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World War II Memorial

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
— President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Service, Sacrifice, Unity, and Victory
Stone architecture, bronze sculptures, and a glorious fountain combine to recognize the ways Americans served in the fight to end tyranny and restore freedom around the globe.
56 pillars surround a central fountain, commemorating the efforts and sacrifices of those who served, supported, and died in World War II.

In the heart of the National Mall in Washington, DC., the World War II Memorial honors the service of sixteen million members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America during the war, the support of countless millions on the home front, and the ultimate sacrifice of over 400,000 Americans. Fredrich St. Florian’s winning design balances classical and modernist styles of architecture, harmonizes with its natural and cultural surroundings, and connects the legacy of the American Revolution and the American Civil War with a great crusade to bring an end to fascism.

Bronze bas-relief panels tell the story of America’s experience in the war, while 56 granite pillars representing each U.S. state and territory at the time of World War II surround an impressive pool. On each side of the monument, a northern “Atlantic” arch and a southern “Pacific” arch climb triumphantly towards the sky and a wall of over 4,000 stars reminds visitors of the price Americans paid to win the war.