World War II Memorial

(By: Taylor and Aubrey Schultz)

Address:   17th Street between Constitution and Independence Avenues, Washington D.C.

Hours:   24 hours a day, seven days a week

Cost:   Free

Contact Number:   800-639-4WW2 (4992)
Website:   www.wwiimemorial.com

The World War II Memorial was built to honor the 16 million men and women who served in the U.S armed forces during World War II; the more than 400,000 servicemen who died; and the millions of Americans who supported the war from home. 

Construction for this memorial began in September of 2001. It was dedicated on May 29, 2004 (two days before memorial day), and it was opened to the public on April 29, 2004. Today, it is the only war memorial built on the mall's central axis.

The memorial is made of marble and bronze.  It is built on a 7.4 acre site, and it sets between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The final design consists of 56 granite pillars, each 17 feet tall. The pillars are arranged in a semi-circle around a plaza with two 43 foot arches on opposite sides. Each pillar is inscribed with the name of one of the 48 U.S states of America of 1945, as well as the District of Columbia, the Alaska Territory and Territory of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Phillipines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S Virgin Islands. The northern arch is inscribed with "Atlantic", and the southern is inscribed with "Pacific". The plaza is 337 feet 10 inches long, and 240 feet and 2 inches wide. The plaza also contains a pool that is 246 feet and 9 inches by 147 feet and 8 inches. 

More than 4.4 million people visit the memorial each year.

Our Great Grandpa Roberts served in World War II. He entered the Navy in June of 1943. He served on aircraft carrier "Santee" in the South Pacific. It was the first U.S ship to be hit by a Japanese Kamakazee on October 24, 1944. The "Santee" returned to the states for repairs and while home on leave, he married Doris Sayer on January 7, 1945. Researching this topic has made us more aware of all he went through, and the sacrifices the veterans of World War II made for us.