World War 2 Memorial DC

World War 2 Memorial DC

The memorials weren’t part of our Roadtrippers itinerary, but we certainly made a great day of visiting them.  The World War II Memorial was one of the memorials that I really enjoy visiting every time I visit the area.

The road trip with my son was the second time for me visiting this memorial.  The first time was on my business trip and I saw it at night while it was all lit up.  That was a really cool experience too.

My son and I took individual pictures with the states we were born in and then we got together and took a picture with the state of Florida which we live in.  We read the inscriptions around the walls and visited the fountain.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this wasn’t on the list of my son’s favorite memorials.  He’s always been so interested in World War II.

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About World War 2 Memorial DC

Former President Clinton commissioned the World War II Memorial on May 25, 1993.  Usually, the approval process takes decades to complete.  But the process was expedited for this memorial so that veterans of the war which were still alive would be able to enjoy it.

Construction of the memorial began in September of 2001.  The finished memorial was dedicated by President George W. Bush on May 29, 2004.

Friedrich St. Florian designed the memorial as two sides to represent the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.  The structure is surrounded by pillars, each with the name of a US territory or state from which a person involved with the war had been born.

The Freedom Wall is covered with 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans that lost their lives in some aspect of World War II.  More than 4.4 million visitors are attracted to this memorial each year, despite the controversy surrounding its design and location.

Located in the National Mall at 1750 Independence Avenue SW, the memorial is free to visit and open 24/7 Monday through Saturday.  On Sunday, the memorial is open from 4am – 10pm.  Phone: (202) 426-6841.

Summary

When I visited this memorial, I had no idea how new it was.  My son was born before the memorial was even built.  That’s an interesting fact I did not know at the time.

We had a good time visiting the memorial and will remember it for a long time to come.

Have you been there?  I’d love to hear what you thought of it.  Do you know a veteran that served in this war?

Please drop a few lines in the comments box below and let me know how your visit went.

In the meantime, safe travels!

~Kris M.

P.S.  If you happen to use travel journals, be sure to check out the travel journal I created for my future Washington DC Road Trips.

Written by Kris M.