David
Thu April 15, 2004 2:05pm
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Yorktown, 14 October 1781
In the summer of 1781, ending a campaign in Virginia, Cornwallis took post at Yorktown with a force of about 8,000 men. Washington, meanwhile, guarding Clinton's main British force in New York, was joined in April by 4,000 French troops under the Comte de Rochambeau. On 14 August he learned that French Admiral De Grasse, with a powerful fleet, was sailing from the West Indies to the Chesapeake Bay. In the hope of surrounding Cornwallis by land and sea, Washington hurried southward with the main portion of the Franco-American Army, leaving only a small force to guard Clinton in New York.
The plan worked remarkably well. De Grasse arrived in the Chesapeake on 30 August, landed additional French troops, and fought an indecisive battle with the British fleet, but at its end remained in firm control of the bay as the Allied armies arrived. On 28 September these armies began siege operations, using the traditional European system of approaches by parallel trenches. In order to complete the second parallel, Washington ordered the seizure of two British redoubts near the York River. The French were assigned the first, Redoubt No. 9, and the American Light Infantry under Lt. Col. Alexander Hamilton the second, Redoubt No. 10. On the evening of 14 October, as covering fire of shot and shell arched overhead, the Americans and French moved forward. The Americans, with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets, did not wait for sappers to clear away the abatis, as the French did, but climbed over and through the obstructions. Within ten minutes the garrison of Redoubt No. 10! was overwhelmed. The French also met with success but suffered heavier losses.
After a vain attempt to escape across the York, Cornwallis surrendered his entire force on 19 October 1781, an event that virtually assured American independence, although the final treaty of peace was not signed until 3 September 1783.
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David
Wed October 6, 2004 11:44pm
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Resistance Cross
Resistance Cross
When the Netherlands was liberated in May 1945, the Dutch government in London had succeeded in developing a good and balanced system of both military and civilian decorations. Apart from the already existing Military Order of William, new decorations aroused like the Bronze Lion, the Bronze Cross, the Cross of Merit and the Flyers Cross. Deeds of courage could be awarded in a very efficient way. However there was not a good decoration to award people of the resistance organisations. In surrounding countries the government had already succeeded in filling this gap. The Dutch government also tried to achieve this goal. Because of the fact that there could not be found an agreement whether deeds of resistance could be awarded with an existing Military Decoration or there was to be developed a special decoration, time passed on.
Especially within the Dutch Resistance there was a forceful movement against the decoration of resistance deeds. During war, every deed of resistance was thought to be equal to any other. However, other countries did decorate Dutch resistance people. A significant number of Dutch people were awarded decorations like the British King?s Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom and the American Medal of Freedom for their resistance work. Strengthened by this the Dutch government pushed on. Apart from that it was a personal wish of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands that resistance work should be decorated.
A special commission was formed to seek the possibilities. This Raad voor Onderscheiding en Eerbetoon ( Council for Decoration and Honour), with Prof. Ir. W. Schemerhorn, dr. L.J.M. Beel, J.M. de Booy, mr. E.N. van Kleffens, Prof. Dr. P. Lieftinck, mr. J. Meynen and General-major mr. H.J. Kruls, first asked the Grote Adviescommissie der Illegaliteit ( Great Committee of the Resistance, GAC) for advise on the matter. It should not be any surprise that this committee advised negative. On the other hand, another organisation of the former resistance, the former members of the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten (Inland Forces B.S) that was formed at the end of the war by combining the forces of the many weaponed resistance groups in the Netherlands, did announce they were positive about decorating deeds of resistance. Finally the Dutch government took its own decision and on November 28th 1945, the order was given to the Rijksmunt to develop a new medal. Finally the choice was made for the Resistance Cross which was developed by L.O. Wenckenbach.
By Royal Decree of May 3rd 1946 the Resistance Cross was finally instituted. The formal disruption was: ?The Bronze decoration of the Resistance Cross resembled a four armed cross, imbedded on a star of flames and covered with the Royal Crown. On the front one can find St. Joris fighting the dragon. On the arms of the cross are engraved the words ?Trouw tot in den dood?. On the obverse one can find a flaming sword wit two broken chains?, all according to article 4 of the Royal Decree. The ribbon is coloured in Crimson Red with two golden orange lines.
Although presenting the decoration to a living person, a compromise was found with the opposing people of the former Dutch Resistance and the decoration was only given to people that already died. Only once this promise was broken, when on July 19th 1946 a Resistance Cross was awarded by Queen Wilhelmina to Gerard Tieman, living in the Blindeninstituut in Bussum (Home for the Blind).
The first Resistance Crosses were awarded by Royal Decree of May 7th 1946 and were given to the relatives on May 9th of the same year. The group of people that was awarded was very carefully chosen from all the different groups of the Dutch Resistance movement. Very high rules were used to make the decoration one of the highest in ranking in the Dutch system, coming only second after the highest, the Military Order of William. The Resistance Cross was also awarded to foreign people for their part in the Dutch Resistance network. On October 24h 1946 the first ?foreign? decorations were awarded to Belgian Resistance Fighters.
One remarkable Resistance Cross must not be forgotten. To commemorate the millions of Jews that were killed during the Second World War, there was to be build a monument in New York. Mr. E.N. Kleffens, then Dutch Ambassador in the United States was asked to be a member of the Commission of Recommendation for the monument to be called the ?American Memorial to six million martyred Jews and the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Battle?. Kleffens was asked to present a decoration as forms of publicity for the monument. By his doing a Royal Decree no.4 was announced on October 17th 1947, giving a Resistance Cross to the ?Unknown Jewish Soldier of the Warsaw Ghetto who died for the Freedom of all People?. Although the monument never was finished, on the place of the monument in the Riverside Park a memorial stone was erected with the lines: ?This is the site for the American Memorial to the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Battle April-May 1943 and to the six million Jews of Europe martyred in the cause of human liberty?.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:16am
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Dutch Work Service Compet
Dutch Work Service Competence Medal
This medal was for Competent Service in the National Socialist Work Force of the NSB, the NAD. Until now it has only been found in a miniature version.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:20am
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George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is awarded for an act of the greatest heroism or the most conspiciuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger. It was intended primarily for civilians but later also in the for military service personnel for actions for which military honours were not granted and awarded for actions not in the face of the enemy. Recipients of the Empire Gallantry Medal and the next of kin of four recipients could exchange their award for the George Cross and in 1971 recipients of the Albert Medal could also exchange their award for the George Cross. A total of four women have been directly awarded the George Cross an by three of them it was made posthumously. Three women received their George Cross for service in the resistance SOE in enemy occupied territory during the Second World War.
The George Cross was created on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. On 9 September 1940 London was bombed by the German Air Force whereby also Buckingham Palace was hit. This experience created a new emotional bond between the Monarch and the British people because the King could understand now what the British people were going through. The planning and the design for the George Cross and George Medal was therefore almost entirely his own work.
The decoration concists of a plain silver cross and in the centre is a circular medallion showing St.George and the dragon and surrounded by the inscription ? For Gallantry ?. The reverse of the award is plain and bears the name of the recipient and the date of the award. The George Cross, which is worn before all other decorations except the Victoria Cross, is suspended from a dark blue ribbon, which is 1.5 inches wide, threaded through a bar adorned with laurel leaves.
One of the four women who has been awarded with the George Cross was Noor Inayat Khan. This Russian woman was dropped above occupied France on 16 June 1943 to help the French resistance with their activities. After approximately three months she was betrayed and captured by the Gestapo. Through the many interrogations she refused to give them any information and was send to a prisonercamp into Germany. There also she refused to give any information and on 12 September 1944 she was send to Dachau concentration camp where she was shot on 13 September 1944.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 5:00am
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Army workers badge
Army workers badge
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 5:16am
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Gold Star Medal of Hero o
Gold Star Medal of Hero of Socialist Work
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 9:43am
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M
M?daille de la Reconnaissance Fran?aise - Awarded to civilians for works of benevolance at home or abroad, in helping the sick or wounded, caring for families of those killed in the war, caring for mutilated, blind, orphaned, or homeless families ruined by the war etc.
It was instituted on 13 july 1917 in three classes : the 1st class in silver-gilt, the 2nd class in silver and the 3rd class in bronze. (Reverse shown enlarged) In 1945 a new medal was established, with the same ribbon but with an altered design, to recognize the same deeds performed during WWII.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:55pm
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Blue Cross
Blue Cross. Instituted in 1968, this award would fall well outside this collection, but for the fact that it was made available retroactively to Finns who participated in the civil Guards during the liberation period. It is awarded to all former members of the civil Guards and lotta Sv?rd organization, from 1918 to 1944. The bar "1917-1918" is awarded to people who were in Civil Guards or Lotta & Sv?rd during the Liberation war.
The medal is a bronze St. George style cross with blue enamel. In the center of the cross is a sword, point up, atop a white enameled stylized letter S, which stands for "Suojeluskunta" (Civil Guards). Behind the S show the points of a stylized spruce branch.
A second grade of the Blue Cross was awarded to people who were not former members of Civil Guards, but had been in some kind of voluntary work with veterans or research of Civil Guards after war. This version of the medal omits the sword and the S, revealing the spruce branch more clearly.
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Bill Farnie
Fri November 26, 2004 10:44am
Rating: 10
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"The Last Ride"
This art work was done by a tanker who goes by the callsign "jinks".
jinks unit, C Company,2 Bn, 34th Armor, supported the units of my battalion. jinks dedicated this painting to my company, Dco 1/506th Inf., on Memorial Day 2004
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QM3steve
Sat May 21, 2005 3:56am
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working together
This was a Navy Ops i9n the Bahamas
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:39am
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Sicily-Rome American Ceme
The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial is situated at the north edge of the town of Nettuno, Italy. It is just east of Anzio and thirty miles south of Rome. The cemetery can be reached by automobile from Rome along Via Cristoforo Colombo, which runs into Via Pontina (Highway 148). Drive south approximately thirty-seven miles and exit at Campoverde/Nettuno. Turn right to Nettuno and go five and a half miles to the cemetery. There is hourly train service from Rome to Nettuno, where taxicabs can be hired. There are numerous hotels in Anzio and Nettuno.
The cemetery site covers seventy-seven acres, rising in a gentle slope from a large pool with an island and cenotaph flanked by groups of cypress trees. Beyond the pool is an immense field of headstones of 7,861 American military Dead arranged in gentle arcs which sweep across the broad green lawns beneath rows of Roman pines. Many of the Dead interred or commemorated here lost their lives in the liberation of Sicily ( July 10 to August 17, 1943); in the landings in the Sabeno Area (September 9, 1943) and in the heavy fighting northward; in the landings at Anzio Beach and expansion of the beachhead (January 22, 1944 to May 1944) and in air and naval support in the regions.
At the head of the wide central mall stands the memorial, a building rich in works of art and architecture, expressing America's remembrance of its Dead. It consists of a chapel to the south and a peristyle and a museum to the north. On the white marble walls of the chapel are engraved the names of 3,095 American Missing who gave their lives in the service of their country and whose remains were never recovered or identified. The museum room contains a bronze relief map and four fresco maps depicting the military operations in Sicily and Italy. At the north end of the memorial is an ornamental garden.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm except December 25 and January 1. It is open on host country holidays. When the cemetery is open to the public, a staff member is on duty in the Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:53am
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Korean War Veterans Memor
The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. It was dedicated on July 27, 1995. The Memorial commemorates the sacrifices of the 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Services during the three-year period of the Korean War. The war was one of the most hard fought in our history. During its relatively short duration from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, 54,246 Americans died in support of their country. Of these, 8,200 are listed as missing in action or lost or buried at sea. In addition 103,284 were wounded during the conflict. As an integral part of the Memorial, the Korean War Honor Roll was established, honoring those U.S. military personnel who died world-wide during the war.
Statues:
The nineteen stainless steel statues were sculpted by Frank Gaylord of Barre, VT and cast by Tallix Foundries of Beacon, NY. They are approximately seven feet tall and represent an ethnic cross section of America. The advance party has 14 Army, 3 Marine, 1 Navy and 1 Air Force members. The statues stand in patches of Juniper bushes and are separated by polished granite strips, which give a semblance of order and symbolize the rice paddies of Korea. The troops wear ponchos covering their weapons and equipment. The ponchos seem to blow in the cold winds of Korea.
Mural Wall:
The Mural Wall was designed by Louis Nelson of New York, NY and fabricated by Cold Spring Granite Company, Cold Spring, MN. The muralist, sculptor and architect worked closely to create a two-dimensional work of art adjacent to the three-dimensional statues. The wall consists of 41 panels extending 164 feet. Over 2,400 photographs of the Korean War were obtained from the National Archives. They were enhanced by computer to give a uniform lighting effect and the desired size. The mural, representing those forces supporting the foot soldier, depicts Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard personnel and their equipment. The etchings are arranged to give a wavy appearance in harmony with the layout of the statues. The reflective quality of the Academy Black Granite creates the image of a total of 38 statues, symbolic of the 38th Parallel and the 38 months of the war. When viewed from afar, it also creates the appearance of the mountain ranges of Korea.
Pool of Remembrance:
The point of the triangle enclosing the statues reaches into a circular pool approximately 128 feet in diameter. Water is fed into the pool from its bottom and it flows over a stepped weir to give a pleasant rippling sound. Surrounding the pool are 28 Linden trees shaped to create a barrel effect, which will allow the sun to reflect on the pool. Seven benches, located under the trees, provide a place for visitors to rest and reflect on the terrible price the youth of America paid during the war. On the wall that extends into the pool area, written in 10-inch silver letters, is the reminder:
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
Honor Roll:
A kiosk containing the Korean War Honor Roll stands at the west entrance of the Memorial. It is serviced by a Park ranger, who provides assistance to visitors. The Honor Roll computer contains the names of all military personnel who lost their lives during the Korean War, including the individual's name, service, rank, service number, date of birth, hometown or county of entry into the service, cause of death, date of death and, if the information is furnished to ABMC, the serviceman's unit, awards, circumstances surrounding the death or missing in action and photograph.
You may send in information and/or a photograph to the Commission about an individual serviceman who was killed during the war.
United Nations' Curb:
The curb running along the northern side of the statues contains an alphabetical listing of the 22 nations that participated in the Korean War. Seventeen nations provided combat units and five medical support.
Dedication Stone:
At the point of the triangle leading to the American flag is the Dedication stone, which reads:
OUR NATION HONORS HER SONS AND DAUGHTERS
WHO ANSWERED THE CALL TO DEFEND A COUNTRY
THEY NEVER KNEW AND A PEOPLE THEY NEVER MET
The memorial was established by the American Battle Monuments Commission, but is administered by the National Park Service.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:58am
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World War II Memorial
National WWII Memorial
Visiting the Memorial
The memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004 and was dedicated one month later on May 29. It is located on 17th Street, between Constitution and Independence Avenues, and is flanked by the Washington Monument to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west. The memorial is now operated by the National Park Service and is open to visitors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Authorization
President Clinton signed Public Law 103-32 on May 25, 1993, authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to establish a World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., or its environs. It will be the first national memorial dedicated to all who served during World War II and acknowledging the commitment and achievement of the entire nation.
The law also authorized the president to appoint a Memorial Advisory Board to offer advice to the ABMC on site selection and design of the memorial, as well as to perform its primary duty of promoting and encouraging private donations for the building of the memorial. The board was appointed in September 1994, and works under the chairmanship of Pete Wheeler, commissioner of veterans affairs of the state of Georgia.
Purpose
The memorial will honor the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial will be a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world. It will inspire future generations of Americans, deepening their appreciation of what the World War II generation accomplished in securing freedom and democracy. Above all, the memorial will stand as an important symbol of American national unity, a timeless reminder of the moral strength and awesome power that can flow when a free people are at once united and bonded together in a common and just cause.
Site
The first step in establishing the memorial was the selection of an appropriate site. Congress provided legislative authority for siting the memorial in the prime area of the national capital, known as Area I, which includes the National Mall. The National Park Service, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission approved selection of the Rainbow Pool site at the east end of the Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. President Clinton dedicated the memorial site during a formal ceremony on Veterans Day 1995.
Design
ABMC engaged the General Services Administration?s (GSA) Public Buildings Service to act as its agent to manage the memorial project. The design submitted by Friedrich St. Florian, an architect based in Providence, R.I., was selected as one of six semi-finalists in an open, national competition. Leo A Daly, an international architecture firm, assembled the winning team with St. Florian as the design architect. The team also includes George E. Hartman of Hartman-Cox Architects, Oehme van Sweden & Associates, sculptor Ray Kaskey, and stone carver and letterer Nick Benson. St. Florian?s memorial design concept was approved by the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission in the summer of 1998. The commissions approved the preliminary design in 1999, the final architectural design and several ancillary elements in 2000, granite selections in 2001, and sculpture and inscriptions in 2002 and 2003.
Fundraising Campaign
The memorial is funded primarily by private contributions. The fund-raising campaign was led by National Chairman Senator Bob Dole and National Co-Chairman Frederick W. Smith.
Senator Dole, a World War II veteran seriously wounded on the battlefield and twice decorated with the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, was the Republican nominee for president in 1996 and the longest-serving Republican Leader in the U.S. Senate.
Frederick W. Smith is chairman, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Corporation, a $17 billion global transportation and logistics holding company. He is a graduate of Yale and a former U.S. Marine Corps officer, and serves on the boards of various transport, industry and civic organizations.
The memorial received more than $195 million in cash and pledges. This total includes $16 million provided by the federal government.
Timeline
Construction began in September 2001, and the memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004. The memorial will be dedicated on Saturday, May 29, 2004.
ABMC
The American Battle Monuments Commission is an independent, executive branch agency with 11 commissioners and a secretary appointed by the president. The ABMC administers, operates and maintains 24 permanent U.S. military cemeteries and 25 memorial structures in 15 countries around the world, including three memorials in the United States. The commission is also responsible for the establishment of other memorials in the U.S. as directed by Congress.
Chronology
In 1993, the Congress passed legislation authorizing the building of a National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., or its immediate environs. The authorizing legislation was signed into law by the President on May 25, 1993. The responsibility for designing and constructing the memorial was given to the American Battle Monuments Commission, an independent federal agency created by law in 1923. The memorial will honor all who served in the American armed services during World War II and the entire nation's contribution to the war effort. The following summary highlights key events in the history of the project.
1987 - 1993
Dec 10, '87 - Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) introduces legislation to authorize establishing a memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia or its environs. Similar legislation was introduced in 1989, 1991 and 1993.
May 25, '93 - President Clinton signs Public Law 103-32 authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a World War II Memorial in the District or its environs.
1994
Sep 30 - The President appoints a 12-member Memorial Advisory Board (MAB), as authorized in Public Law 103-32, to advise the ABMC in site selection and design, and to promote donations to support memorial construction.
Oct 6-7 - The House and Senate pass Joint Resolution 227 approving location of the World War II Memorial in the Capital?s monumental core area because of its lasting historic significance to the nation. The President signed the resolution into law on October 25th.
1995
Jan 20 - ABMC and MAB hold their first joint site selection session attended by representatives of the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the National Capital Memorial Commission (NCMC), the National Park Service (NPS), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Seven potential sites are visited:
Capitol Reflecting Pool area (between 3rd Street and the Reflecting Pool)
Tidal Basin (northeast side, east of the Tidal Basin parking lot and west of the 14th Street Bridge access road)
West Potomac Park (between Ohio Drive and the northern shore of the Potomac River, northwest of the FDR Memorial site)
Constitution Gardens (east end, between Constitution Avenue and the Rainbow Pool)
Washington Monument grounds (at Constitution Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets, west of the Museum of American History)
Freedom Plaza (on Pennsylvania Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets)
Henderson Hall, adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery (Henderson Hall was dropped from consideration because of its unavailability).
Mar 2 - The ABMC and MAB unanimously select the Constitution Gardens site as the most appropriate one out of the six alternatives.
May 9 & Jun 20 - The NCMC holds public hearings on the site for the World War II Memorial with consideration given to both the Constitution Gardens site and the Capitol Reflecting Pool site on Third Street.
Jul 27 - The CFA concludes after a public hearing that the Constitution Gardens site would not be commensurate with the historical significance of World War II, and requests that further consideration be given to the Capitol Reflecting Pool and Freedom Plaza along with a new alternative, the traffic circle on Columbia Island on the Lincoln Memorial-Arlington Cemetery axis. The Rainbow Pool is discussed as a possible alternative site.
Aug 6 - The ABMC proposes to the chairmen of the CFA, NCPC and NPS that the Rainbow Pool site with space on both sides of the pool be studied as a replacement for the Constitution Gardens site.
Sep 19 - In a public meeting, the CFA unanimously approves the Rainbow Pool site with the understanding that design guidelines be developed in consultation with them.
Oct 5 - During a public meeting, the NCPC approves the Rainbow Pool site on the condition that the Mall?s east-west vista formed by the elm trees bordering the Reflecting Pool would be preserved.
Nov 11 - The President dedicates the memorial site in a formal ceremony that concludes the 50th Anniversary of World War II commemorations. A plaque marks the site as the future location of the World War II Memorial.
1996
Apr 19 - The ABMC and General Services Administration (GSA), acting as agent for the ABMC, announce a two-stage open design competition for the memorial that closed on Aug 12th.
Aug 15-16 - Four hundred and four entries are reviewed by a distinguished Evaluation Board that selects six competition finalists. The second stage competition closes on Oct 25th.
Oct 29 - A Design Jury composed of distinguished architects, landscape architects, architectural critics and WWII veterans review the designs of the six finalists.
Oct 30-31 - The Evaluation Board evaluates finalist design submissions and interviews the six design teams. Both the Design Jury and the Evaluation Board, independently of each other, recommend unanimously that the Leo A. Daly team with Friedrich St. Florian as design architect be selected. ABMC approves the recommendation on Nov 20th.
1997
Jan 17 - The President announces St. Florian?s winning memorial design during a White House ceremony.
Mar 19 - Senator Bob Dole is named National Chairman of the memorial campaign.
Jul 24 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves many elements of the design concept, but voices strong concern over the mass and scale and the interior space of the concept as presented. The CFA requests that the design be given further study and resubmitted at a later date, but unanimously reaffirms the Rainbow Pool site.
Jul 31 - In a public hearing, the NCPC reaffirms its approval of the Rainbow Pool site, but requests design modifications and an analysis of various environmental considerations prior to the commission's further action on a revised design concept.
Aug 19 - ABMC announces that Frederick W. Smith, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Federal Express Corporation, will team with Senator Dole as National Co-Chairman of the World War II Memorial Campaign.
1998
Apr 7 - ABMC approves the recommendation of its Site and Design Committee that St. Florian?s revised design concept be forwarded to the CFA, the NCPC and the District of Columbia?s Historic Preservation Office for their action.
May 21 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves the revised design concept.
Jul 9 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves the revised design concept.
1999
Apr 21 - ABMC approves the recommendation of its Site and Design Committee that St. Florian?s preliminary design be forwarded to the CFA and NCPC for their action.
May 20 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves the memorial?s preliminary design.
Jun 3 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves the memorial's preliminary design.
2000
Jul 20 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves the memorial?s final architectural design.
Sep 21 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves the memorial?s final architectural design.
Nov 11 - A groundbreaking ceremony attended by 15,000 people is held at the memorial?s Rainbow Pool site.
Nov 16 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves several ancillary elements of the memorial: an information pavilion, a comfort station, an access road and a contemplative area.
Dec 14 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves several ancillary elements of the memorial: an information pavilion, a comfort station, an access road and a contemplative area.
2001
Jan 23 - Construction permit issued by the National Park Service.
Mar 9 - Construction, which was to begin in March, is delayed indefinitely pending resolution of a lawsuit filed by a small opposition group in Washington, D.C., and a procedural issue involving the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), one of the agencies required by law to approve the memorial.
May 21-22 - The House and Senate pass legislation directing that the memorial be constructed expeditiously at the dedicated Rainbow Pool site on the National Mall in a manner consistent with previous approvals and permits. President Bush signed the legislation into law (Public Law 107-11) on Memorial Day, May 28th.
Jun 7 - The General Services Administration, acting as agent for the American Battle Monuments Commission, awards a $56 million construction contract to the joint venture of Tompkins Builders and Grunley-Walsh Construction.
Jun 21 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves the granite selections for the memorial.
Jul 3 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves the granite selections for the memorial.
Aug 27 - Tompkins/Grunley-Walsh begin site preparation work at the memorial's Rainbow Pool site on the National Mall. Construction begins one week later.
2002
Mar 21 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves designs for flagpoles and announcement piers at the ceremonial entrance, and artistic enhancements to the field of gold stars. A proposed announcement stone design was not approved.
Apr 4 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves designs for flagpoles and announcement piers at the ceremonial entrance and an announcement stone at the east memorial plaza, and artistic enhancements to the field of gold stars.
Jul 18 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves concepts for 24 bas-relief sculpture panels, and requests that the announcement stone be designed for the ceremonial entrance of the memorial rather than the proposed location on the plaza.
Oct 17 ? In a public hearing, the CFA approves the redesigned announcement stone at the ceremonial entrance, and endorses the thematic content of proposed inscriptions but recommends minor adjustments in their presentation.
Nov 21 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves inscriptions for the memorial.
2003
Apr 22 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves inscriptions for the memorial.
2004
Apr 29 - The National World War II Memorial opens to the public.
May 29 - The National World War II Memorial is formally dedicated in a ceremony that draws 150,000 people.
Nov 1 - The memorial becomes part of the National Park System when it is transferred from the American Battle Monuments Commission to the National Park Service, which assumes responsibility for its operations and maintenance.
National World War II Memorial Inscriptions
The following inscriptions are inscribed in the National World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The inscriptions are presented by location.
Announcement Stone
HERE IN THE PRESENCE OF WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN,
ONE THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY FATHER AND THE OTHER THE
NINETEENTH CENTURY PRESERVER OF OUR NATION, WE HONOR
THOSE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICANS WHO TOOK UP THE STRUGGLE
DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND MADE THE SACRIFICES TO
PERPETUATE THE GIFT OUR FOREFATHERS ENTRUSTED TO US:
A NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
Flagpoles
AMERICANS CAME TO LIBERATE, NOT TO CONQUER,
TO RESTORE FREEDOM AND TO END TYRANNY
Eastern Corners
PEARL HARBOR
DECEMBER 7, 1941, A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY?NO
MATTER HOW LONG IT MAY TAKE US TO OVERCOME THIS
PREMEDITATED INVASION, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, IN THEIR
RIGHTEOUS MIGHT, WILL WIN THROUGH TO ABSOLUTE VICTORY.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
THEY HAVE GIVEN THEIR SONS TO THE MILITARY SERVICES. THEY
HAVE STOKED THE FURNACES AND HURRIED THE FACTORY WHEELS.
THEY HAVE MADE THE PLANES AND WELDED THE TANKS,
RIVETED THE SHIPS AND ROLLED THE SHELLS.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
WOMEN WHO STEPPED UP WERE MEASURED AS CITIZENS OF THE NATION,
NOT AS WOMEN?THIS WAS A PEOPLE?S WAR, AND EVERYONE WAS IN IT.
Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby
THEY FOUGHT TOGETHER AS BROTHERS-IN-ARMS.
THEY DIED TOGETHER AND NOW THEY SLEEP SIDE BY SIDE.
TO THEM WE HAVE A SOLEMN OBLIGATION.
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
Southern Walls
BATTLE OF MIDWAY JUNE 4-7, 1942
THEY HAD NO RIGHT TO WIN. YET THEY DID, AND IN DOING SO THEY CHANGED
THE COURSE OF A WAR?EVEN AGAINST THE GREATEST OF ODDS, THERE IS
SOMETHING IN THE HUMAN SPIRIT ? A MAGIC BLEND OF SKILL, FAITH AND
VALOR ? THAT CAN LIFT MEN FROM CERTAIN DEFEAT TO INCREDIBLE VICTORY.
Walter Lord, Author
THE WAR?S END
TODAY THE GUNS ARE SILENT. A GREAT TRAGEDY HAS ENDED. A GREAT
VICTORY HAS BEEN WON. THE SKIES NO LONGER RAIN DEATH ? THE SEAS
BEAR ONLY COMMERCE ? MEN EVERYWHERE WALK UPRIGHT IN THE
SUNLIGHT. THE ENTIRE WORLD IS QUIETLY AT PEACE.
General Douglas MacArthur
Northern Walls
WE ARE DETERMINED THAT BEFORE THE SUN SETS ON THIS TERRIBLE STRUGGLE
OUR FLAG WILL BE RECOGNIZED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS A SYMBOL OF
FREEDOM ON THE ONE HAND AND OF OVERWHELMING FORCE ON THE OTHER.
General George C. Marshall
D-DAY JUNE 6, 1944
YOU ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK UPON THE GREAT CRUSADE TOWARD
WHICH WE HAVE STRIVEN THESE MANY MONTHS. THE EYES OF
THE WORLD ARE UPON YOU?I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN YOUR
COURAGE, DEVOTION TO DUTY AND SKILL IN BATTLE.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Western Corners
OUR DEBT TO THE HEROIC MEN AND VALIANT WOMEN IN THE SERVICE
OF OUR COUNTRY CAN NEVER BE REPAID. THEY HAVE EARNED OUR
UNDYING GRATITUDE. AMERICA WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR SACRIFICES.
President Harry S Truman
THE HEROISM OF OUR OWN TROOPS?WAS MATCHED BY THAT
OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE NATIONS THAT FOUGHT BY OUR
SIDE?THEY ABSORBED THE BLOWS?AND THEY SHARED TO THE
FULL IN THE ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY.
President Harry S Truman
Southern Fountain Copings
CHINA * BURMA * INDIA SOUTHWEST PACIFIC CENTRAL PACIFIC NORTH PACIFIC
PEARL HARBOR * WAKE ISLAND * BATAAN CORREGIDOR * CORAL SEA *
MIDWAY * GUADALCANAL * NEW GUINEA * BUNA * TARAWA *
KWAJALEIN * ATTU * SAIPAN TINIAN GUAM * PHILIPPINE SEA * PELELIU *
LEYTE GULF * LUZON * MANILA * IWO JIMA * OKINAWA * JAPAN
Northern Fountain Copings
NORTH AFRICA SOUTHERN EUROPE WESTERN EUROPE CENTRAL EUROPE
BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC * MURMANSK RUN * TUNISIA *
SICILY SALERNO ANZIO ROME PO VALLEY * NORMANDY *
ST.LO * AIR WAR IN EUROPE * ALSACE * RHINELAND *
HUERTGEN FOREST * BATTLE OF THE BULGE *
REMAGEN BRIDGE * GERMANY
Southern and Northern Arches
1941 ? 1945 VICTORY ON LAND VICTORY AT SEA VICTORY IN THE AIR
Freedom Wall ? Field of Gold Stars
HERE WE MARK THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 12:20pm
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Tours American Monument
The World War I Tours American Monument located in the city of Tours, France, one hundred and forty-six miles southwest of Paris.
The Monument commemorates the efforts of the 650,000 men who served during World War I in the Services of Supply of the American Expeditionary Forces and whose work behind the battle lines made possible the brilliant achievements of the American Armies in the field. It is located just east of the southern end of the Pont Wilson which crosses the Loire River in prolongation of the main street (Rue National) of Tours, and consists of a handsome fountain of white stone with a gold gilded statue of an American Indian holding an eagle. The surrounding area was developed into a small park by the Commission.
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David
Tue August 9, 2005 12:03pm
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USS Lexington CV 2 14 Dec
USS Lexington CV 2 14 Dec 1927 8 May 1942
Leaving San Diego, California, 14 October 1941.
displacement: 41,000 tons
length: 888 feet
beam: 105? feet
draft: 32 feet
speed: 34? knots
complement: 2,122 crew
armament: 8 eight-inch and 12 five-inch guns
aircraft: 81
class: Lexington
The fourth Lexington (CV 2) was originally designated CC 1; laid down as a battle cruiser 8 January 1921 by Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, Mass.; authorized to be completed as an aircraft carrier 1 July 1922; launched 3 October 1925; sponsored by Mrs. Theodore Douglas Robinson, wife of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy; and commissioned 14 December 1927, Capt. Albert W. Marshall in command.
After fitting out and shakedown, Lexington joined the battle fleet at San Pedro, Calif., 7 April 1928. Based there, she operated on the west coast with Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, in flight training, tactical exercises, and battle problems . Each year she participated in fleet maneuvers in the Hawaiians, in the Caribbean, off the Panama Canal Zone, and in the eastern Pacific.
On 16 January 1930, Lexington completed a 30-day period in which she furnished electricity to the city of Tacoma, Wash., in an emergency arising from a failure of the city's power supply. The electricity from the carrier totaled more than 4.25 million kilowatt-hours.
In the fall of 1941 she sailed with the battle force to the Hawaiians for tactical exercises.
On 7 December 1941 Lexington was at sea with Task Force 12 (TF 12) carrying marine aircraft from Pearl Harbor to reinforce Midway when word of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was received. She immediately launched searchplanes to hunt for the Japanese fleet , and at mid-morning headed south to rendezvous with USS Indianapolis (CA 35) and USS Enterprise (CV 6) task forces to conduct a search southwest of Oahu until returning Pearl Harbor 18 December.
Lexington sailed next day to raid Japanese forces on Jaluit to relieve pressure on Wake; these orders were canceled 20 December, and she was directed to cover the USS Saratoga force in reinforcing Wake. When the island fell 23 December, the two carrier forces were recalled to Pearl Harbor, arriving 27 December.
Lexington patrolled to block enemy raids In the Oahu-Johnston-Palmyra triangle until 11 January 1942, when she sailed from Pearl Harbor as flagship for Vice Adm. Wilson Brown commanding TF 11. On 16 February, the force headed for an attack on Rabaul, New Britain, scheduled for 21 February. While approaching the day previous, Lexington was attacked by two waves of enemy aircraft, nine planes to a wave. The carrier's own combat air patrol and antiaircraft fire splashed 17 of the attackers. During a single sortie Lt. E. H (Butch) O'Hare won the Medal of Honor by downing five planes.
Her offensive patrols in the Coral Sea continued until 6 March, when she rendezvoused with USS Yorktown's TF 17 for a thoroughly successful surprise attack flown over the Owen Stanley mountains of New Guinea to inflict heavy damage on shipping and installations at Salamaua and Lae 10 March. She now returned to Pearl Harbor, arriving 26 March 1942. Lexington's task force sortied from Pearl Harbor 15 April, rejoining TF 17 on 1 May. As Japanese fleet concentrations threatening the Coral Sea were observed, Lexington and USS Yorktown (CV 5) moved into the sea to search for the enemy's force covering a projected troop movement. The Japanese must now be blocked in their southward expansion, or sea communication with Australia and New Zealand would be cut, and the dominions threatened with invasion.
On 7 May 1942 search planes reported contact with an enemy carrier task force, and Lexington's air group flew an eminently successful mission against it, sinking light carrier Shoho. Later that day, 12 bombers and 15 torpedo planes from still-unlocated heavy carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku were intercepted by fighter groups from Lexington and Yorktown, who splashed nine enemy aircraft.
On the morning of the 8th, a Lexington plane located the Shokaku group. A strike was immediately launched from the American carriers, and the Japanese ship was heavily damaged.
The enemy penetrated to the American carriers at 1100, and 20 minutes later Lexington was struck by a torpedo to port. Seconds later, a second torpedo hit to port directly abreast the bridge. At the same time, she took three bomb hits from enemy dive bombers, producing a seven degree list to port and several raging fires. By 1300 her skilled damage control parties had brought the fires under control and returned the ship to even keel. Making 25 knots, she was ready to recover her air group. Then suddenly Lexington was shaken by a tremendous explosion, caused by the ignition of gasoline vapors below, and again fire raged out of control.
At 1558 Capt. Frederick C. Sherman, fearing for the safety of men working below, secured salvage operations, and ordered all hands to the flight deck. At 1707, he ordered, "abandon ship!", and the orderly disembarkation began, men going over the side into the warm water, almost immediately to be picked up by nearby cruisers and destroyers. Admiral Fitch and his staff transferred to cruiser USS Minneapolis (CA 36); Captain Sherman and his executive officer, Cmdr. M. T. Seligman insured all their men were safe, then were the last to leave their ship.
Lexington blazed on, flames shooting hundreds of feet into the air. The destroyer USS Phelps (DD 360) closed to 1500 yards and fired two torpedoes into her hull. With one last heavy explosion, Lexington sank at 1956 on 8 May 1942 at 15? 20' S., 155? 30' E. She was part of the price that was paid to halt the Japanese overseas empire and safeguard Australia and New Zealand, but perhaps an equally great contribution had been her pioneer role in developing the naval aviators and the techniques which played so vital a role in ultimate victory in the Pacific.
Lexington received two battle stars for World War II service.
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