World War II Memorial

Back to Thursday. The WWII Memorial was the most impressive. It sits between the Washington and Lincoln Memorials, but is unobtrusive because of an elliptical shape, sunken in the middle with a large pool with facing fountains. At either end, there is a tower representing a theater of war (Atlantic in this picture ==>). Each of the campaigns is engraved in stone around a smaller fountain at the base of each tower. Here I am standing at the base of the Pacific tower, with a quote from Gen. MacArthur behind, and some of the later campaigns (Iwo) below to my left (<==). Flanking each tower are several (54 or 56) smaller towers, each with a metal garland, and engraved with the name of a State or Territory. Here is Utah's share of the monument. In the middle of the monument, as you face the Lincoln Memorial, there was a semi-circular granite wall with lots of gold stars mounted on it. Each star represented 5,000 U.S. Soldiers who lost their lives in that war. At the foot of the fountain below, the large engraving reads "MARK THE PRICE OF FREEDOM"On both sides of the stars were more waterfalls. Here is a shot, looking away from the Washington Monument, that gives you a better overall view.

Here are the views on the left of this picture, and on the right. Can you tell we were impressed? From this Memorial, Devin led us toward the tidal basin to see the cherry blossoms, and walk through the FDR Memorial en route to the Jefferson Memorial. Before we could get across the street, though, I was overwhelmed with emotion, and sobbed as I had received a small glimpse and reminder of the tremendous individual sacrifices made by those in military service. The personal losses, like the cumulative good they have done and are still doing for America in particular and the whole earth, cannot be exaggerated.