Sunday, May 10, 2015

10 facts about the World War II Memorial in Washington DC

The WWII Memorial is one of the newest additions to the National Mall in Washington D.C. It is circular in shape and fountains are placed in its center. It sits between the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool with the Lincoln Memorial on the other side of the pool.

The World War II Memorial was established to honor the hundreds of millions of people who served, the hundreds of thousands of people who died, and also those who helped support soldiers in battle. 



10 facts about the World War II Memorial in Washington DC


1. The World War II Memorial was completed and opened to the public on April 29, 2004, and was dedicated one month later on May 29 by President George W. Bush. At 4-day "grand reunion" of veterans was held, notes the National Park Service (NPS).

2. This memorial was designed by Friedrich St. Florian, an Austrian-American architect. St. Florian's design was chosen after it was the winning entry in a competition.

3. The memorial is comprised of granite, bronze, and water. 

4. Each wall contains many famous quotes from various historical figures. Additionally, there are sections which commemorate famous battles and military campaigns which occurred during WWII. 



5. The wall of stars on the memorial totals 4,048.


6. The 48 states (during WW II), 7 federal territories and District of Columbia are each represented on the memorial with its own granite pillar and wreath.

7. The tall stones on either end of the memorial represent the Atlantic and Pacific victories. Each one is 43 feet tall.

8. The WW II Memorial sits between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

9. Before the WW II Memorial was built, the site was known as the "Rainbow Pool".



10. Somewhere on the WWII Memorial “Kilroy Was Here” graffiti is present in two places. 

Many people come to the World War II memorial each year, including veterans. NPS estimates 4.4 million people a year come to visit. 

The World War II Memorial is located at 1750 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. and is open 24 hours (except Sundays which is 7 am to 9 pm).

24 comments:

  1. Would you happen to know facts about the Korean War Memorial?

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    1. I haven't written a post about the Korean War Memorial to date, but have visited the Korean War Memorial several times and believe I have some photos. Is there anything specific you're looking to know?
      Thanks for visiting!

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  2. The Kilroy inscriptions are actually behind the memorial toward the Lincoln memorial. There is one on each side. I have seen them both. We visit the memorial about 4 times each year when we bring WWII veterans to see it on an Honor Flight.

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  3. Found Kilroy was here at the World War II memorial. It does exist

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  4. Thank you for the informational text it was very helpful during my school assignment. Because of you my team and I have made an a and got rewarded for having the most informational presentation.

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    1. Congratulations to you and your team for the "A", that's great!

      I'm so glad the information was helpful. Thank you for reading and also for taking the time to come back and leave a comment, very appreciated.

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  5. I think that this site is amazing, and that you should keep putting up new, historical information, that helps young readers learn in a fun way! :)

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    1. Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. I'm so glad to hear my blog helped and that you're enjoying your learning :)

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  6. Thanks for the awsome information! I got an "A" on my project.

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    1. Congratulations! Thank you for circling back to share your great news!

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  7. I see that there are 4048 stars on the North wall but there is not explanation what the stars stand for or what each star represents. Can you clarify please? I visited the WWII Memorial with my son on Lake County Honor Flight #12 from North Chicago, IL. Very impressive and well thought out. Thank you, Richard McFarlin

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  8. Great information!! Really helped me with my project at school!!!!!

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  9. Used it on my project. Thx!

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    1. Thanks very much for reading. Good luck with your project!!

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  10. This website was SO helpful for my D.C. project, thx!

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    Replies
    1. So glad to hear this, thank you! Good luck with your project!!

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