National World War II Memorial
A wall of 4,048 gold stars, one for every hundred Americans who died
The story
Before you is the National World War II Memorial. It stands on the main axis of the National Mall, between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The idea came from a veteran, Roger Durbin. In 1987 he asked Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur why Washington had no memorial to his war. The law creating the memorial was signed in 1993, and the design was chosen in 1997. It was designed by the architect Friedrich St. Florian. The memorial opened on the twenty-ninth of April 2004, and on the twenty-ninth of May President George W. Bush dedicated it. Around a pool with fountains stand fifty-six granite pillars, each seventeen feet tall: the states and territories of the time. On two sides rise the Atlantic and Pacific arches, the two theaters of the war. At the entrance are twenty-four bronze bas-reliefs showing how the country lived through the war. On the west side is the Freedom Wall. It holds 4,048 gold stars. Each star stands for a hundred Americans who died in this war. In front of the wall are the words: “Here we mark the price of freedom.” The memorial honors the sixteen million who served in the armed forces and the more than 405,000 who died. There is also a soldiers’ joke here. Somewhere on the memorial two “Kilroy was here” engravings are hidden: a little man with a big nose peeking over a wall. American soldiers left him everywhere they went. Try to find him.
Visiting
Open 24 hours, free. National Park Service rangers are on duty from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. to answer questions. The memorial is on 17th Street, between Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue.
Sources
- National Park Service — World War II Memorial: History & Culture
- Wikipedia (EN) — National World War II Memorial
- National Park Service — National Mall and Memorial Parks: Operating Hours
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