For Immediate Release:

Thursday, April 29, 2004

The National World War II Memorial was officially opened to the public on Thursday, April 29, 2004. It is the first national memorial dedicated to all who served during World War II. The memorial, established by the American Battle Monuments Commission, honors all military veterans of the war, the citizens on the home front, the nation at large, and the high moral purpose and idealism that motivated the nation's call to arms.

The granite-and-bronze monument features waterfalls, fountains and a curved wall bedecked with gold stars representing the more than 400,000 who gave their lives in the war. It has two hulking 43-foot arches at each end, one marked Atlantic and the other Pacific. They symbolize the two theaters of the war.

Fifty-six smaller granite pillars adorned with two bronze wreaths form the oval shape of the memorial and encircle a sunken plaza and pool. Each pillar is engraved with the name of a state or territory from that period and honors the fallen heroes who bravely fought for America’s freedom. Washington State Pillar