Tour Washington DC: Military and War Monuments and Memorials

Some of the most famous landmarks of Washington Dc are its monuments and memorials dedicated to the men and women who founded and served the nation. Many of us are very familiar with the many Presidential monuments located around the capital city of the United States. However, over the centuries, many brave men and women served the country and sacrificed their lives in defense of the nation’s freedom and democracy. It is only fitting that they too are honored with memorials and monuments at the political center of the United States of America. In and around Washington DC, many sites were dedicated and consecrated to commemorate the sacrifice and valor of the United States armed forces and other uniformed personnel. By visiting these military and war monuments and memorials in Washington DC, we can have a deeper appreciation for the freedom and democracy we are continuously enjoying up to this day. 

Here are some of the monuments and memorials in Washington DC dedicated to the brave men and women in uniform who served the country. Visiting them is a must whenever you go on a Washington DC family reunion, educational tour, faith-based tour, or for whatever purpose you go to the federal city.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

One of the most popular websites of the National Parks System, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands as a powerful sign of the country's acknowledgment of the service and sacrifice of the men and females who serve during the Vietnam War. The memorial includes three parts, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, The Three Soldiers, and the Vietnam Women's Memorial The best-known part of the site is the Wall made of black granite, where more than 58,000 names of casualties of the war were listed in chronological order. Maybe, the most effective and moving function of the wall is that the visitor's reflection is seen at the same time as the engraved name, linking the past and present. Across the wall is the bronze statue of The Three Servicemen, recognizable as a European American, a Black American, and a Hispanic American. Solemnly looking towards the wall, the Three Servicemen appear to commemorate their fallen pals. A little south of the wall is a fitting homage to the ladies, the majority of them are nurses, who served in the Vietnam War. It powerfully functions as a remembrance of the important role that females played during the dispute.

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Devoted in 1995, the Korean War Veterans Memorial was integrated to honor those who fought and served the three-year Korean War. The monolith consists of numerous structures in honor of the servicemen who sacrificed during among the most devastating conflicts after World War II. A mural wall made of black granite with sandblasted images of archival photos of soldiers and their devices moving through the land, air, and the sea is among its main features. The mural wall is extended to intersect the circular Pool of Remembrance, located at the apex of the triangle-shaped memorial. An impactful message, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE, in 10-inch silver letters is composed at the end of the wall converging the swimming pool. It functions as a pointer of the sacrifice that the soldiers spent for the freedom that we enjoy today. Nineteen seven-foot stainless steel statues, moving in their ponchos which seems to be blown by the cold wind of Korea, is another popular function of the memorial. They represent all of the branches of the US militaries who entered into a fight at the Korean Peninsula. When shown at the mural wall, the variety of statues appears to double to 38. The number represents the 38th parallel that divided Korea into 2 sides. At the north end of the field of statues, the names of the 22 countries that combated under the UN Command during the Korean War are memorialized at the United Nations Curb.

World War II Memorial

The World War II Memorial, located at the eastern end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflective Pool, functions as a reminder of the valor, sacrifice, unity, and success of the Americans who served during the Second World War. From the eastern side, there is a rectangular ceremonial entranceway ending in an elliptical pool with water fountains and waterjets. On both sides of the entryway are balustrades bearing bas relief sculptures portraying iconic scenes of the war experience. The northern side represents the war in Europe, while the south side is for the Pacific. On either side of the swimming pool is a triumphal arch symbolizing the victories on the two fronts - the Atlantic and the Pacific. Along with the arches, 56 pillars form a semi-circle around the fountain representing the 48 states, District of Columbia, and 7 federal areas that fought side-by-side throughout the war. On the western side of the plaza, a Freedom Wall was raised to honor the more than 400,000 men and women who craved the price of liberty. They are represented by 4,048 stars in the wall, one star for every single 100 Americans who compromised their lives.

Marine Corps War Memorial

Commemorating the lives and sacrifice of all the members of the Marines who served in defense of the nation's freedom since 1775, the Marines Corps War Memorial was inspired by the iconic flag-raising picture done at the island of Iwo Jima in Japan by the end of the Second World War. The larger than life sculpture, located in Arlington County, Virginia, illustrates the 6 Marines raising a United States flag atop Mount Suribachi throughout the battle on the island. The bronze figures of the soldiers are 32 feet high while the flagpole is 60 feet high. Two of the enduring Marines in the historical flag-raising moment designed for their statues' faces. Every battle where the Marines fought, their dates and places, are inscribed in gold letters forming the upper rim of the refined black granite base.

African American Civil War Memorial

The first memorial exclusively dedicated to the members of the US Colored Troops, the monument commemorates the valor and sacrifice of the African-American soldiers who served in the Civil War. The 9-foot bronze statue, called The Spirit of Freedom, honors the more than 200,000 men of color, who suffered spite from the opposing side and bigotry from within their own. Likewise in the plaza are walls where all the names of the Black servicemen, along with that of their white officers and Hispanic associates, are inscribed. Right throughout the plaza is the African American Civil War Museum, where households, students, and visitors can, even more, remember the bravery and contributions of the USCT.

Arlington National Cemetery

Simply a stone's throw across the Potomac River from Washington DC, Arlington National Cemetery is located. The site is the largest United States military cemetery where more than 400,000 soldiers and instant household are buried given that the Civil War. The cemetery serves as a memorial to the countless lives who offered their lives in the name of flexibility. Veterans and their households from the battlefronts of the Middle East, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the two World Wars, and the American Civil War have been interred on these spiritual grounds. Some notable sites and burials at the Arlington National Cemetery are the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy, the USS Maine Mast Memorial, the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial, and the Cross of Sacrifice. Visitors can likewise witness the intricate and solemn ceremony of the Changing of the Guard - where a sentinel effortlessly takes control of the guard duty for the previous guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

The United States is not only built by the founding fathers. It is continuously being protected by the men and women who serve the armed forces. They are the ones who protect the freedom and democracy that we enjoy. Honoring them by learning about their bravery through visiting the monuments and memorials whenever we tour Washington DC is just a small task compared to the great sacrifice they have given for this country.