|
||||||||
WWII Memorial Opens
By Karen Ferguson, TSCL Administrative Assistant TSCL’s own Dottie Holmes, Board of Trustees’ Vice-Chair and 30-year Air Force veteran, was on hand for the ceremony. The Memorial was funded mainly through private donations, including over $55,000 donated by TSCL members. Many “Notch babies” are World War II veterans and feel this recognition of their sacrifices during the war is long overdue. It is estimated that only 4 million of the 16 million veterans of WWII are still alive. Congress gave its final approval for the project in 1993. Due to court challenges by critics who thought the Monument would destroy the vista of the National Mall, construction was not begun until late 2001. The site was opened to the public in late April, one month before the formal dedication ceremony. The WWII Monument sits between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial and spans the length of a football field. There are two 43-foot arches on either end of the field, one marked “Atlantic,” the other marked “Pacific,” which represent the two theaters of the war. In between there are fountains, waterfalls, and gold stars that represent the more than 400,000 who lost their lives fighting in the war. “America Celebrates the Greatest Generation” is the title of the summer-long series of events that are planned in Washington, D.C. Completed 59 years after the end of World War II, those who have visited the Memorial say it is a beautiful tribute to an entire generation. Sources: “World War II Memorial Opens to Public,” Associated Press, April 29, 2004. “World War II Memorial Opens to Public,” Associated Press, April 30, 2004. “National WWII Memorial,” www.wwiimemorial.com, May 26, 2004. August 2004 | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||
