National World War II Memorial

Honoring the 16 million who served in the U.S. military and the more than 400,000 who gave their lives, the National World War II Memorial offers a breathtaking tribute. Two semi-circles are made up of 56 granite pillars standing tall inside the memorial which account for the 48 states, the District of Columbia, the Alaska and Hawaii territories, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands who partipated in the war. The Freedom Wall, which features the message, "Here we mark the price of freedom," features 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. METRO: Smithsonian.