Tribute to a Generation: World War II Memorial Opens on the National Mall

For those who took part in one of the greatest struggles of the 20th century, this spring brings a momentous event: the opening of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. Now, a generation can see their sacrifice honored in a prominent place on the Mall.

By virtue of its setting on the long, open plain considered the ceremonial heart of Washington, the memorial pays homage to the gravity and ideals of the conflict. Architect Friedrich St. Florian, whose design was selected in a national competition, says the memorial intends to express “jubilance, celebrating the victory of democracy over tyranny.”

Its visual anchors are a pair of 40-foot-tall pavilions representing the theaters of war. Arrayed in twin arcs are granite columns with bronze wreaths, one for each state and territory, sculpted by Ray Kaskey, whose work plays a focal role. The centerpiece is a 300-foot-wide sunken plaza with two fountains and a Kaskey sculpture, Light of Freedom, in a pool at the center. Visitors enter on granite ramps that bring them past the arches and a series of bas-relief panels honoring those who served overseas and at home, also by Kaskey. A wall is covered with 4,000 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died. St. Florian describes the goal as “continuity and timelessness.”

The memorial touched off a debate between those who believed it overdue and those who felt it would spoil the sight line between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. “The site selection went through a very arduous journey,” says Steve Lorenzetti, an official with the National Capital Region of the National Park Service. Legislation authorized a memorial in 1993. The American Battle Monuments Commission, the agency responsible for military cemeteries and memorials around the world, was tasked with finding a location.

The plan had to be approved by the National Capital Planning Commission, which provides guidance to the Federal Government on building and land use; the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent body advising on matters affecting the appearance of the capital; and the Secretary of the Interior. They all “felt a memorial of this importance required a site of equal importance, and that this would contribute to the stature of the National Mall,” says Lorenzetti.

The memorial also survived a lawsuit by the National Coalition to Save Our Mall, which, though favoring a memorial, opposed obstructing the sight lines of what many believe to be a finished landscape.

The cost was $140 million, most raised through private donations (the government provided $16 million). Former senator and war veteran Bob Dole teamed with actor Tom Hanks to help the monuments commission raise over $193 million, with the surplus held for future repairs.

A website registry of Americans who served in World War II is accessible at the memorial or online (www.wwiimemorial.com). Any U.S. citizen, whether they served in combat or worked on an assembly line, is eligible.

For more information, contact the National World War II Memorial, 2300 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 501, Arlington, VA 22201, (800) 639-4WW2, e-mail custsvc@wwiimemorial.com.