World War II Memorial
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, public domain (cropped)
A stop on Washington DC National Mall Walking Tour, a free self-guided tour.
The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces during the war, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort at home. It sits on the line between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial and was dedicated on May 29, 2004.
The idea came from Roger Durbin, an Army veteran from Ohio, who asked his congresswoman, Marcy Kaptur, in 1987 why there was no national memorial to his war. Architect Friedrich St. Florian won the design competition. Fifty-six granite pillars, one for each state and territory of the time plus the District of Columbia, ring a plaza and fountain, with two arches marking the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
On the west side, the Freedom Wall holds 4,048 gold stars. Each star stands for 100 Americans who died in the war.
On many mornings you will see Honor Flight groups bringing veterans to the memorials for free. The memorial is open around the clock.
More on Wikipedia: World War II Memorial · Marcy Kaptur · Freedom Wall · Honor Flight
Stops on this tour
- Washington Monument
- National Museum of African American History and Cu
- National Museum of American History
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- National Gallery of Art
- United States Capitol
- United States Botanic Garden
- National Museum of the American Indian
- National Air and Space Museum
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- The Smithsonian Institution Building - The Castle
- Freer Gallery of Art
- Jefferson Memorial
- World War II Memorial
- Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
- Korean War Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- White House Ellipse
- White House
- Lafayette Square