‘Bronze doesn’t talk’: Artist unveils 58-foot World War I sculpture in DC

Hundreds of people gathered along Pennsylvania Ave in Northeast D.C. Friday for the unveiling of a nearly 60-foot sculpture wall honoring those who served in World War I.

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WW1 sculpture unveiled in DC

Hundreds of people gathered along Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest D.C. Friday for the unveiling of a nearly 60-foot sculpture wall honoring those who served in World War I.

“It feels amazing to be here. … They invited me to be sort of like a mascot of the project, and I couldn’t be prouder. This is so moving. The story behind it is magnificent,” actor Kelsey Grammer said as he choked back tears.

A Soldier’s Journey, a 58-foot bronze sculpture wall that has been in the works for four-and-half years, was unveiled at the National World War I memorial near the White House Friday evening.

“This is really about what that sculpture stands for and who it celebrates and reveres, and those are the veterans. And it’s a sculpture for we, the people. Ultimately I’m a spokesperson, because bronze doesn’t talk,” Sabin Howard, the artist behind the 25-ton sculpture, told WTOP.

People at ceremony for the unveiling of A Soldier’s Journey sculpture at the New World War I Memorial in D.C. on Friday, Sept. 9, 2024.
(WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

WTOP/Jimmy Alexander

Actor Kelsey Grammer at the unveiling of A Soldier’s Journey sculpture at the New World War I Memorial in D.C. on Friday, Sept. 9, 2024.
(WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

The new World War I Memorial in D.C. — The New World War I Memorial in D.C. is a 3-acre site sitting along Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and Freedom Plaza. The centerpiece is a nearly 60-foot wall of sculptures, which aim to tell a story from the start of the war to the end.
(WTOP/John Domen)

Attendees gather around the World War I memorial holding candles.
(WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

The World War I Memorial in Northwest Washington, D.C. seen during the evening of September 13, 2024.
(WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, told WTOP he was pleased the veterans of World War I are being honored: “The sacrifice of 118,000 killed and a couple 100,000 wounded changed the world for the better forever.”

Those who are behind the memorial previously told WTOP they feel that the location — between 14th and 15th streets Northwest, right across Pennsylvania Avenue from the Willard Hotel — actually provides a better home for the memorial than the National Mall does.

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