The World War II Memorial honors U.S. service members and civilians connected with the Second World War and opened in Washington, D.C., in 2004.
The memorial stands on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Its design includes 56 pillars representing the U.S. states and territories, a central Rainbow Pool, and arches symbolizing the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. Gold stars on the Freedom Wall represent American military deaths during the war.
The memorial was dedicated on May 29, 2004, during a ceremony attended by thousands of veterans and visitors. It was created decades after the war, following a long campaign to establish a national memorial in the capital.
Memorial Day events at the site honor the generation that served during the conflict. The memorial commemorates the war as a national effort, while its pillars and inscriptions also recognize the contributions of individual states and territories.