World War II Memorial

World War II Memorial. The World War II Memorial is a national memorial dedicated to the Allies of World War II, honoring the 16 million United States Armed Forces who served in the United States during World War II, including the more than 400,000 who died. The memorial is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, and is administered by the National Park Service. The memorial was designed by Friedrich St. Florian, an Austrian-American architect, and features a large pool, walking paths, and Freedom Wall, which is adorned with 4,000 Gold Stars, representing the service members who died during the war, including those who served under Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and Omar Bradley.

● History

The concept of a World War II memorial was first proposed by Roger Durbin, a veteran of the United States Army, in 1987, and was supported by Elaine Didier, a United States Navy veteran, and Robert Dole, a U.S. Senator from Kansas. The memorial was authorized by Public Law 103-32 in 1993, and a site was selected on the National Mall in 1995, near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The design of the memorial was chosen from among 400 submissions, and was influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, and I.M. Pei. The memorial was constructed between 2001 and 2004, with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and Colin Powell, and was dedicated on April 29, 2004, in a ceremony attended by George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Norman Schwarzkopf Jr..

● Design and Construction

The World War II Memorial was designed by Friedrich St. Florian, and features a large pool, walking paths, and Freedom Wall, which is adorned with 4,000 Gold Stars, representing the service members who died during the war, including those who served under Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and Omar Bradley. The memorial also features 27 pillars, each representing a state or territory, and a Field of Stars, which represents the service members who died during the war, including those who served in the Battle of Normandy, the Battle of Stalingrad, and the Battle of Midway. The memorial was constructed by the General Services Administration, with a budget of $175 million, and was built using granite and limestone from Georgia and Indiana. The construction of the memorial was overseen by the National Park Service, and was influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, and I.M. Pei, as well as the designs of the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

● Features and Symbolism

The World War II Memorial features a large pool, walking paths, and Freedom Wall, which is adorned with 4,000 Gold Stars, representing the service members who died during the war, including those who served under Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and Charles de Gaulle. The memorial also features 27 pillars, each representing a state or territory, and a Field of Stars, which represents the service members who died during the war, including those who served in the Pacific Theater of Operations and the European Theater of Operations. The memorial is surrounded by a wall that features quotes from Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, as well as a Freedom Wall that features a quote from Winston Churchill, and is located near the United States Navy Memorial and the United States Air Force Memorial. The memorial is also located near the Arlington National Cemetery, where many World War II veterans are buried, including John F. Kennedy and Audie Murphy.

● Dedication and Reception

The World War II Memorial was dedicated on April 29, 2004, in a ceremony attended by George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., as well as Tom Hanks, Tom Brokaw, and Bob Dole. The memorial was also attended by veterans of World War II, including Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay, and Chuck Yeager, a test pilot who served in the United States Army Air Forces. The memorial has been visited by millions of people, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Mitt Romney, and has been the site of many ceremonies and events, including the National Memorial Day Concert and the National Veterans Day Ceremony. The memorial has also been recognized with several awards, including the National Building Museum's Vincent Scully Prize and the American Institute of Architects' Honor Award.

● Visitor Information

The World War II Memorial is open 24 hours a day, and is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., near the Smithsonian Institution and the National Archives. The memorial is administered by the National Park Service, and offers guided tours and ranger programs throughout the day, including programs on the history of World War II and the significance of the memorial. The memorial is also located near several other national memorials, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial, as well as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of American History. Visitors to the memorial can also take a tour of the National Mall, which includes the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the United States Capitol. Category:National memorials in the United States