About the National World War II Memorial
The National World War II Memorial is dedicated to all those who served in the armed forces and as civilians in World War II. It is 56 pillars and two arches surrounding a fountain. The monument was opened to the public April 29, 2004. The design was chosen in a design competition with 400 submissions, the winning one belonging to Friedrich St. Florian. The name of each of the 48 states of 1945 are carved into one of the pillars, along with the District of Columbia, Alaska Territory, Territory of Hawaii, Commonwealth of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The northern arch has Atlantic carved into it, and the southern arch has Pacific. There is also a carving saying "Kilroy was here."
As you walk towards the semicircle from the east, walls on either side show scenes of soon-to-be soldiers getting physical exams and taking oath, going to combat, burying dead, and finally a homecoming scene. The right-side wall shows the same, though scenes are more like what happened in Europe. The last scene is a handshake between America and Russia. On the west side of the memorial stands Freedom Wall. On this wall are 4,048 gold stars, each one representing 100 Americans who died in World War II.
Visiting the National World War II Memorial
The National World War II Memorial is open to the public 24 hours a day, free of charge.
Pictures of the National World War II Memorial
Atlantic Side
Pacific Side