World War II Memorial: 2004

wwII-memorialThe World War II Memorial, dedicated in 2004, is located between the Lincoln Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, and the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, DC. It pays tribute to the men and women who served the United States during the Second World War (1941-1945).

Along the entrance to the memorial plaza are 12 bronze relief panels that show scenes from the Atlantic front and 12 scenes from the Pacific front. The Rainbow Pool is in the center of the plaza, and behind the pool is the Freedom Wall. During World War II, the gold star was used as a symbol to indicate that a member of the family had lost their life in the war; the 4,048 gold stars on the Freedom Wall commemorate the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives.

Two large pavilions are on either side of the plaza. Within each pavilion, bronze eagles carry a laurel wreath that memorializes the victory in World War II. The floor of each pavilion displays the World War II Victory Medal and the words “Victory on Land,” “Victory at Sea,” and “Victory in the Air.” These words remind visitors of the types of battles fought during the war.

Surrounding the memorial plaza are 56 granite pillars adorned with a wreath. The pillars represent the unity of the United States during the war. There is one pillar for each state and territory as well as the District of Columbia.

On the walls of the memorial are the names of important battles as well as quotations from Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and others. One quotation from President Truman reads:

OUR DEBT TO THE
HEROIC MEN AND VALIANT
WOMEN IN THE SERVICE
OF OUR COUNTRY CAN
NEVER BE REPAID. THEY
HAVE EARNED OUR
UNDYING GRATITUDE.
AMERICA WILL NEVER
FORGET THEIR SACRIFICES.

World War II Memorial facts and figures:

  • The pavilions measure 43 feet high.
  • The granite memorial pillars follow the dates of admission into the Union starting from Delaware to Arizona, alternating back and forth across the Rainbow Pool.
  • The memorial also honors the six U.S. territories that existed at the time of World War II.
  • The World War II Victory Medal was awarded to all U.S. military personnel for service between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1945.
  • The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was created during World War II by a bill that passed Congress on May 12, 1942. The WAAC dropped its auxiliary status on September 1, 1943 and became the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), an official unit of the U.S. Army. Over 150,000 women served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1950.

To learn more, see the World War II Memorial site.