World War II

Freedom Fighters

The National World War II Memorial

The World War II Memorial is located in Washington D.C. on 17th Street, between Constitution and Independence Avenues. It is flanked by the Washington Monument to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west. It is open to visitors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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. Friedrich St. Florian’s winning design balances classical and modernist styles of architecture, harmonizes with its natural and cultural surroundings, and connects the legacy of the American Revolution and the American Civil War with great crusade to rid the world of fascism.     --facts and information courtesy nps.gov and wwiimemorial.com

Monument History

In 1993, the Congress passed legislation authorizing the building of a National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., or its immediate environs. The authorizing legislation was signed into law by the President on May 25, 1993. The responsibility for designing and constructing the memorial was given to the American Battle Monuments Commission, an independent federal agency created by law in 1923. The memorial will honor all who served in the American armed services during World War II and the entire nation's contribution to the war effort. The following summary highlights key events in the history of the project.

 

Dec 10, 1987 - Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) introduces legislation to authorize establishing a memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia


 May 25, 1993 - President Clinton signs Public Law 103-32 authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a World War II Memorial in the District or its environs.

Oct 6-7, 1994 - The House and Senate pass Joint Resolution 227 approving location of the World War II Memorial in the Capital’s monumental core area because of its lasting historic significance to the nation. The President signed the resolution into law on October 25th.

Mar 2, 1995 - The ABMC and MAB unanimously select the Constitution Gardens site as the most appropriate one out of the six alternatives.
 
 Nov 11, 1995 - The President dedicates the memorial site in a formal ceremony that concludes the 50th Anniversary of World War II commemorations. A plaque marks the site as the future location of the World War II Memorial.

Oct 30-31, 1996 - The Evaluation Board evaluates finalist design submissions and interviews the six design teams. Both the Design Jury and the Evaluation Board, independently of each other, recommend unanimously that the Leo A. Daly team with Friedrich St. Florian as design architect be selected. ABMC approves the recommendation on Nov 20th.

Nov 11, 2000 - A groundbreaking ceremony attended by 15,000 people is held at the memorial’s Rainbow Pool site. 

Apr 29, 2004 - The National World War II Memorial opens to the public.

 May 29, 2004 - The National World War II Memorial is formally dedicated in a ceremony that draws 150,000 people.

Nov 1, 2004 - The memorial becomes part of the National Park System when it is transferred from the American Battle Monuments Commission to the National Park Service, which assumes responsibility for its operations and maintenance.

                        ---timeline courtesy www.wwiimemorial.com

Memorial General Info

The WWII Memorial has no fees or reservations associated with a visit. However for planned events dependent upon the activity and number of participants a permit may be required. For more information please see the website http://www.nps.gov/wwii/planyourvisit/permits.htm.

The National World War II Memorial was funded almost entirely by private contributions, as specified in Public Law 103-32. The campaign received more than $197 million in cash and pledges. Support came from hundreds of thousands of individual Americans, hundreds of corporations and foundations, veterans groups, dozens of civic, fraternal and professional organizations, states and one territory, and students in 1,200 schools across the country.

Donated and pledged funds were used to cover the total project costs of approximately $182 million. These costs include site selection and design, construction and sculpture, a National Park Service maintenance fee required by the Commemorative Works Act, groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies, fund raising, and the 11-year administrative costs of the project from its inception in 1993 through completion in 2004.

Remaining funds are held on deposit with the U.S. Treasury in a National WWII Memorial Trust Fund. The funds will be used by the American Battle Monuments Commission solely to benefit the World War II Memorial.

--facts and information courtesy nps.gov and wwiimemorial.com

Memorial Links

Here are some links to the Official Website of the World War II Memorial and other interesting and educational sites.

Official Site - http://www.wwiimemorial.com/

National Parks - http://www.nps.gov/nwwm/

Wikipedia Entry - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_World_War_II_Memorial

Whitehouse Site - http://www.whitehouse.gov/ww2/

I recommend checking out each one of these links as they contain some very interesting and informative things. The official site is particularly intriguing. There you can search the WWII Registry for your loved ones photo's and stories. If they are not listed you may submit their information for all to share and remember.

 

WWII Memorial

World War II Memorial

The Memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004, and was dedicated by President George W. Bush on May 29, 2004, two days before Memorial Day. The memorial is administered by the National Park Service under its National Mall and Memorial Parks group.

 

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