Gone But Not Forgotten: National World War II Memorial

Dedicated on May 29, 2004, the National World War II Memorial is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, just east of the Reflecting Pool.

The memorial honors the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces during the war, and the millions more who supported them on the home front.

On May 25, 1993, President Clinton signed Public Law 103-32 authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission to build the memorial in or around Washington, D.C. The memorial is funded primarily by private contributions. Construction of the memorial began in September 2001 and it opened to the public on April 29, 2004.

The Second World War is the sole 20th-century event commemorated on the central axis of the National Mall, where it joins other beacons of freedom. The U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument are symbols of the nation’s founding in the 18th century; and the Lincoln Memorial and statue of Ulysses S. Grant honor the nation’s preservation in the 19th century.

The memorial’s design, by Friedrich St. Florian—an architect based in Providence, Rhode Island—was one of 404 entries received in an open design competition in 1996. St. Florian’s design is intended to create a powerful sense of place that is distinct, memorable, evocative, and serene. Its principal features are the Rainbow Pool and memorial plaza. Ceremonial steps and ramps lead into the plaza, and two 43-foot arches serve as markers and entries on the north and south ends of the plaza. Each state and territory from the World War II era, and the District of Columbia, are represented by one of 56 pillars adorned with bronze wreaths, celebrating the unity of the nation during the war.

Issued on the day of the memorial’s dedication, the postage stamp honoring the achievement and ideals of the Americans who served during WWII was created before the memorial was completed. “The memorial was barely a scratch in the dirt when I was given the assignment,” stamp artist Tom Engeman said. His computer-generated design was based on photographs he and art director Howard E. Paine took of a scale model of the memorial housed in a trailer on the construction site. The stamp art depicts one of the two large memorial arches with a curving row of pillars, set against a dramatic sunset.

What does the National World War II Memorial mean to you?

Berlin Airlift Proved Power of Peaceful Military Operations

One of the first major tests of the Cold War, the Berlin Airlift overcame ideological and logistical obstacles. The 1948-49 Allied mission was an extremely significant and impressive peacetime supply effort in an early standoff with the Soviet Union.

Following World War II, Germany was occupied by the four major Allies from the war in Europe—the United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. Germany’s capital, Berlin, had been split into four sectors as well, but lay deep inside the Russian zone. After a currency dispute in the summer of 1948, the Soviets blocked land and water access to the city, leaving only narrow air corridors for Allied access. The Soviet goal was not so much to starve the people of Berlin as it was to make them depend on Soviet resources. Rather than resorting to armed conflict or conceding altogether, Allied forces united to airlift food and fuel to the blockaded city. The mission—also known as Operation Vittles—proved a huge success. The airlifted goods supplied Berliners for more than a year, ultimately forcing the blockade’s removal.

The logistics of the operation were difficult, to say the least. Yet the Allied effort was remarkably persistent—and consistent—in meeting the challenge. Planes commonly arrived in Berlin at three-minute intervals around the clock. Every single day of the airlift, at least one transport delivered supplies—regardless of weather, maintenance difficulties, or threatening maneuvers by Soviet aircraft. During the operation, the airlift delivered a total of nearly 2.5 million tons of goods. Led by Major General William H. Turner, the airlift spanned the 11 tense months of the blockade and continued for four more as surface transportation was restored.

“The Berlin Airlift was definitely capable of either breaking the blockade,” Turner said of the mission’s objectives, “or of maintaining life in Berlin while negotiations were going on.”

In May 1949, the Soviets finally lifted the blockade, proving the success of the peaceful, humanitarian mission as the dust settled in Germany.

Armed Forces Utilize the Strength, Agility of American Aviation

Advances in aviation since the Wright brothers’ first airplane flight in 1903 have had a significant impact on our country’s military power. Issued in 1997, the Classic American Aircraft pane features 20 planes representing the first 50 years of powered flight in America, many of which were instrumental in times of conflict.

Grumman’s F4F was the Navy’s first line of defense in early World War II. It out-fought the faster, more agile Japanese Zero at the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. The Wildcat’s rugged service continued throughout the war.

An early 1930s breakthrough, this sleek monoplane took over the job of bomber from big, slow biplanes. The Martin B-10 carried a one-ton cargo, opened the eyes of strategists, and pointed the way to the hardy B-17 and B-24.

The bent-winged F4U achieved one of World War II’s highest victory ratios. Impressive in ground support, the Vought Corsair also served effectively in Korea. The plane was retired in the 1970s with a long and distinguished international record.

The Boeing B-17 is an American legend. In World War II, it carried the air war to Germany, bombing heavily defended targets while dodging flak and enemy fighters. Able to withstand severe damage, the ‘Fort’ commanded great respect.

Beautiful, agile, powerful, the North American P-51 is rated by many as the best fighter of WWII. The Mustang escorted bombers over Europe and the Pacific, sweeping the skies, and winning the hearts of its pilots.

These classic machines paved the way for countless advances in aviation technology, keeping American armed forces on the cutting edge. What kinds of aircraft would you like to see on a future stamp?