World War II Memorial is the newest monument on the National Mall dedicated to the 16 million men and women who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II. Located on the former site of the Rainbow Pool in Washington D.C., the memorial is comprised of 16 pillars arranged in a semicircle and a pair of arches surrounding a plaza and fountain. The northern arch is inscribed with the word Atlantic while the southern one has Pacific inscribed on it. Bronze eagles and wreaths are installed under the arches. Also a famous feature is the engraving ?Kilroy was here,? typical of the Kilroy graffiti. The World War II Memorial II reaches more than 4.4 million visitors annually.

Opened to the public on April 29, 2004, it was established by the American Battle Monuments Commission as a tribute to the World War II generation, to those who served in uniform as well as those who worked in the nations factories and mines manufacturing necessary supplies. The memorial?s actual construction began in 2001 and took three years to complete, constructed mostly of bronze and granite. Each pillar found in the memorial is inscribed with the name of one of the 48 U.S. states of 1945, as well as the District of Columbia, the Alaska Territory and Territory of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Visitor will also find 24 bronze bas-relief panels depicting wartime and the home front progressing through several iconic scenes depending on which side they approach. Depicted scenes include combat and burying the dead, homecoming scene, and a handshake between the American and Russian armies. There is also a Freedom Wall found on the west side of the memorial which has 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. The message "Here we mark the price of freedom" can be seen at the front side of the wall.