A crowd of 12,000 people attended the long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony for the National World War II Memorial on Veterans Day 2000, at the memorial’s Rainbow Pool site on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Conceived in 1987, authorized by Congress in 1993, and the subject of 19 public hearings over the past six years, the memorial passed a major milestone when the final architectural design was approved by the National Capital Planning Commission in September, clearing the way for the groundbreaking ceremony. The Commission of Fine Arts approved the design in July.

American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), the government agency designated by Congress to establish the memorial, expects a general contractor to be selected and construction to begin in March.

Friedrich St. Florian was selected from 400 entries to design the memorial. He has been a practicing architect in the United States since 1974.

The Design

Memorial Plaza: The memorial plaza and Rainbow Pool are the principal design features of the WWII memorial. The principal sculptural element, the Light of Freedom, will be placed in the center of the Rainbow Pool, giving the Pool new responsibility and historical significance as the centerpiece of the memorial.

Two 70-ft. flagpoles flying the American flag will frame the ceremonial entrance at 17th Street.

Memorial Arches: Two 41-ft. arches serve as markers and entries on the north and south ends of the plaza. Four bronze columns support four American eagles that hold a suspended victory laurel to memorialize the victory of the WWII generation. Inlayed on the floor of the arches will be the WWII victory medal surrounded by the words “Victory on Land,” “Victory at Sea,” and “Victory in the Air.”

Embracing Arms and Pillars: Fifty-six granite pillars celebrate the unity of the nation during WWII and symbolize the bonding of the nation. Each state and territory from that period and the District of Columbia will be represented by a pillar adorned with laurels and inscribed with its name. The 17-ft. pillars are open in the center for greater transparency, and ample space between each allows viewing into and across the memorial.

Commemorative Area: Within a commemorative area at the western side of the memorial is recognized the sacrifice of America’s WWII generation, the contribution of our allies, and the suffering of all humankind. A field of sculpted gold stars on the Freedom Wall will commemorate the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives. During WWII, the gold star became the enduring symbol of family sacrifice. The Freedom Wall will contain one star for every 100 Americans who died in service to their nation during the war.

Rainbow Pool and Waterworks: The historic waterworks of the Rainbow Pool will be completely restored and will contribute to the celebratory nature of the memorial. The design provides seating along the pool circumference for visitors. Semi-circular fountains at the base of the two memorial arches and waterfalls flanking the Freedom Wall will complement the waterworks in the Rainbow Pool.

For more information about the memorial, visit www.wwiimemorial.com/

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