ith Independence Day just days away,
TravelWeekly.com is taking some time to honor the men and women
who've given their lives for our nation.
Below is a sampling of the monuments and memorials in and around
Washington paying tribute to the fallen. Unless specified, all
locations are within Washington city limits.
• Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Drive,
Arlington, Va.
This is the final resting place of thousands of American
soldiers, sailors and airmen, including the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier with its precision-drill honor guard.
The tomb contains the remains of three unidentified servicemen,
one each from the two world wars and the Korean conflict. A fourth
crypt now is empty, as the remains of the Vietnam War's unknown
soldier were identified in 1998 through DNA testing.
President John F. Kennedy is buried here, his grave adorned with
an eternal flame. Nearby is the grave of the President's brother,
Robert F. Kennedy.
On Oct. 18, 1997, the "Women in Military Service for America"
memorial was dedicated and became the first major memorial honoring
all women who served and will serve in defense of the U.S. The
memorial is located at the ceremonial entrance to the cemetery.
Phone: (703) 607-8052
Web:www.arlingtoncemetery.org
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 1 to March
31; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., April 1 to Sept. 30
• Iwo Jima Memorial, George Washington Parkway
and I-66, Arlington.
Near Arlington National Cemetery stands the Iwo Jima Memorial,
dedicated to Marines who have given their lives in defense of the
U.S. since 1775. The statue depicts one of the most famous
incidents of World War II and stands as a symbol of the nation's
esteem for the honored dead of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Web:www.iwojima.com
• The United States Navy Memorial, Pennsylvania
Ave. NW, between 7th and 9th streets.
The memorial honors the men and women of the U.S. Navy and
centers on a circular plaza bearing the world's largest map of the
world. A seven-foot statue called the "Lone Sailor" stands on the
map and represents all who have served or will serve in the Navy.
The Visitor's Center contains artwork, the Ship's Store and an
interactive video display of every ship and aircraft in the
Navy.
Phone: (202) 737-2300
Web:http://seewashingtondc.net/navy.htm
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30
p.m.
• Korean War Memorial, located at the foot of
the Lincoln Memorial, Westbound Independence at 23rd Street SW.
Only five years after the end of World War II, the U.S. sent
troops to Korea where they fought with other nations under the U.N.
flag; 1.5 million American men and women served during the
conflict.
On Oct. 28, 1986, Congress authorized the American Battle
Monuments Commission to establish a memorial. Ground was broken in
November 1993, and the memorial was dedicated on July 27, 1995.
Web:www.nps.gov/kwvm/
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 21st Street and
Constitution Avenue NW, Constitution Gardens.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the men and women of the
armed forces that served in the Vietnam War. The names of more than
58,000 who gave their lives or remain missing are listed on black
granite panels.
The ground was formally broken on March 26, 1982, and the
memorial was dedicated Nov. 23, 1982.
Also part of the memorial is the Three Servicemen Statue and
Flagpole and the Vietnam Women's Memorial.
Web:www.nps.gov/vive/home.htm
For more on monuments and memorials in Washington, visit the
Monuments and Memorials section in the Visiting Washington page on
www.senate.gov.
D.C. World War II monument to be dedicated in
2004
By Kimberly Scholz
WASHINGTON -- The National World War II Memorial in Washington
will be the first national memorial dedicated to the 16 million men
and women who served -- and more than 400,000 troops who died -- in
the armed forces during World War II.
The memorial, which was established by the American Battle
Monuments Commission, will be located at the Rainbow Pool site on
the National Mall, at the east end of the Reflecting Pool between
the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
The memorial received more than $190 million in cash and
pledges, including $16 million provided by the federal
government.
Construction began in August 2001. The American Battle Monuments
Commission expects the memorial to be completed in the spring of
2004 and to be dedicated on May 29, 2004 -- Memorial Day
Weekend.
For further details, call (800) 639-4WW2; e-mail: [email protected] or visit www.wwiimemorial.com.