The perpetual move to build large war memorials in a universe of finite space and money raises broader questions about just how many entanglements the nation should commemorate in its most famous public spaces. Nearly a dozen memorials are in the works on or near the National Mall, a reflection of two decades of wars and a surge of civilian support, at least symbolically, to honor veterans, as well as a drive to recognize forgotten soldiers of prior conflicts.

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There are memorials planned to honor Native American and black veterans, gulf war veterans, and mothers of the dead. There is a memorial intended for the war against global terrorism, which needed special congressional approval because it is a continuing conflict, and another for emergency medical workers.

“We have had a significant number of new memorials built over the last quarter of a century while at the same time Congress allocates less and less for their upkeep,” said Beth Meyer, a landscape architecture professor at the University of Virginia and member of the federal Commission of Fine Arts, which reviews designs for the major public spaces in Washington.

Ms. Meyer has been a critic of the constant expanse of memorials, which she believes reduces the story of the United States to its war history. “Every single thing that has been added since the Vietnam memorial is funereal,” she said.