County of site: District of Columbia
Location of site: 1964 Independence Ave., East end of Potomac Park, Washington
Built: May 29, 2004
Artist: Raymond Kaskey, 1943- , sculptor
Multiple area Architects: Friedrich St. Florian, 1932- , architect
Benson, Nick, assistant
Leo A. Daly, architect
James A. van Sweden, landscape architect
Oehme, van Sweden & Associates, landscape architect
Dimensions: Overall: 7 acres. Each arch: approx. H. 43 ft.; Wreaths: W. 10 ft.
Monument Text:
(Announcement stone at the memorial's east end before stairs):
"HERE IN THE PRESENCE OF WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN ,
ONE THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY FATHER AND THE OTHER
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY PRESERVER OF OUR NATION,
WE HONOR THOSE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICANS WHO
TOOK UP THE STRUGGLES DURING THE SECOND WORLD
WAR AND MADE THE SACRIFICES TO PERPETUATE
THE GIFT OUR FOREFATHERS ENTRUSTED TO US
A NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
(Eastern Corner base of stairs):
"PEARL HARBOR
December 7, 1941, a date
which will live in infamy...
No Matter how long it
may take us to overcome
this premeditated invasion,
the American People, in
their righteous might,
will win through
to absolute victory"
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
(Next to water fall at Gold Star Wall-War's end):
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.
President Harry S. Truman
(Plaque at the gold star wall):
The Price of Freedom
Freedom Wall holds 4,048 gold stars. Each gold star represents one hundred American service personnel who died of remain missing in the war. The 405,399 American dead and missing from World War II are second only to the loss of more than 620,000 Americans during our Civil War.
(north side of Gold Star Wall):
THE HEROISM OF OUR OWN
TROOPS...WAS MATCHED
BY THAT OF THE ARMED
FORCES OF THE NATIONS
THAT FOUGHT BY OUR SIDE...
AND THEY SHARED TO THE
FULL IN THE ULTIMATE
DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY
President harry S. Truman
(Dedication at the entrance stairs):
WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL
GEORGE W. BUSH
President of the United States
FRIEDRICH ST. FLORIAN
Design/Architect
American Battle
Monuments Commission
2004
(South column base of stairs):
THEY FOUGHT TOGETHER AS
BROTHERS-IN ARMS. THEY DIED
TOGETHER AND NOW THEY
SLEEP SIDE BY SIDE. TO THEM
WE HAVE A SOLEMN OBLIGATION
Admiral Chester Nimitz
(end column north wall at stairs):
WOMEN WHO STEPPED UP
WERE MEASURED AS CITIZENS
OF THE NATION, NOT AS WOMEN...
THIS WAS A PEOPLE'S WAR,
AND EVERYONE WAS IN IT.
Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby
(north wall, bottom of stairs):
THEY HAVE GIVEN THEIR
SONS TO THE MILITARY
SERVICES. THEY HAVE
STOKED THE FURNACES
AND HURRIED THE
FACTORY WHEELS . THEY
HAVE MADE THE PLANES
AND WELDED THE TANKS,
RIVETED THE SHIPS AND
ROLLED THE SHELLS.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Proper Description:
The memorial includes a landscaped plaza setting with sunken Rainbow Pool and fountain in center, flanked by 56 columns adorned with bronze wreaths on each side (112 in all), two four-squared Arches, and surrounding inscribed walls with 24 bas-relief panels and a Freedom Wall of 4,000 gold stars (each representing 100 who died in the war).
At the entrance pavilion are four pillars (representing the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines) topped by bronze eagles holding ribbons that support laurel wreaths of victory. The two processions of granite double pillars that radiate out from the Freedom Wall bear the name of the 48 states, seven territories and the District of Columbia that formed the nation at the time of the war. Each are adorned with wreaths of oak leaves and wheat stalks, symbolizing state contributions to industry and agriculture "in the extraordinary mobilization efforts that transformed America into the arsenal and breadbasket of the world."
The two quadruple arches symbolize the Atlantic and Pacific fronts. Bas-relief panels on the south wall depict scenes from the Pacific front, from the news of Pearl Harbor bombings to VJ Day, and scenes from the home front. Included is a scene of a crew huddled under a Corsair Navy fighter plane. Panels on the north wall depict scenes of the war in the Atlantic, including the D-day invasion of Normandy." ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum
Remarks:
The memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the United States during World War II; the more than 400,000 who died and the millions who supported the war effort at home. In Dec. 1987, Representative Marcy Kaptur, at the urging of veteran Roger Durbin introduced legislation for establishing a World War II memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia. On May 25, 1993, President Clinton signed Public Law 103-32 authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission to build a World War II memorial in Washington, DC. On Oct. 6-7th, 1994, the House and Senate passed Joint Resolution 227 approving the placement of the WWII memorial in the Capital's monumental core area. The President signed the resolution into law on October 25th, 1994. A design competion [sic] was held in 1996; and St. Florian's memorial design concept was approved by the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission in 1998. Funding for the memorial came primarly [sic] from private contributions, school and veterans groups. The project also received a $16 million dollar federal appropriation. A total of $195 million dollars was raised for the memorial and its ongoing maintenance.
For those who wanted to save the nation's mall, the site chosen for the memorial was controversial and groundbreaking did not take place until Nov. 11, 2000. Tompkins Builders and Grunley-Walsh were awarded the construction contract in June 2001. Friedrich St. Florian was the design architect for the memorial. The bronze relief panels, eagles, stars, and wreaths were done by Raymond Kaskey and his studio. Nick Benson and four stone mason associates did the granite inscriptions; James van Sweden was the landscape architect; and Leo A. Daly's firm was the architectural engineering firm. The memorial opened to the public in April 2004 and was officially dedicated on May 29, 2004" ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum