorial Built?
The monument was built by a company called stoneCIRCLE. They are experts in working with stone. The memorial uses 10 large blocks of Jordans Basebed Portland Stone. The biggest of these blocks weighed 7,000 kilograms each!
First, the blocks were cut roughly. Then, they were put together without glue around a strong stainless steel frame. This allowed workers to carefully shape the edges by hand. They made sure the edges matched the artist's design perfectly. Once all the shaping was done, the blocks were taken apart. They were then moved to Victoria Embankment Gardens. Finally, they were put back together to form the memorial we see today.
Why Was the Memorial Built?
In 2014, on Remembrance Sunday, an important announcement was made. Lord Stirrup, who used to be a very senior military leader, would lead a project. His goal was to raise one million pounds. This money was needed to build a national memorial in central London. This memorial would honor all the British service members who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
By March 2015, Lord Stirrup felt sure they could raise all the money. By July 2016, work on the memorial had already started. It was being built in the Victoria Embankment Gardens. The newspaper Sun on Sunday helped a lot. They raised £1 million to help fund the memorial.
When Was the Memorial Unveiled?
The Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial was officially shown to the public on March 9, 2017. Queen Elizabeth II unveiled it. Many important people were there for the ceremony. These included the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. Also present were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry of Wales.
The Prime Minister at the time, Theresa May, also attended. She was joined by former Prime Ministers John Major, Tony Blair, and David Cameron. The Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, was there too. Before the unveiling, there was a special service at Horse Guards Parade. It was led by the Venerable Ian Wheatley. Some families of those who died felt sad because they were not invited to the ceremony.
