ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the numerous material forms of commemoration created in all of the six countries, both during and after the International Security Assistance Force operation in Afghanistan. First, however, it is crucial to note that this was not a war that was “won” in any sense of the word. As Julia Welland has suggested, "the 'Long War' in Afghanistan challenged a number of traditional conceptions about what war is". Nor is this a war that has "ended" with any sense of achievement or accomplishment of military goals. The astonishing array of new monuments thrown up during the Afghanistan war can be divided into two broad categories. The first consists of national memorials designed to commemorate recent and contemporary military deaths, while the second encompasses monuments specifically built to commemorate military deaths in Afghanistan, whether made of materials brought back from the conflict or not.
