WW2 Memorial  WWII Memorial

The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people. The World War II Memorial is located at what was once the Rainbow pool centered between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

The idea of the World War II Memorial was first brought to congress in 1987 by Representative Marcy Kaptur at the suggestion of WWII Veteran Roger Dubin. On May 25, 1993 President Bill Clinton signed Public Law 103-32 authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to establish the WWII Memorial.

A two-stage design competition took place in 1996. Six designs were chosen, out of 400, to compete in the second stage which required review by a design jury. After careful review, the design by architect Friedrich St. Florian was chosen.

The design consisted of the rainbow pool in a sunken plaza,  surrounded in a circular pattern with 56 pillars (each 17 feet-high) which represent the unity of the U.S. state and territories during the war. Visitors enter the sunken plaza via ramps which will pass by two Giant arches (each 41 feet tall) just inside, there is a freedom wall covered will 4,000 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans that died during World War II. A sculpture by Ray Kasky would be placed in the middle of the rainbow pool and two fountains would send water more than 30 feet into the air.

November 11, 2000, Veterans day: There was a ground-breaking ceremony held on the National Mall. Actual construction of the memorial began in September of 2001. Constructed of mostly bronze and granite, the construction took three years to complete. On Thursday, April 29, 2004, the site first opened to the public. The formal dedication was held on May 29, 2004.

The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million men and women who served in the U.S. armed services, the 400,000 who died in the war, and the millions of Americans who supported the war on the home front.

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