The World War II Memorial stands on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. The Austrian-American architect Friedrich St. Florian submitted the design, chosen in 1997 and later revised, and the sculptor Raymond Kaskey made the bronze eagles and reliefs. The American Battle Monuments Commission led the project. Ground was broken in November 2000, and it was dedicated on May 29, 2004. The article calls it classical in style.
Fifty-six granite pillars, each 17 feet (5.2 m) tall, ring a sunken oval plaza and fountain. They carry the names of the 48 states of 1945, the District of Columbia and seven territories. The Freedom Wall holds 4,048 gold stars, each for 100 Americans who died.
Critics faulted its location and aesthetics. About $197 million was raised. The National Park Service administers it.
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