A Monumental Project

Friedrich St.Florian's design for a World War II memorial beat 400 others in a competition. It should be finished by 2003.

Each year Americans observe Veterans Day on November 11 to honor the brave men and women who have served in the military. This Veterans Day will be extra special for many veterans of World War II. In a ceremony in Washington, D.C., ground will be broken at the site of a planned World War II Memorial. It will stand on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. When finished in 2003, it will be the first national memorial to veterans of World War II. The war began in Europe in 1939 and ended when the U.S. and allied nations defeated Germany, Italy and Japan in 1945.

Architect Friedrich St.Florian designed the memorial. It features a plaza, a reflecting pool and a wall decorated with 4,000 gold stars, one for every 100 Americans who died in the war.

Some people are opposed to the memorial. Opponents are taking legal action to block its construction. They say the site is on historical grounds and building there is illegal. Some dislike the design of the new memorial. They also worry that it will block views between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Builders insist that the new structure won't ruin anyone's view.

President Bill Clinton approved the monument in 1993. "Until World War II has a place on our National Mall, the story of America that is told there will be incomplete," he said. World War II hero and former Senator Bob Dole also supports the monument. He is helping raise the $100 million needed to build and maintain it. His team still needs to raise an additional $8 million, but construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2001. For more information, check out www.wwiimemorial.com