The District of Columbia War Memorial is a fitting tribute to the 26,000 Washington citizens who fought during World War I. This is the single monument built to honor and pay respect to the war veterans. Engraved in the foot of the monument are the names of 499 Washington soldiers who risked their life during the war, adjacent to the medals that were presented to the branches of the military troops that served during World War I.

The D.C. War Memorial was devoted on Armistice Day, 1931; the day that the war officially ended. It marked the beginning of the construction. The renowned architect from Washington, Frederick H. Brooke, together with two of his associates - Horace W. Peaslee and Nathan C. Wyeth designed the memorial.

On September 2008, the last US veteran who was alive submitted a proposal to Congress stating that the memorial must have expansion and must be named as the national monument to World War II veterans.

On July 2010, it was announced by the National Park Service that preservation and expansion would start on October, 2010.