Letter
Dear Mr. Metzler:
In the last meeting of 19 January, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed the concept design for the proposed Memorial to the World War II Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge to be placed in Arlington National Cemetery. The Commission members remarked that to commemorate the actions and sacrifices of the veterans who fought in the Battle of the Bulge with a monument in the cemetery was an appropriate tribute and they acknowledged that this monument would be a very special gift of appreciation from the citizens of Belgium and Luxembourg. They felt the selected site in Section 21 of the cemetery was an appropriate location. However, the Commission recommended that the design for the monument would benefit from additional study and refinement.
The detailing of the monument should follow closely the architectural rules of proportion of the classical Doric order and that the reduction of the overall size of the monument should be considered. The Commission members made specific recommendations to improve the design of the memorial, including: using engaged or doubled free-standing columns; adjusting the form of the columns so that entasis was evident; revising the pediment and entablature to follow classical rules of composition; and possibly reducing the size of the central panel and disengaging it from the entablature. Since many compositions are possible, the members encouraged the designers to return with several different design schemes for their review.
The Commission members expressed concern that the colorized black granite insert representing the veterans group logo was not in keeping with the dignity of the surrounding monuments in the cemetery and that the logo, if used, should be carved directly into the central gray granite panel and not represented as a colored insert of black granite. In addition, they recommended that the designers pursue a more careful composition of layout and typography of the inscriptions.
The Commission looks forward to reviewing this project as soon as possible to ensure that it meets the highest standards of design in order to create a memorial that is a handsome and worthy tribute to the men and women who fought in this heroic and pivotal battle of World War II. The next meeting of the Commission is scheduled for the 16th of February with a submission deadline on the 2nd of February. As always, the staff is available to assist you and the design team.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas Luebke, AIA
Secretary
John C. Metzler, Jr.
Superintendent
Arlington National Cemetery
Department of the Army
Arlington, VA 22211-5003
cc: Stanley A. Wojtusik, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge