David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:30pm
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Das Kolonialabzeichen
Das Kolonialabzeichen. The Colonial Badge, also called Elephantenorden (Elephant's Order). Awarded to all German colonials who, during the 1st WW and in the former German colonies, were acting or serving on behalf of the colonies.
This silvered badge made of copper or aluminium has on the obverse a palm tree and an elephant. The lower part of the badge is covered with oak leaves and around the upper rim are the place names "S?DSEE * AFRIKA * KIAUTSCHOU" referring to the larger areas where German colonies were situated. The pin backed reverse has only the text "GES. GESCH?TZT NR. 33992" (Legally protected Nr. 33992).
This official decoration was instituted in October 1921 and was to be purchased by the recipient. By 21 November 1936 some 8,000 were issued and it is safe to assume that few later awards took place.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:34pm
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Iron Cross
Iron Cross. Originally created in 1813 by King Fredrick III during Prussia's period of 'blood and iron' -- their struggle for survival against Napoleon. The award was to supersede all other bravery awards and only during times of war. The Iron Cross was re-issued during the Franco-Prussina war (1870-71). The 1914 Iron Cross was established in three classes: second class, first class (shown above), and Grand Cross. The Grand Cross was of the same design, but physically larger and worn at the neck. In 1916, the grand cross was augmented with a breast star, which was bestowed upon only one recipient - Field Marshall Von Hindenburg. The second class and Grand Cross are suspended from a black and white ribbon, while the first class is a pinback badge worn on the left side of the uniform. The second class cross was usually only worn in dress uniform - at all other times it was represented by its ribbon looped through the second buttonhole of the tunic. There were approximately 218,000 awards of the first class during WWI, and over 5,000,000 of the second class. There were only five recipients of the Grand Cross, including Hindenburg, and of course, the Kaiser himself.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:35pm
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Pour le M
Pour le M?rite. The "Blue Max" is among the most famous decorations of all time. It was Prussia's highest military award, given not for individual acts of gallantry, but for repeated and continual gallantry in action. Although the Pour le M?rite has a civilian version (still awarded to this day), it is almost considered to be an entirely different decoration. The award could be made with a golden oak leaves device on the suspension ring - a distinction added for exceptional merit, usually to recipients of high rank. There was also a Grand Cross of the order, but it was not used during World War I. There were 1,687 awarded during the First World War, 122 with oak leaves. The Pour le M?rite was different than many bravery awards in that it could not be awarded posthumously. The recipient needed to be alive. Many German servicemen died while the paperwork for their Blue Max was being considered and as such were never 'credited' with the award even though they might have been had they lived. Also, unlike other awards, the Pour le M?rite was to be worn whenever the recipient was in uniform and not just on dress occasions. For that reason, many Blue Max crosses show signs of considerable wear and tear.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:35pm
Rating: 10
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Royal Hohenzollern House
Royal Hohenzollern House Order, as its name implies, was not so much a Prussian order as an order of the Prussian ruling family, the Hohenzollerns. Nonetheless, this order earned an important place in the heirarchy of Prussian military awards of the First World War. The knight's cross of this order became a bridge to the considerable gap between the Iron Cross, first class, and the Pour le Merite for recognizing heroism., while the Crown Order and Red Eagle (logical choices) remained fairly exclusive.
There was also a "member's cross" of the order which was available to non-commissioned officers, but was rarely awarded. When awarded for duty in a combat unit or for combat operations, the decoration had swords between the arms of the cross. There were over 8,000 awards made during World War I, the vast majority of them knight's crosses.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:36pm
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Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown. Instituted in 1861, the Order of the Crown was Prussia's lowest ranking order of chivalry, although it still held considerable status. As with most European orders of the time, it could only be awarded to commissioned officers (or civilians of approximately equivalent status), but there was a medal associated with the order which could be earned by non- commissioned officers and enlisted men. This order was not frequently awarded for combat actions during the war, although awards "with swords" were made in great numbers to military personnel, for general merit. Shown above is the 4th class badge, with gilt cross arms. The higher grades had white enamel arms.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:40pm
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The Military Order of Mar
The Military Order of Maria Theresa. Founded by the Empress Maria Theresa on 22 June 1757 as a reward for merit for senior military officers. The order was to be granted as a reward for acts of military valor and to perpetuate the memory of the brave officers receiving it. An officer had to command in a battle or a unit in a winning action to be eligible for the higher grades. For even the lowest class (Knight) an officer had to perform highly significant feats of valor and extreme devotion to duty, to be considered for the Order . With such strict requirements, the Order was sparingly awarded. As with many high orders the decoration was to be returned to the Chancellery of the Order on the death of the holder.
Like most Austrian Orders, it came in three classes or grades:
Knights Grand Cross: worn from the neck, or on an equal-striped red/white/red sash for more formal occasions. Included a breast star. Image of Franz Josef wearing Grand Cross.
Knights Commander: cross worn from the neck.
Knights: cross worn on left breast, suspended from its ribbon. Since the mid 1800s, the ribbons of Austrian awards were folded in a distictive triangular (dreiecks) shape. It was peculiarly Austrian but also copied by some nations under her cultural or military influence.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:42pm
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Milit
Milit?r-Verdienstkreuz (Cross for Military Merit) Awarded to officers, in peace time, for distinguished service through zeal and perseverance, in war time for valour and fine leadership. The cross, in white enamel with red enamel borders, was originally instituted on 21 October 1849 by Emperor Franz Joseph I and in 1860 the "Kriegsdekoration" (War Decoration), a gilded laurel wreath appearing between the arms of the cross, was added for distinction in action. On 23 September 1914 the decoration was reorganized into three classes :
1st Class becoming a breast pin cross (only for general officers
commanding at least an army corps),
2nd Class a neck badge
3rd Class a breast badge.
On 13 December 1916 crossed gilt swords to be attached on the ribbon were instituted while from 1 August 1917 onwards, subsequent awards of the 3rd Class could be identified by trapeze shaped, gilt bars. The obverse medaillon of the cross bears the word "VER / DIENST" (Merit), the reverse is in plain white enamel.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:43pm
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Tapferkeits Medaille
Tapferkeits Medaille (Bravery Medal) Awarded to non-commissioned officers and other ranks for a deed of bravery in war. This medal was instituted on 19 July 1789 in 3 classes : the Gold Medal, the Large Silver Medal (also called 1st Class Silver Medal) and the Small Silver Medal (2nd Class Silver Medal). On 14 February 1915 a Bronze Medal (50% bronze, 50% gunmetal) was added. During the 1st World War two types of the "Tapferkeits- Medaille" were issued : a first type bearing, on the obverse, the bust of Emperor Franz Joseph I with the text "FRANZ JOSEPH I V.G.G. KAISER V. OESTERREICH" (Franz Joseph I, by the grace of God, Emperor of Austria) and on the reverse, within a laurel wreath with crossed flags at the bottom, the words "DER / TAPFERKEIT" (For Bravery, in German) and a second type, issued after Franz Joseph's death in November 1916, bearing, on the obverse, the bust of Emperor Karl with the text "CAROLVaS D.G. IMP. AVST. REX BOH. ETC. ET REX APOST. HVNG." (Karl, by the grace of God, Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia etc. and Apostolic King of Hungary). The reverse is similar to the first type but for the word "FORTITVDINI" (For Bravery, in Latin). On 29 November 1915 bars, trapeze form and in rustless iron, were installed for subsequent awards of the same class. An order of 15 September 1917 made officers also eligible, under special conditions, for the Gold or Silver Classes and in those cases a gilt or silver "K" was affixed to the ribbon. By mid March 1918 the Vienna Mint had struck, during the war, some 950,000 bronze, 384,000 small silver 2nd Class, 143,000 large silver and 3,700 gold medals.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:43pm
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Eisernes Verdienstkreuz
Eisernes Verdienstkreuz (Iron Cross for Merit) Awarded to soldiers or civil servants of lower rank for merit. This decoration was instituted on 1 April 1916 and could be awarded with or without an imperial crown. For service at the front, gilt swords attached to the ribbon were instituted on 13 December 1916. The cross could be suspended on the ribbon of the Bravery Medal in case of war merit or on a plain red ribbon for merit in times of peace. Awards of the latter kind were apparently never made. The obverse has a central medaillion in which the imperial monogram "FJ" (Franz Joseph) is placed within an inner circle bearing the motto "VIRIBUS UNITIS" (by united forces). The reverse (shown in the enlargement) bears the year of institution '1916' within a stylised wreath. The larger part of recipients of this decoration can be found among members of the medical corps, the field railroad corps and the military postal services.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:45pm
Rating: 10
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Tiroler Lanesdenkm
Tiroler Lanesdenkm?nze (Tyrol Province Remembrance Medal) Awarded to all Tiroleans whos served in the First World War and also to those who, between 1915 and 1918 participated in defending the Tirol Province (amongst them were German mountain troops). This bronze gilt medal was instituted on 7 February 1928 and awards were stopped end March 1940. During that period some 120,000 were awarded. The obverse shows the Tirolean Eagle and the reverse bears, within an oak leaf wreath, the words "DAS / LAND TIROL / DEN / VERTEIDIGERN / DES / VATERLANDES/ 1914-1918" (The Tirol Province to the Defenders of the Homeland, 1914-1918).
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:48pm
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The Imtiaz Medal
The Imtiaz Medal was the higher ranking of two medals for meritorious military service awarded by the Ottoman Turkish Government. It was 37mm in diameter, in silver and gold, with a trophy of arms on the obverse and an elaborate arabic inscription on the reverse. The ribbon was half red, half green, with the red on the right. Awards for combat action in WW1 bore a device on the ribbon in the form of crossed sabers, with a bar indicating the Hegira calendar date of 1333 (1914/1915), made from the same material as the medal itself.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:48pm
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The Liyakat Medal
The Liyakat Medal was the junior ranking medal in the Turkish system of honors. It resembles a smaller version of the Imtiaz medal, 25mm in diameter. It was also awarded in silver and gold classes, both suspended from a red ribbon with narrow green stripes at the borders. Like the Imtiaz medals of the WW1 period, it used the crossed sabers device for combat awards, and in this form was frequently awarded to German military personnel.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:48pm
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The Osmanie Order
The Osmanie Order, Order of the Ottoman Empire, was founded in 1861. Although not the highest ranking Ottoman order, it was the highest one that most officers of the Great War were likely to see. This Order was also bestowed on British officers (before the Ottoman diplomatic shift towards Germany) for service to the Ottoman empire in Egypt and the Sudan. It consisted of a seven-pointed star in silver with green enamel, and silver rays between the points. The center medallion was red enameled gilt or gold, with a raised crescent around the bottom, and an ornate calligraphic inscription. The badge was suspended by a device in the form of a crescent and star, and used a ribbon of bright green with red border stripes. Military awards of this order bore a pair of crossed sabers superimposed over the star shaped portion of the badge. The Order came in four classes.
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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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