WWII
Memorial to Honor America’s “Greatest Generation”
The United States
suffered the loss of 413,000 military and civilian men and women,
treated some 670,000 wounded, and questioned the whereabouts of 20,000
missing Americans during World War II. Now, 60 years later, we are
finally on the verge of revealing a memorial befitting of the valor and
heroism of our World War II veterans.
After many years of
planning and discussion, authorization for this memorial was granted in
1993, and a dedication of the site on the National Mall took place in
1995. In 2001, amidst controversy and numerous delays in the memorial’s
construction progress, Congress approved legislation to expedite the
project’s completion.
The American Battle
Monument Commission has coordinated a four-day celebration to honor the
dedication of the National World War II Memorial. Running through
Memorial weekend May 27th to 30th,
these events will consist of, among other things, a Reunion on the
National Mall, a Salute to WWII Veterans at the MCI Center, and the
long-awaited Dedication Ceremony for the WWII Memorial.
The dedication is
expected to attract tens of thousands of veterans and their families and
friends to our nation’s capital to pay tribute to the veterans of
America’s “Greatest Generation”. For those unable to travel to
Washington for the dedication, the ceremony will be televised live on
both C-SPAN and the History Channel. Washington, D.C. is also
celebrating a 100-day tribute to The Greatest Generation from May 27th
to September 7th, 2004. The summer celebration will feature
more than 140 World War II-themed exhibits, performances, and walking
tours.
Once completed, the National World War II Memorial will for centuries to
come fittingly honor the 16 million American heroes who fought tyranny
and fascism across the globe. It is imperative that future generations
of Americans forever remember the unimaginable sacrifice, the human
cost, and the enormous price these veterans paid for our freedoms. The
Memorial, which is certain to be both inspiring in its magnitude and
sobering in its symbolism, is but a token of our nation’s collective
gratitude for our veterans’ remarkable courage.
If you would like to
honor a family member in the National World War II Memorial Registry,
you can do so by calling 1-800-639-4992 or by visiting the memorial’s
website at
www.wwiimemorial.com. Please feel free to contact my district
office at 614-469-5614 if I can be of assistance regarding the registry.
This list of Americans will forever memorialize the courageous men and
woman who selflessly contributed to the war effort and the preservation
of our freedoms.
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