COLD WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL is a historical marker honoring the brave men and women who fought against USSR and heralded a period of peace and prosperity. While the struggle for freedom is ongoing, the monument honors the crucial struggle that prevented the nuclear holocaust in the twentieth century and preserved liberty throughout the world by halting the spread of totalitarian communism.

Precise symbolism commemorating bold heroism are expressed through geometry, materials, numbers, and one single movement in every calendar year.

The site is Somers, Wisconsin; on top of a lush grass landscape. Above this field sits a concrete circular plinth. On top of this oval plate are copper cubic forms of varying scales and stages of patina in the representation of nation-states: these forms are arrayed atop a global stage made planar through techno-mechanical advances in human development.

The Cold War ended on December 25, 1991, at 7:32 pm when the Soviet flag was finally lowered over Kremlin. In Wisconsin, that time was 11:32 am. To commemorate this event, the solar angle in Somers, Wisconsin at this moment —altitude 24.63°, azimuth 175.25°— is used to trace the shadow of the conceptual outline of the memorial. This trace becomes a reflection pool on top of the podium.

Volumes of the two largest copper cubes are engaged in a titanic struggle: the open western U.S. and the closed eastern USSR. These two cubic forms are 45 feet in width, length, and height.

+ The 45 feet dimension of the closed-off eastern enclosure is symbolic of the year 1945, which was the start of the Cold War.

+ The 91 feet from the eastern edge of the western enclosure to the eastern gateway is symbolic of the year 1991, which was the end of the Cold War.

+ 30 feet stair leading to the memorial is symbolic of the 30 years since the end of the Cold War to the present: 30 plus 1991 equals 2021.

The formal detailing symbolizes contributions by the U.S. armed forces and civilian personnel. The aggregation of squares and boxes represents these Veterans. These individual parts of varying sizes are indispensable to the whole. Originating from the western gateway, these patterns move eastward to transform the closed cube. This expression marks the victory of democracy and individualism over communism and collectivism.

Harmonizing with landscape, water, concrete, steel, and stone, the memorial’s primary material is copper. The initially red copper will gradually weather into a blue-green patina reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty. In addition, the 25-year patina of the copper parallels the aging of the Cold War Veterans, as the memorial will grow old with them. After the memorial has transformed into its final color, it will be a permanent marker of the Cold War Veterans.

COLD WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL is to be an enduring landmark that will honor the heroes of remarkable history, as it bridges a connection to an epic past. The experience of the ritualized procession through history would create a connection to the past and channel the spirit of liberty and justice of the brave Veterans who fought for our freedom.

Robert Cha Architect