On one side of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was the Korean War Memorial, completed in 1995 in memory of those lost their lives in that war (1950-3). Nineteen soldiers cautiously cross dangerous terrain. Their frozen realistic movements and ghostly appearances made this an extremely eerie place.

To add to the unsettling effect, a long black granite wall reflected the images of the soldiers, as well as contained its own engraved images of the war.

It felt like ghosts looking at ghosts.

On the other side of the pool was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It honors those (both living and dead) who served in this war (1959-75).

The Three Servicemen

Their expressions seemed to change with each angle.

Completed in 1982, this section of the memorial is known as The Wall and contained the names of those who died or were still listed as Missing in Action at the time.

Searching in a register of names for those listed on the wall

The Wall during Memorial Day weekend

At the far end of the reflecting pool was the National World War II Memorial that honored all those who served in the armed forces as well as on the homefront during this major war (1930's - 1945). It was opened in 2004.

The design consisted of pillars (each dedicated to a state or territory) arranged around a pool with two arches (one for the Pacific, one for the Atlantic) on opposite sides.

The Pacific arch

The Atlantic arch

Four bronze eagles carry a laurel wreath.

Looking back at the Lincoln Memorial... and forward at the Washington Monument

The Washington Monument was built from 1848 - 1884 in honor of George Washington. It weighs over 90,800 tons and is just over 555 feet tall. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the world.

Because it was built in two phases, there is a slight color change about 152 feet up.

Looking back at the WWII Memorial, reflecting pool and the Lincoln Memorial...

... and forward across the stretch of green known as the National Mall toward the capitol building

return • continue