How Does the Physical Location Contribute to the Memorial's Effectiveness?

The U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial sits in the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The statue sits atop a hill on approximately seven acres of land that is upkept by the Department of the Interior. It is less than thirty yards from the Potomac River and scenic views of the White House and Washington Monument can be observed in the background. The Arlington National Cemetery is military cemetery where those who have died in national conflicts have been laid to rest. It is one of the most honorable cemeteries to be buried in and holds tributes to the most important events in our history. Since the memorial sits on a hill it is physically held above other things. In the photo above the memorial seems to almost be on an equal plane as the White House and Washington Monument signifying its importance. That, in addition to the large size of the statues, forces viewers to look up to the men displayed in the monument. The physical elements that contribute to the memorial help to ground people and make them reflect upon what they are seeing and themselves.